Christmas Sideboard Decor: 16 Buffet Styling Ideas That Make Your Dining Room Feel Like Grandma’s
Christmas Sideboard Decor is the easiest way to make a dining room feel like the holidays at Grandma’s house. Do you remember walking into her dining room in December? The buffet was always dressed up with greenery, the good china and a little dish of candy canes you were allowed to sneak from. It felt warm before anyone even sat down to eat. The good news is that you do not need a big budget or a fancy hutch to bring that feeling home. A plain sideboard, a thrifted buffet or even a long dresser is the perfect stage. Below are 16 easy styling ideas, from a full garland look to a serving station that works hard on the big day. Most use things you already own or can find at a thrift store. Pick a few and start dressing your buffet this weekend..
Christmas Sideboard Decor That Starts With One Full Grandma Look
Christmas Sideboard Decor works best when you picture the whole look first. Think of the sideboard as three layers: the wall above it, the top surface and the space underneath. Here a sage green buffet gets a pine garland, frosted mini trees on both ends, red and white china in the middle and a wreath on the mirror. Underneath, a basket of plaid throws keeps it cozy. You can copy the whole thing or borrow one layer at a time. Grab a cup of cocoa and let us walk through each idea one by one..
You will need: Your sideboard or buffet, a fresh or faux garland, two to four small trees, a stack of plates, a wreath, ribbon and a basket.
How to make it: 1. Clear the top completely and dust it. 2. Start with the wall: hang or lean your mirror, art or wreath. 3. Add the garland, then the tall pieces on the ends, then the small pieces in the middle.
A Cedar Swag Draped Over the Mirror
Most sideboards have a mirror or a big picture hanging above them, and that wall is the first thing people see. A loose swag of cedar and eucalyptus draped over the top of the frame softens the whole corner. Let one end hang a little lower than the other so it looks natural, then tuck in a long red velvet ribbon. Use removable hooks behind the frame so nothing scratches the wall. The mirror also bounces daylight around the room. Does your buffet have a mirror waiting for some greenery?
You will need: Faux or fresh cedar and eucalyptus stems, floral wire, 2 yards of red velvet ribbon and two removable adhesive hooks.
How to make it: 1. Wire the stems into one long bundle, about as wide as the mirror. 2. Hang it on two hooks behind the top of the frame. 3. Tie the ribbon at one corner and let the tails fall down the side.
Christmas Sideboard Decor With Grandma’s Red and White China
If you have Grandma’s red and white dishes, the holidays are the time to bring them out of the cupboard. Stack dinner plates, then salad plates, then a teacup on top, and make two or three little towers across the buffet. Tuck sprigs of holly and pine between the stacks so it looks styled, not stored. No family china? Thrift stores and estate sales are full of mismatched red transferware for a dollar or two a piece. Which family dishes are hiding in your cupboard right now?
You will need: Red and white plates, saucers and teacups (mixed patterns are fine), a footed bowl, holly and pine sprigs.
How to make it: 1. Make stacks from largest to smallest plate. 2. Set a teacup and saucer on top of each stack. 3. Fill the gaps with greenery and put the footed bowl in the center as the tallest point.
A Pair of Mini Trees on Each End
Christmas Sideboard Decor looks balanced and finished with two matching trees, one on each end. Small flocked trees in white crocks feel snowy and old fashioned, and they are easy to find at craft stores after Thanksgiving. Wrap each one in a tiny red bead garland and leave the rest plain. Matching pairs trick the eye into seeing the buffet as a planned design, so everything you put between them looks neater. Would you go snowy white or deep green?
You will need: Two small flocked trees about 18 to 24 inches tall, two crocks or pots, red bead garland and a little filler like moss or paper.
How to make it: 1. Set each tree in a crock and fill the gap with moss or crumpled paper so it stands straight. 2. Wrap the bead garland around each tree in a loose spiral. 3. Place one on each end of the sideboard, a few inches from the edge.
Christmas Sideboard Decor That Doubles as a Serving Station
Christmas Sideboard Decor should be pretty, but on the big day it also has a job to do. Set it up like a buffet line from left to right: plates and napkins first, then the food, then silverware at the far end so guests are not juggling forks while they fill their plates. A glass cake dome of cookies and a pitcher of cranberry punch look festive and save space on the dining table. Keep the greenery along the back so nothing gets in the way. Where will the cookies go at your house?
