Earthy Christmas Decor Ideas for a Nature-Inspired Home

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Welcome to the Holiday Home Tour! I’ve joined up with 34 other bloggers to share our Christmas homes with you! Come see how I used an earthy color palette and natural Christmas decor for an organic-inspired home!

Holiday Home Tour Underway

Hi! If you’re here for Holiday Home Tour, welcome! I’m so glad you made to my page!

By way of intro, my name is Kate – I’m a homeschool mom of 10-year-old twin boys, former English teacher-turned-blogger – and I love to share creative, budget-friendly ideas to create a home that builds your family and community and honors God!

We are just a regular family – much more casual than fancy😂. We live real life in our house – and while I love pretty aesthetics, we don’t aim for perfection and I need things to function, since we spend a LOT of time at home together.

We celebrate a Christ-centered Christmas over here. The pretty decorations are really the backdrop for how we want to use our home for the holidays: to welcome others in, to serve, to show generosity, to build memories together in our traditions as a family.

But, most importantly, we want our home to honor Jesus at the primary focus of all our Christmas celebrating.

Today I’m sharing my version of Christmas at our house this year – no AI, just real life! Thanks for being here!

My Approach to Organic, Earthy Christmas Decor 

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I’ve gone in a few different directions over the years when it comes to Christmas decorating. This year is a more grounded version of last year, I’d say.

Last year, I did white, gold, and green color palette, with a lot of sparkle. This year, it’s in a similar color family… but earthier.

There are a few pops of red, although I usually use berries if I’m going to use red. But not wanting to buy all brand-new decor and use what I had on hand, there are a few spaces where I put a little bit of red. 

My overall approach, besides colors, consisted of:

• Earthy, organic colors: Deep green, chocolate brown, muted gold, cinnamon… inspired by a natural color palette.

• Objects from nature: Think cinnamon sticks, pinecones, orange slices, birch, pine, cedar, floral arrangements, and berries (both faux and real).

• Velvet: This year, I incorporated velvet more than I ever have. Velvet ribbons, velvet ornaments, velvet pillows. It’s a simple way to create an elevated feel mixed in with all the nature elements and textures.

• Lots of ribbons: It is by far the easiest way to add a Christmas-y touch to just about anything! I used it EVERYWHERE!

• Repurposing: I repurposed a lot of everyday day decor and made it Christmas-y with just a few tweaks.

• DIYs: Crafting is fun for me, so I love adding in some handmade Christmas decor as well as adding DIY touches to decor I have.

OK, so let’s see this in action!

Porch

This year, I used a lot of the same decorations I did last year, with a few tweaks.

The DIY wreath on the door and the swag were crafts from last year. I loved them so much I wanted to use them again.  This year, I replaced the ribbon for a brown velvet one, and I actually think I love it even more!

I added more brown ribbon on a repurposed jug where I put winter green stems and some brown and gold embellishments.

For the porch, I do like pops of red because it stands out a lot more when you’re looking at it from the street.

You can see that in the planter arrangement, the wreath on the vintage windowpane, and the blanket on the chair.

And here it is all together:

Christmas Tree

I like to go somewhat simple and uncluttered for the living room Christmas tree (we do a more ‘eclectic’ family tree in the den!).

Here’s the tree with the lights off. It helps to decorate and take a picture of the tree this way first, because you can see the ornament placement much better!

Again, this is similar to last year’s tree in that it’s neutral.

But instead of gold birds, gold ornaments, and clip-on candles, I used a lot of nature inspired ornaments: orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and pinecones. (These were from a pack I bought on Amazon because I was tight on time, but I’ve DIYed the oranges and foraged for pinecones in the past!)

I also used DIY applesauce cinnamon ornaments I made a few years ago.

I added ribbons to the orange slices and bows to the pine cones to give it a cozier, more organic feel than a rustic one.

I also used velvet ornaments in that earthy color palette – these came with ribbons and bows! They are super-cozy to have with in these deep colors.

Living Room

Below, you can see the layout of the living room. We have a 1960s basement rancher, so our living room is on the long and narrow side.

Wall Shelf

On the wall is a DIY shelf I made when we first moved in 7 years ago.

My favorite part about how this shelf is decorated is the ornaments!

I did a quick decoupage on the ornaments with festive napkins and added them to both trees (the one on the left is a centerpiece from my wedding! I love incorporating meaningful decor to my home). 

This shelf has a little gold and red, but it needed a little something to stand out on that big, white wall.

Couch and Coffee Table

The pillows on the Albany Park sectional are a mix of everyday pillows and some velvety-Christmas pillows. 

The centerpiece for the coffee table is a new craft this year!

I used gorgeous velvet ribbons to make cone Christmas trees in those warm, earthy colors. They are topped with real Star Anise, to add a fresh, organic touch. The smell reminds me of the anisette cookies that my Nana used to make!

   

Sitting Area

This is the view from the couch. When the leaves fall off the trees, we have a gorgeous view of the mountain ridge behind us.

I also included a rosemary tree for the living room from Trader Joe’s! I thought that was a perfect addition for organic Christmas decor, right next to our diffuser with our Christmas-y Plant Therapy Candy Cane and Christmas Tree essential oils, along with a scented candle.

(Sorry about the weird coloring! It’s so hard to get the lighting right when taking pictures next to a window!🤪). Below you can see how pretty it is, a little better:

I added some very small mini-wreaths to the window, hung with crushed velvet ribbon (which I used EVERYWHERE this season) and small brown velvet bows. I kept them small so it wouldn’t block the view.

I also used these mini wreaths on the deck doors, adjacent to the picture window. These were a quick upcycle of an old wreath, with added pine cones and velvet ribbon.

A cozy barrel chair with a blanket, next to the tree, is perfect for me to read while my husband and sons watch football.

