Mount Vernon Christmas: 12 Colonial Decor Ideas From George Washington’s Holiday Home

Mount Vernon Christmas traditions have a calm, old fashioned charm that feels like a deep breath in a busy season. Picture a white house on a hill above the Potomac River, the smell of oranges and cloves, and fresh greenery cut from the garden. George Washington’s home in Virginia still welcomes visitors every December, and its natural decor is surprisingly easy to bring home. There are no plastic lights or flashy colors here, just boxwood, magnolia, fruit, pewter and linen. These 12 ideas cost very little, smell wonderful and feel timeless. If you love history, simple beauty and a home that feels warm and welcoming, this colonial look is for you..

Mount Vernon Christmas at George Washington’s Home

Mount Vernon was the home of George and Martha Washington, and it has been cared for by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association since 1858. Today it is open to the public, and it shares the full story of the estate, including the enslaved people who lived and worked there. The larger of its two dining rooms is called the New Room. Read more in the Mount Vernon history on Wikipedia. The colonial decor below is inspired by that simple, natural style..

You will need: A plan built on natural things: evergreens, fruit, spices, linen, pewter and brass.

How to make it: 1. Pick a color palette of deep green, cream, brass and a little red. 2. Gather greenery from your yard or a garden store. 3. Choose three or four ideas from this list and start with the front door.

Magnolia and Boxwood Swag Over the Door

Glossy magnolia leaves with their soft brown backs are a Southern favorite, and they look so elegant over a colonial door. Mix them with small boxwood sprigs and tie a simple burgundy ribbon in the middle. A swag across the top of the frame is easier than a full round shape, and it lasts for weeks in cold weather. Magnolia branches are sold at many garden centers in December. Will yours have a bow or stay simple?

You will need: A bundle of magnolia branches, boxwood sprigs, floral wire, a long piece of twine, small command hooks, burgundy ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Wire short bunches of magnolia and boxwood onto the twine, overlapping each bunch. 2. Make it long enough to cross the top of the door frame and hang down the sides. 3. Hang it with small hooks and tie the ribbon at the center.

Orange and Clove Pomanders in a Pewter Bowl

Oranges studded with cloves were a classic colonial treat, and they make a whole room smell like Christmas. Press whole cloves into the peel in lines, swirls or stars, then pile them in a pewter or wooden bowl with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. They slowly dry and keep their scent for weeks. This is a great project for kids at the kitchen table. For more old fashioned know how, see our Benjamin Franklin winter hacks. What pattern will you make on yours?

You will need: Fresh oranges, a jar of whole cloves, a toothpick, ribbon (optional), cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, a pewter or wooden bowl.

How to make it: 1. Poke small holes in the orange peel with a toothpick in a pattern you like. 2. Press a clove into each hole. 3. Pile the pomanders in a bowl with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.

A Mount Vernon Christmas Boxwood Kissing Ball

Boxwood has deep roots at this estate. Washington planted English boxwoods in 1786, grown from cuttings sent by Henry Lee III, and they still line the entry path. A boxwood kissing ball is an easy way to bring that history indoors. Push short sprigs into a wet floral foam ball until it is round and full, then hang it from a velvet ribbon. Where would you hang yours, the doorway or the hall?

You will need: A floral foam ball, a bundle of boxwood, floral pins, a long velvet ribbon, a bucket of water.

How to make it: 1. Soak the foam ball in water for a few minutes. 2. Thread the ribbon through the ball with a floral pin so it can hang. 3. Push 3 inch boxwood sprigs all over the ball until no foam shows.

Mount Vernon Christmas Table With Pewter and Greenery

Pewter plates and mugs give a table that gentle colonial glow. Lay a runner of boxwood and magnolia down the middle, tuck in red apples, and set out linen napkins. Use battery LED tapers in pewter holders so it glows safely all evening. Thrift stores often have pewter for just a few dollars. This Mount Vernon Christmas table looks like it has been set for two hundred years. Who will you invite to sit at yours?

You will need: Pewter or gray plates, boxwood and magnolia branches, red apples, linen napkins, battery LED taper lights in pewter holders.

How to make it: 1. Lay the greenery down the center of the table, overlapping the stems. 2. Tuck red apples into the greenery every few inches. 3. Set pewter plates, linen napkins and LED tapers around it.

Dried Orange and Apple Slice Garland

A fruit slice garland glows like stained glass when the sun shines through it. Bake thin slices of oranges and apples low and slow until dry, then string them on jute twine with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. It smells lovely and looks right at home in a colonial window. Make extra slices to tie on gifts, or tuck a few into a bowl of pinecones for color. How long would you like your garland to be?

