11 Creative Twists on Holiday Decor From the Etsy Team

What’s your favorite way to summon the holiday spirit? Whether lighting candles, trimming a tree, displaying a winter wreath on your door, or something else, a few decorative touches can go a long way to create a warm and festive atmosphere. This year, to make your space feel extra cozy and personal, think beyond the usual customs. One way to do that? Remix your favorite holiday traditions or invent new ones that suit your living space and feel special to you and your loved ones. Get creative: Pick a playful theme and go all in. Adopt your own go-to color palette. Invest in that super-unique menorah you’ve been eyeing. Tuck festive miniature scenes in delightful places for a pop of joy. If it feels merry, bright, and just right, go for it!

To bring on the holiday magic in fresh ways, we asked Etsy staff members for their go-to techniques for decking the halls. Here, they share their creative twists on classic holiday decor.

Style your home with vintage and chrome

"I'm really committed to thrifting vintage items for my apartment, and I wanted to extend this philosophy to my holiday decorations. My color palette in my apartment doesn't really go with green and red, so I’m leaning into cozy chrome holiday touches like chrome candle holders paired with handmade taper candles, and relaxed decorating touches, like keeping a vintage holiday book open on the coffee table. I like to decorate with high-quality vintage holiday pieces: glass ornaments and tree toppers for my tree, and authentic French oyster platters for my New Year’s party.”

— Courtney Small, Director, International Marketing, Queens, New York

SHOP: (clockwise from top left) Vintage brass candlestick holders from Trader Tim's Trove, from $30; silver reflector ornaments from Hidden Stairway Finds, $69; silver-plated candlestick holder from Round Apple Vintage, $120; brass Christmas star from Alvin and Gray, from $54

Select special pieces that adapt to any holiday

“Living in a small space, I don’t have a ton of extra storage room for holiday decorations, so I’ve gone the route of collecting versatile ‘special occasion’ items that can be adapted for any holiday: a simple-but-beautiful antique tablecloth, vintage candlestick holders, a sparkling glass vase. Then, I add festive touches, like seasonal greenery and easy-to-store napkin rings and ribbons, as the finishing touches.”

— Lindsay O'Brien, Senior Category Manager, Home & Living, Los Angeles, California

SHOP: (clockwise from top left) Leather napkin ring from Brickwalls & Barricades, $39; vintage cut glass vase from Vintage by Iowa, $39; crystal bud vases from RustedLoveCo, $165; red berry napkin ring from CraftedWithLoveShop2, $24; rostrato vase from VintageIri, $737; white linen tablecloth from AmourLinen, $61

Pick a theme for the tree

“My tip: Pick a theme for your Christmas tree and add to it each year. My theme is birds. I have decorations ranging from a sparkly owl to a stained-glass dove to a wooden puffin, creating my own little festive menagerie.”

— Charlie Petrou, Senior Merchandising Manager, Surrey, UK

SHOP: (clockwise from top left) Puffin ornament from Bekah J. Creates, from $35; stained glass robin ornament from chaddsfordjewelry, $50; clip-on bluebird ornament from Wooden Islands, $36; felt robin ornament sewing pattern from Patricia Welch Designs, $9; glass snowy owl ornament from BlackHillStudios, $37; stained-glass dove ornament from Mom's Glasshouse, $30

Host an ornament party

“Every year, I have a group of friends come over to eat too many carbs and celebrate with one another for the holidays. The one rule is that everyone has to bring an ornament for my tree. What began as a fun way for me to have some holiday decorations has evolved into something of a competition where, annually, the friends try to outdo one another—be it by finding truly unique ornaments that capture my many obsessions and hobbies (so many accordion and lobster ornaments!), crafting an homage to my favorite cat sweater, or full clay replicas of photos I've posted from my travels. It's a really sweet way to bring this group together, revisiting the ornaments from years past while also cracking each other up with all of the new ones.”

— Sarah Starpoli, Sr. Manager, DEI Team, Brooklyn, New York

SHOP: (clockwise from top left) Mini cat sweater ornament from Maine Design Shop, $33; lobster ornament from STATIONPOLENORD, $21; accordion ornament from candyspotting, from $14; hand-painted lobster wood slice ornament from thepaintingsister, from $22

Add an annual pin or patch to your stockings

“Decorate a stocking—for you, your family members, and/or your fur baby!—with a pin or patch that captures something special from the year. It could be a trip that you took, a milestone, or a favorite hobby. My mom did this for us growing up and I still have my stocking with all of the patches and pins from over the years. I have a 15-month-old daughter now, and last year we got her a custom embroidered stocking on Etsy. This year, we'll get her the first pin!”