You will need: Stacked plates, folded cloth napkins, a crock for rolled silverware, a cake dome, a cutting board, a pitcher and a short garland.
How to make it: 1. Push the greenery to the back third of the top. 2. Place plates and napkins on the left end and silverware on the right end. 3. Put the food in the middle and raise one dish on a stand for height.
Candy Canes in a Milk Glass Pitcher
Grandma always seemed to have a little dish of candy out in December, and it was the first place every kid ran to. Fill a white milk glass pitcher and a footed bowl with candy canes and set them on the buffet. The white glass makes the red stripes pop, and it doubles as a treat for guests. Milk glass is one of the most common thrift store finds, often just a few dollars. Stand the canes hook side up in the pitcher so they fan out. Who in your family would raid this first?
You will need: A milk glass pitcher, a milk glass footed bowl or compote, about 2 boxes of candy canes, a pine sprig and a small plaid bow.
How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the glass pieces. 2. Stand candy canes upright in the pitcher, hooks out, and lay more in the bowl. 3. Tie a small bow on the pitcher handle and add a pine sprig beside it.
Swap in a Plaid Lampshade
A lamp on the end of a sideboard gives a soft glow in the evening, and one small change makes it feel like Christmas. Swap the plain shade for a red and green tartan one, or cover the old shade with plaid fabric. It is a quick, low cost update that you simply switch back in January. Add a stack of old hardback books and a bud vase with one evergreen sprig beside it. Lamps also make a dining room feel cozy on dark winter afternoons. Do you have a lamp that could use a holiday outfit?
You will need: A tartan lampshade, or plaid fabric and fabric glue to cover an old shade, a few hardback books and a bud vase.
How to make it: 1. Measure your current shade so the new one fits. 2. To cover an old shade, wrap it in fabric and glue the seam at the back, with an adult using the glue gun. 3. Place the lamp at one end and style the books and vase beside it.
Thrifted Brass Bells on Velvet Ribbon
For budget Christmas Sideboard Decor, old brass bells are a thrift store treasure, and they look rich and warm against dark wood and greenery. Tie a string of sleigh bells on a red velvet ribbon and lay it along the top, then stand a few hand bells in a little group. A quick polish with a soft cloth brings back the shine. Kids love giving them a jingle as they walk past, which only adds to the Christmas feeling. Brass looks expensive but costs very little. How many bells can you find on your next thrift run?
You will need: Vintage brass sleigh bells and hand bells, red velvet ribbon, a soft cloth, brass polish and pine sprigs.
How to make it: 1. Polish the bells with a soft cloth. 2. Thread the sleigh bells onto the ribbon and knot between each one. 3. Lay the ribbon along the buffet and group the hand bells at one end with pine.
Framed Vintage Christmas Card Art
Pretty old Christmas cards are too lovely to stay in a shoebox. Slip your favorites into small gold and wooden frames and lean them against the wall at the back of the sideboard. Cardinals, snowy villages and holly sprigs look sweet together, especially when the frames do not match. You can also find vintage card designs in thrift store bins for pennies. Layer the frames so they overlap a little, then add greenery in front. Which old card from your family would you frame first?
You will need: Three to five vintage Christmas cards, small thrifted frames in gold and wood, and a few greenery sprigs.
How to make it: 1. Trim the card fronts to fit each frame. 2. Lean the largest frame at the back and overlap smaller ones in front. 3. Tuck greenery around the bottom edges.
Christmas Sideboard Decor With Stockings on the Knobs
No fireplace? Christmas Sideboard Decor can solve that problem. Hang small stockings from the drawer knobs of your buffet and you have a cozy spot for little gifts and treats. Mini stockings work best so they do not block the drawers. Use soft ribbon loops so the knobs do not get scratched. It also keeps stockings out of the living room when space is tight. Kids love finding a candy cane or a note inside each morning. How many knobs does your sideboard have?
You will need: Small knit or plaid stockings, about 10 to 12 inches long, short ribbon loops and your drawer knobs.
How to make it: 1. Tie a ribbon loop through the hanging tab of each stocking. 2. Slip the loop over a drawer knob. 3. Keep the stockings light, with only small treats inside, so the knobs stay secure.
A Big Wreath Leaning on the Wall
You do not always need a nail to hang a wreath. A big round wreath simply leaned against the wall on top of the buffet looks relaxed and pretty, like something from a farmhouse magazine. Layer a few things in front of it, such as white pitchers or a cutting board, so it feels collected. It is also a great trick for renters and for walls you do not want to drill. Change the bow color each year for a fresh look. Would you choose a plaid bow or a velvet one?
