Ina Garten Christmas: 13 Easy Elegant Ideas to Copy the Barefoot Contessa’s Holiday Style at Home

An Ina Garten Christmas is all about simple things done beautifully: white flowers, fresh greens, good food and a table where everyone can relax. The Barefoot Contessa has a way of making holiday hosting look calm and easy, and fans cannot get enough of her tips, like this story on her trick for mismatched plates. The good news is that her style is easy to copy on a budget. Below are 13 ideas inspired by her classic, relaxed look, using grocery store flowers, thrift store finds and a few simple DIY touches. Ready to bring some of that East Hampton charm home..

Ina Garten Christmas Table With All White Flowers

The heart of this look is a centerpiece that feels fresh and never fussy. Think white roses, white hydrangeas and a few sprigs of boxwood, all in one color. The key is keeping the arrangement low, below eye level, so guests can see each other and talk across the table. Pick up a few bunches of white flowers at the grocery store, cut the stems short and set them in a shallow glass or silver bowl. A floral frog or a crisscross of clear tape across the top helps hold the stems in place. Add a row of clementines and rosemary down the table for color. Simple, classy and so easy to pull off..

You will need: grocery store white roses and hydrangeas, boxwood sprigs, a short glass or silver bowl, a floral frog or clear tape, clementines, rosemary.

How to make it: 1. Make a grid of clear tape across the bowl top. 2. Cut stems short and add hydrangeas first. 3. Tuck in roses and boxwood. 4. Line clementines and rosemary down the table.

Ina Garten Christmas Trick: Mix and Match China

Here is a trick fans love from her new book: you do not need a matching set of dishes. Start with a plain white dinner plate at every seat as your anchor. Then layer a different thrifted salad plate on top of each one. Blue and white, floral, gold rims, it all works because the white plate below ties everything together. Thrift stores and yard sales sell single china plates for a dollar or two, so you can build a pretty collection over a few weekends. Finish each setting with a linen napkin in one solid color. The table looks collected and personal, like it took years to put together. Isn’t that a fun way to shop?

You will need: plain white dinner plates, thrifted salad plates in different patterns, linen napkins in one color.

How to make it: 1. Set a plain white dinner plate at every seat. 2. Layer a different thrifted plate on top. 3. Add a solid linen napkin. 4. Step back and swap plates until the colors feel balanced.

Boxwood Wreaths Everywhere

Nothing says classic holiday style quite like a row of simple boxwood wreaths. They look clean and elegant, not cluttered. Hang one on the front door and one in each front window, all tied with the same plain ribbon. You can buy faux boxwood wreaths, or make your own by wiring small bunches of fresh or faux boxwood onto a wire wreath form, overlapping each bunch so the stems hide. Use satin or velvet ribbon in white, cream or deep green and let the tails hang long. When every window matches, the house looks put together from the street. It is a timeless Ina Garten Christmas look you can keep up from Thanksgiving all the way to New Year’s Day.

You will need: fresh or faux boxwood, a wire wreath form, floral wire, satin or velvet ribbon, removable window hooks.

How to make it: 1. Cut boxwood into small bunches. 2. Wire each bunch onto the form, overlapping as you go. 3. Tie a long ribbon at the top. 4. Hang one in each window with removable hooks.

Bowls of Clementines and Lemons

This might be the easiest decor idea on the list, and it smells wonderful too. Fill a big wooden or white ceramic bowl with clementines and lemons, then tuck a few bay leaves or sprigs of greenery between them. Set it on the kitchen island, the coffee table or the entry table. The bright orange and yellow pop against white walls and wood, and the look feels fresh and alive instead of plastic. Bonus: guests can grab a clementine as a snack. Replace the fruit as you eat it and the bowl stays full all season. Who knew a bowl of fruit could look this chic? It costs less than ten dollars.

You will need: a large wooden or white ceramic bowl, clementines, lemons, bay leaves or fresh greenery.