TV Wall

The TV on top of our sideboard doesn’t leave a lot of room for decorating this wall. But adding a cozy YouTube Christmas video  is instant holiday aesthetic!

That’s another decorating hack – & it’s free! Plus, it plays Christmas music, too! Double win! Just search ‘Christmas TV art’.

I hung more of that gorgeous crushed velvet ribbon on the sconces (with these lampshades).

Below the sconces are mini trees I placed on top of juniper placemats to anchor them.

Dining Table

Ok, I get really indecisive about dining tables! I’m going to show you a few ways I put my dining table together.

This year, I didn’t create a table with place settings. That usually comes together a little closer to the holiday, so what you’ll see just has a centerpiece and minimal tablescape options.

I usually go this route because our dining table gets a lot of use, and it’s just not really practical for us to have it decorated with a lot, all season long.

Centerpiece

I created a DIY centerpiece similar to the one I made to for the fall. I placed pine cones, orange slices, and a few cinnamon sticks and faux berries to a hurricane vase with a candle.  It’s perfect for an organic, nature-inspired table.

Plaid Tablecloth

Version 1 has the vinyl plaid tablecloth I used for my Thanksgiving table! The colors really work well for an earthy Christmas color palette also.

Bonus! An earthy Christmas color theme transitions very nicely from fall! If you went this route, you could easily decorate for fall and use many of the same colors for Christmas! This is a time-saving idea if you are short on time.

Using a vinyl tablecloth is also practical if you have little ones and are constantly wiping up messes on the table.

Another life-simplifying tip if you want to create a pretty but functional table is to use placemats underneath your centerpiece as opposed to a table runner.

My sons get my runners so dirty🤪, so I don’t really like to keep them out for everyday use. Placemats can anchor those centerpieces, so they don’t look like they were just thrown on a table.

You can also place a centerpiece in a tray with some other Christmas decor rather than create a full tablescape – and it will look just as pretty.

Earthy Brown Tablecloth

Here’s version 2 of the table. 

Here I used an amber bronze tablecloth with my favorite table runner (I use this one pretty much every season). 

To fancy it up, I included dried orange slices and pine cones down the center – but it’s still pretty simple.

 

This ties in really nicely with an earthy, organic Christmas – but my sons said it didn’t feel very Christmas-y. So I tried another version, if you’re feeling the same!

Dark Green Tablecloth

Here’s a more traditional Version 3:

It definitely has a more traditional Christmas feel to it and still ties in nicely with organic, nature-inspired Christmas decor.

And whichever tablecloth is used, these mini-swags on the back of the chairs tie in perfectly.  These swags were much less expensive than getting wreaths for every chair – and I love how it turned out.

Window Treatment

This year, I really wanted to make a paper chain and paper stars (I followed this quick 30 second tutorial – it was so easy!). I felt like this window was the spot for it!

Coffee Bar

This is a tight area behind the dining table that gets bumped into a lot! So, I kept it pretty simple and just added a touch of Christmas decor.

I also updated this cute kraft paper little tree with more of that beautiful ribbon!

 

Kitchen

This is my first time decorating this kitchen. We had a reno-gone-wrong last year, and it was only partially finished last Christmas. Here’s our very busy, full-functioning kitchen😂:

Here’s the layout looking in from the den:

Peninsula

I put together this centerpiece for our peninsula with fresh floral greens and a few other pieces I already had.

I forgot about some bells I had, so I switched up a little later!

Front and center is a DIY cinnamon candle I made a few years ago for Christmas, that ties in perfectly with my theme this year.

The chairs on the other side of the peninsula have the same mini-swags as the dining room chairs.

 

Behind the sink, I made a fresh floral arrangement with the rest of the greens. It’s not overtly Christmas-y, but I love the fresh, organic feeling it gives.

The brown-ish gold backside of the magnolia leaves tie in perfectly with the earthy Christmas vibe. I feel like I’m in a greenhouse when I’m standing at my sink.🤣

I also picked up this herb garden and just added a bow, which I thought works wonderfully for organic Christmas decor, too!

Plate Rack

This plate rack (originally white wood!) is a new decorating spot for me!

I styled the shelves for Christmas with some everyday decor as well as seasonal decor, including a thrifted plate and cookbook!

I have a feeling this is going to be a fun area to style every year.

Mantel

I think this might be my favorite mantel so far.

The stockings in the browns and creams set just the right vibe on one side, with bells on the other. I know this was popular a few years ago, but I still like hanging my garland (several pieces layered) asymmetrically!

I added silk velvet vintage ribbon in cinnamon, gold, and brown on both sides.

I also added dried oranges to the garland with floral wire to keep that cohesive organic feeling.

On the mantel shelf, I put faux winter greens in a thrifted pitcher that I repurposed with baking soda and paint.

More of my favorite velvet ribbon, of course!

On the mantel sign, I put a DIY wreath I made using a method I learned from Julie Blanner. It’s made from fresh greens, grouped in bundles of 3 stems, attached with floral wire.

I absolutely LOVE the fresh, organic feel. I’m not sure how long it will last, but I love, love, love it.

Right above it, I added paper stars (originally silver, spray-painted gold).

On the far end is a repurposed cider jug with faux greens and more velvet ribbon.

The built-ins hold various pieces of Christmas decor as well as some books – antique and some favorites including my favorite Liz Marie Galvin book – to add a ‘real-life’ touch.

 

 

I kept the hearth pretty simple with just 2 reindeer and a blanket basket, since the top had a lot going on already!

And that’s a wrap!

See the Rest of the Holiday Home Tour

Be sure to check out the rest of the bloggers who have done an absolutely stunning job on their homes! I’m sure you’ll find so much inspiration!

MONDAY

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THURSDAY

FRIDAY

 

 

 

 

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