You will need: 3 oranges, 2 red apples, a sharp knife (adult help), baking sheets, parchment paper, jute twine, a large needle, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves.

How to make it: 1. With adult help, slice the fruit about a quarter inch thick and pat it dry. 2. Bake on parchment at 200 F for 3 to 4 hours, turning every hour, until dry. 3. Thread the slices on twine with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves between them.

Holly Sprigs Tucked Into Picture Frames

This is the simplest idea of all, and one of the prettiest. Tuck a small sprig of holly with red berries into the corner of each picture frame on your walls. This little Mount Vernon Christmas trick ties the whole room together with almost no effort or money. The touch of green and red feels very colonial next to old prints and gold frames. Faux holly works just as well if you want it to last. How many frames do you have?

You will need: Fresh or faux holly sprigs with berries, small pieces of floral wire or clear tape.

How to make it: 1. Cut holly into 4 to 6 inch sprigs. 2. Tuck one sprig behind the top corner of each frame. 3. Secure it with a small twist of wire or tape if needed.

Mount Vernon Christmas Glow: A Brass Lantern

Brass lanterns feel like they came straight from an old Virginia house. Set one on a deep window sill with a battery LED pillar inside and a bundle of evergreen branches beside it. On a winter evening, the warm glow in the window looks so welcoming from outside. Use a timer pillar so it comes on by itself every night. It is a safe, easy way to bring a little Mount Vernon Christmas charm to your windows. Which window will you light first?

You will need: A brass or brass look lantern, a battery LED pillar with a timer, evergreen branches, a few pinecones.

How to make it: 1. Set the LED pillar inside the lantern and turn on the timer. 2. Place the lantern on the window sill. 3. Lay the evergreen branches and pinecones around its base.

Linen Napkins With Rosemary Ties

Plain linen napkins look elegant with just a sprig of herb on top. Fold each napkin into a long rectangle, set it on the plate and lay a sprig of rosemary down the middle, or tie it with a bit of twine. Rosemary smells wonderful and looks like a tiny evergreen branch. It is a simple colonial touch that guests love, and it fits a Mount Vernon Christmas table perfectly. Tuck a small name card under each sprig if you are hosting a crowd. Isn’t it amazing how one little sprig can dress a table?

You will need: Linen or cotton napkins, fresh rosemary sprigs, thin twine (optional).

How to make it: 1. Fold each napkin in thirds the long way. 2. Set it on the plate or beside it. 3. Lay a rosemary sprig on top or tie it on with twine.

Pinecones, Cranberries and Rosemary on a Tray

A wooden tray of pinecones, fresh cranberries and rosemary is a natural centerpiece anyone can make in five minutes. The colors are deep and warm, just like old fashioned holiday decor. Set it on a side table, a kitchen island or a mantel. Kids can gather the pinecones on a walk. Swap in walnuts or chestnuts for a colonial look, and add a few dried orange slices for extra color. It is an easy Mount Vernon Christmas centerpiece that costs almost nothing. What would you add to your tray?

You will need: A wooden tray or board, pinecones, a bag of fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, walnuts in the shell (optional).

How to make it: 1. Place the pinecones in a loose group on one side of the tray. 2. Scatter the cranberries around them. 3. Lay rosemary sprigs and walnuts across the tray.

A Camel Ornament for the 1787 Christmas Story

Here is a fun true story. In 1787, Washington hired a camel for 18 shillings to entertain his guests at Christmas, and today a camel named Aladdin recreates that visit at the estate every Christmas Day. Make a little felt camel ornament as a nod to the story, and share it with your family when you hang it. Kids love it. Mount Vernon Christmas history is full of little surprises like this. Would your family believe the camel story?

You will need: Tan and brown felt, a paper camel template, fabric glue or needle and thread, a little stuffing, a black bead or pen for the eye, red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Trace and cut two camel shapes from tan felt. 2. Glue or stitch the edges, leaving a gap, and add a little stuffing. 3. Close the gap, add an eye and a tiny red felt blanket, then a ribbon loop.

Mount Vernon Christmas Topiary Pair at the Door

A matching pair of boxwood topiaries by the front door is a classic colonial welcome. Set them in simple clay or wooden planters and tie a bit of burgundy ribbon around each one. Real boxwood stays green all winter in many places, and faux topiaries work on any porch. This is the perfect finishing touch for your Mount Vernon Christmas look, and it carries right into the new year. Ready to welcome your guests?

You will need: 2 boxwood topiaries (real or faux), 2 matching planters, burgundy ribbon, moss or small pinecones for the top of the soil.

How to make it: 1. Set the topiaries in the planters, one on each side of the door. 2. Cover the soil with moss or pinecones. 3. Tie a burgundy bow around each stem.