You will need: A wreath about 22 to 30 inches across, a plaid ribbon bow, pine cones, florist wire and two or three items to layer in front.
How to make it: 1. Wire pine cones and the bow onto the wreath. 2. Lean it in the center of the sideboard against the wall. 3. Place shorter items in front so they hold the base of the wreath in place.
A Basket of Cozy Throws Underneath
The space under a sideboard is often forgotten, but it is a great spot for something cozy. A big seagrass basket filled with plaid and knit throws looks warm and inviting, and it is handy when guests linger at the table on a cold night. If your buffet has legs, slide the basket right under the middle. This idea also works for storing extra napkins or table linens for the holidays. Roll or fold the blankets so the colors show. Who always gets cold at your holiday table?
You will need: A large woven basket, two or three plaid or knit throws, and optionally a set of rolled table linens.
How to make it: 1. Measure the space under your sideboard before buying a basket. 2. Fold the throws in thirds, then roll or stack them. 3. Slide the basket under the center and let one plaid edge hang over the side.
Christmas Sideboard Decor Centerpiece in a Dough Bowl
A long wooden dough bowl is the perfect shape for a sideboard centerpiece because it follows the line of the furniture. Fill it with pine cones from your yard, fresh cedar sprigs, red berries and a few gold glass ornaments. It looks full and expensive but costs almost nothing if you gather the cones yourself. After Christmas, swap the ornaments for white ones and keep it out all winter. If you love this look, see our Christmas hutch decor ideas too. What would you fill your dough bowl with?
You will need: A wooden dough bowl or long tray, pine cones, cedar or pine sprigs, faux red berry picks and 5 to 7 gold glass ornaments.
How to make it: 1. Lay the cedar sprigs in the bowl first as a base. 2. Add pine cones in small groups. 3. Tuck in the ornaments and berry picks last so they sit on top and show.
White Ironstone Pitchers Full of Greenery
For simple Christmas Sideboard Decor, plain white pitchers are a classic farmhouse touch, and filled with greenery they look like a florist arranged them. Line up three pitchers of different heights and fill each with cedar, pine and a few stems of red winterberry. The mix of heights makes the display look natural, and the white makes the green really stand out. Ask your local tree lot for free trimmings, which they often give away. Add fresh water every few days to keep them green. Which pitchers in your kitchen could join this lineup?
You will need: Three white pitchers in different sizes, fresh cedar and pine cuttings, red winterberry or faux berry stems and pruning shears for an adult to use.
How to make it: 1. Have an adult cut the branches to about twice the height of each pitcher. 2. Fill each pitcher with water and add the longest branches first. 3. Tuck in the berry stems last and line the pitchers up from tall to short.
A Little Christmas Village on Fake Snow
Many grandmas had a little ceramic Christmas village, and it is coming back in a big way. A long sideboard is the perfect place for one, and it turns Christmas Sideboard Decor into a little scene people stop to look at. Spread a strip of fake snow along the top and set the houses in a gentle row with bottle brush trees between them. Use battery LED tea lights or a string of battery fairy lights inside the houses so they glow safely all evening. White and cream houses look calm and modern. Start with three pieces and add one each year. Did your grandma have a village too?
You will need: Three to six ceramic houses, a roll of fake snow batting, small bottle brush trees and battery LED lights.
How to make it: 1. Lay the snow batting along the sideboard and fluff it up. 2. Place the houses in a row with small gaps. 3. Put a battery LED light inside each house and set the trees in the gaps.
Christmas Sideboard Decor Finished With a Plaid Runner
The final touch for Christmas Sideboard Decor is a runner that drapes over both ends. A red and white buffalo check runner makes a white or painted buffet look cheerful right away, and it protects the top from scratches and spills on serving day. Choose one long enough to hang down about 10 inches on each side. Lay the garland right on top and finish with a bowl of red apples. The sideboard has been the serving piece of the dining room for centuries, as the history of the sideboard shows, so it deserves its moment. Which of these 16 ideas will you try first?
You will need: A plaid table runner about 20 inches longer than your sideboard, a garland, a wooden bowl and red apples.
How to make it: 1. Center the runner so equal lengths hang off each end. 2. Lay the garland down the middle of the runner. 3. Add a wooden bowl of apples near the center for a pop of color.