How to make it: 1. Pick a wide, shallow bowl. 2. Pile in clementines and lemons. 3. Tuck bay leaves or greenery between the fruit. 4. Refresh the fruit as it gets eaten.

Ina Garten Christmas Napkin Rings From Rosemary

Want every seat to smell like the holidays? Make napkin rings from fresh rosemary. Fold a linen napkin into a long rectangle and roll it or fold it in thirds. Wrap a long sprig of rosemary around the middle, bend it gently into a ring and tie it in place with a bit of jute twine. Tuck a small kraft tag with a guest’s name under the twine if you like. When people sit down, they get a little burst of fresh herb scent. Rosemary costs a few dollars at the grocery store, and one package makes rings for the whole table. It is one of those small Ina Garten Christmas touches that makes guests feel special.

You will need: fresh rosemary sprigs, jute twine, linen napkins, small kraft tags, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Fold the napkin into a neat rectangle. 2. Wrap a rosemary sprig around the middle. 3. Tie it with jute twine. 4. Add a name tag if you want.

Simple Paper Place Cards

Place cards make a dinner feel thoughtful, and they help you seat chatty guests together and keep certain relatives apart. Keep them simple. Cut heavy white or cream card stock into small rectangles, fold them in half so they stand up and write each name in your best handwriting with a gold or black pen. Then clip a tiny sprig of boxwood, cedar or rosemary to the corner with a mini clothespin. That is it. No glitter, no fuss. Set one above each plate. The clean look matches the rest of a relaxed, elegant table. Kids can help with the greenery part. Who will sit next to grandma this year?

You will need: heavy white card stock, a gold or black pen, mini wooden clothespins, small greenery sprigs, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Cut card stock into small rectangles. 2. Fold each in half so it stands. 3. Write a name on each. 4. Clip a sprig of greenery to the corner.

Glass Jar Bar Cart Station

One of the best hosting tips is to let guests serve themselves, so you can actually enjoy your own party. Set up a self serve corner with a thrifted bar cart or a small side table. Fill clear glass jars with snacks like roasted nuts, pretzels and cheese straws. Add a pitcher of cider or sparkling water, a stack of glasses and a small tray of fresh garnishes like lemon slices and mint. Keep it all neat on small trays so it looks styled, not messy. Guests can grab a drink or a nibble while you finish in the kitchen. Everyone feels at home, and you get to sit down too, which is the whole point of an Ina Garten Christmas. Isn’t that the dream?

You will need: a thrifted bar cart or side table, clear glass jars with lids, small trays, a glass pitcher, glasses, lemons, fresh herbs.

How to make it: 1. Clear the cart and add small trays. 2. Fill glass jars with snacks. 3. Set out a pitcher and glasses. 4. Add a tray of lemon slices and herbs.

Ina Garten Christmas Greenery on the Mantel

Skip the clutter on the mantel this year. A loose, natural garland of cedar and magnolia leaves says more than a dozen knickknacks. Lay a strand of cedar garland along the mantel and let the ends drape down the sides. Then tuck in magnolia branches so the shiny green tops and soft brown undersides show. Hold it in place with removable hooks and a bit of floral wire. Leave the rest of the mantel almost bare, maybe with one framed print or a pair of simple white vases. The look is relaxed, a bit wild and very classic. Faux versions work great if you want to reuse them every year.

You will need: cedar garland, magnolia branches or a faux magnolia garland, removable hooks, floral wire.

How to make it: 1. Stick removable hooks under the mantel edge. 2. Lay the cedar garland across and let it drape. 3. Tuck in magnolia branches. 4. Wire everything in place and keep the rest simple.

Ina Garten Christmas Kitchen Counter Display

The kitchen is where everyone gathers, so give the counter a little holiday style. Stack two or three white cake stands of different heights and fill them with pears, walnuts in the shell and a few sprigs of eucalyptus or greenery. The mix of soft green pears and warm brown nuts looks so pretty against white, and it feels like something straight out of a cookbook photo. Set it near the coffee maker or at the end of the island. Thrifted cake stands work perfectly. When you need the stands for dessert, just move the fruit to a bowl. This Ina Garten Christmas idea is simple, cheap and looks like a magazine spread.