— Mary Tek, Director, Customer Support, Catskill, New York

SHOP: (clockwise from left) Block-printed Christmas stocking from juliepeach, from $58; felt Christmas stocking from HometownUSA, from $250; personalized name stocking from Ordinary Dutch Studio, from $42; merit badge patterns from cozyblue, $5; iron-on patches from triangletrees, $5; lapel pins from LanaBetty, $15

Record highlights from the year on an ornament

“Every year my partner and I take an ornament with enough blank space to write the year, plus a few highlights from the past year, such as moving, new jobs or promotions, hobby milestones, or even media that was special—like movies or video games one of us enjoyed.”

— Mary Ross, Senior Specialist, Seller Risk Training & Documentation, Niskayuna, New York

SHOP: (clockwise from top left) First Christmas in a new home ornament from MÆRRIMENT, from $66; DIY ornament kit from Jill Makes, $38; ceramic ornament set from HollyCeramicStudio, $81; wooden present ornaments from Light + Paper, $23

Wrap your wall art like a present

“I love surprising decorative touches. One of my favorite things to do is to wrap some of the art on my gallery walls like gifts and re-hang it. It's such a delightful way to add a festive feeling to the every day.”

— Kait Handler, Global Merchandising Coordinator, Long Island, New York

SHOP: (clockwise from top left) Printable Hanukkah gallery wall art from April Lane Art, $16; marble wrapping paper from Paper & Onyx Design, from $20; printable winter wall art set from Cherie Kay Signs, from $55; Paris apartments gift wrap from Ruby Stripe, $23; Scandinavian-inspired wall art set from ThePrintRepublic, $18; woodland Hanukkah wrapping paper from Ooh Shiny Paper, from $27

Create miniature pockets of joy

“I'm a lifelong miniatures enthusiast, and I am absolutely obsessed with teeny, tiny things put in unexpected places to make people smile. Imagine opening a kitchen cabinet to a cute miniature holiday scene in front of the spices. Or, add some decorative holiday cheer on the shelf where you drop your keys when you get home, little snowmen saying hello when you brush your teeth or turn off the lamp on your bedside table, and tiny ornaments on your houseplants.”

— Patricia Chang, Global Regulatory Senior Counsel, Brooklyn, New York

SHOP: (clockwise from top left) Windmill village from ANAMARKOkids, $62; tiny vintage toys from ShopFleurElise, $15; glass tree and snowmen figurines from Glaze Heart Studio, from $6; DIY tiny houses from ItemsBox, $27; colorful miniature wooden houses from ArtDecorisGifts, $12

Fold your own DIY origami forest

“I’m an origami artist on the side. I make lots of lamps and mobiles, and I love making cute pieces for the holidays every year, including origami trees. My partner and I made a little forest last year with different sizes of paper. There are also tons of simple star ornaments that make great additions to a tree.”

— Mel Sawyer, Software Engineer, Portland, Oregon

SHOP: (clockwise from left) 3D tree papercraft SVG file from FloralFlairStudio, $3; printable tree template from Paperstatue, $6; DIY paper Christmas tree kit from SculPaperShop, $36

Bring the sunshine in with citrus slices

“Decorating my tree is one of my most favorite to-do's for the holiday. I include a mix of traditional decor, vintage items, and garlands. Dehydrated oranges adorn my tree every year as a sweet nod to my years growing up in Florida. I settle into the holiday by looking at my beautiful tree that also reminds me that the sun is still near and that warmer weather will follow once the snow melts.”

— Angela Jenkins, Quality Insights Manager, Catskill, New York

SHOP: (clockwise from left) Dried citrus garland from SoulStorm Creations, from $31; orange garland from She and Brie, from $25; felted tangerine ornament from TaFiO Land, $77; tea towels from juliepeach, from $30

Turn flowers into faux snow

“I decorate my tree with bunches of fresh baby's breath flowers instead of tinsel or garlands. I usually grab a few bunches, break it down into smaller sprigs, and stuff it in between branches to fill out any dents or holes. It's inexpensive, biodegradable, and the best part: It kind of looks like snow!”

— Amy Fierro, Chatbot Manager, Greenville, New York

SHOP: (left to right) Dried pearl yarrow from The Blaithin Blair Shop, $25 and baby's breath flowers from EtsyFlowerStore, from $34

Bonus: More festive decorating ideas

SHOP: (clockwise from top left) Hanukkah throw blanket from By The Nook, from $115; clay menorah from Studio Armadillo, $170; Hanukkah wreath from Welcometomydoor, $152; house lantern with LED candle from ANAMARKOkids, $29; gingerbread house template from Stencils By Sofia Viola, $10; walnut wood candle holder set from Fabrique Deco, from $234; felt cactus garland from Pinnsvin Studio, $66; customizable ornament advent calendar from Light + Paper, from $127