You will need: two or three white cake stands, pears, walnuts in the shell, eucalyptus or other greenery.

How to make it: 1. Set the cake stands at different heights. 2. Arrange pears on the largest one. 3. Fill another with walnuts. 4. Tuck eucalyptus around the bases.

Wooden Cutting Board Spread

A big cheese board is easy entertaining at its best. You do not cook anything, you just arrange. Grab a large round wooden cutting board. Set out three cheeses: one soft, one hard and one blue or herby. Add small bowls of olives, nuts and jam so they do not roll around. Fill the gaps with grapes, fresh figs, crackers and slices of baguette. Tuck sprigs of rosemary along the edges for color. Set it in the middle of the coffee table or the kitchen island, and let people dig in while you finish dinner. It looks generous and beautiful, and everyone loves it. Do you have a big board hiding in a cabinet?

You will need: a large round wooden board, three cheeses, small bowls, grapes, fresh figs, crackers, a baguette, rosemary.

How to make it: 1. Place the small bowls on the board first. 2. Add the cheeses spaced apart. 3. Fill gaps with fruit, crackers and bread. 4. Tuck rosemary along the edges.

Plain White Pitchers as Vases

White pitchers are one of the most useful things you can collect. They are simple, they go with everything, and you find them at almost every thrift store. For the holidays, fill three or five of them with tall branches of pine, cedar and holly. Group them together on a sideboard, a kitchen counter or the floor by the stairs. Odd numbers and different heights look the most natural. The plain white makes the green look even richer. No flowers needed, and the branches last for weeks in water. You can even clip branches from your own yard. Elegant decor does not have to cost much at all, and this is one of the easiest Ina Garten Christmas ideas to copy. Which pitcher will you fill first?

You will need: three to five thrifted white ironstone pitchers, pine, cedar and holly branches, floral snips.

How to make it: 1. Fill the pitchers with water. 2. Cut branches at an angle to different lengths. 3. Arrange tall ones at the back. 4. Group the pitchers in odd numbers.

Homemade Food Gifts in Jars

Homemade food gifts are a classic Barefoot Contessa style touch, and they never go out of style. Bake a big batch of granola, spiced nuts or simple shortbread cookies. Pack them into clean mason jars, screw on the lids and tie a strip of linen ribbon around each one with a neat bow. Add a small kraft tag with the name of the treat. Line them up on a tray by the door so every guest can take one home. They also make the perfect hostess gift when you go to someone else’s party. Everyone loves a homemade treat, and a jar of granola costs about two dollars to make. Sweet and thoughtful!

You will need: mason jars with lids, linen ribbon, small kraft tags, homemade granola, nuts or cookies.

How to make it: 1. Bake a big batch of treats. 2. Let them cool and fill the jars. 3. Tie linen ribbon around each lid. 4. Add a tag and line them up on a tray.

Ina Garten Christmas Morning Table

Christmas morning should feel easy, not stressful. Set a relaxed breakfast table the night before. Lay down a striped linen runner, put out simple white china and coffee mugs, and set a small white pitcher of fresh flowers or greenery in the middle. Add a bowl of clementines, a basket for warm muffins or croissants and a pot of good jam. In the morning, just make coffee and slide a breakfast casserole in the oven. Everyone wanders in wearing pajamas and finds a pretty table waiting. It is calm, cozy and so welcoming, and the dishes are easy because it is all simple food. What a sweet way to end your Ina Garten Christmas inspired home. Merry Christmas!

You will need: a striped linen runner, white china, coffee mugs, a small white pitcher, flowers or greenery, a bowl, a bread basket.

How to make it: 1. Lay the striped runner the night before. 2. Set out white plates and mugs. 3. Add a small pitcher of flowers. 4. Set out clementines, jam and a basket for pastries.