Decorating for a Cottagecore Christmas
If you’ve visited my blog before, I don’t think it’s any secret that I like to define my home decor style as cottagecore, or as I like to say – “grandma’s farmhouse”. I think my love of this style really came from how I started decorating for the holidays a couple of years ago. I found myself being drawn to natural colours and textures like greens, browns, gold, burlap, and wrapping my gifts in craft paper (which is also a more eco-friendly alternative to regular wrapping paper!). Now that I feel like I’ve nailed down my style outside of just the holidays, I am so excited to get my decorations up this year and embrace the cottagecore holiday vibes!
If this is a style that you love too, this is the blog for you! I’m sharing a ton of the pieces that I have in my home for the holidays with you today, and some additional pieces that I may or may not have sitting in my cart as I write this…
01. Doormat | 02. Boots Ornament | 03. Runner Duck Ornament | 04. Pinecones | 05. Brown Ornament Set | 06. Blueberry Jam Ornament | 07. Stocking | 08. Bells | 09. Salt & Pepper Shakers | 10. Brown Ribbons | 11. Blue Ribbons | 12. Tree Print | 13. Sleigh Ride Print | 14. Skating Print | 15. Bead Garland | 16. Blue Ornament Set | 17. Wicker Tree Skirt | 18. Tree
Holiday Music
Before we jump into the elements that I think make the perfect cottagecore holiday vibe, I think the number one most important thing to set the holiday mood in any home is holiday music! I’m a Christmas music lover, so naturally I have a Spotify playlist filled with over 70 of my favourite holiday pieces; both old (think Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley & Ella Fitzgerald, etc.) and some newer (like Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift & Kelly Clarkson). All of these songs put me in the absolute BEST mood while decorating for the holiday season! If you’re an Apple Music person (I am!), don’t worry, I have this playlist available on Apple Music too.
Choosing the Perfect Palette
I think one thing that I’ve come to feel is true while on my journey to find my personal home decor style is that finding your desired colour palette is one of the most important factors when decorating. Over the years, I’ve gone through tons of phases – all white, all neutral, pops of pink, shades of green – no matter what, it never really felt like “me”, until I decided to start playing around with blues, greens, browns and gold accents. This is what I’ve deemed to be my perfect colour palette, and sometimes I like to even throw in pops of soft pink, and other colours when it feels like it makes sense. You’ll notice in much of my home decor both year round & during the holidays, most of the colours are green, blue & brown – sticking to this palette makes everything feel intentional, and cohesive.
Textures & Patterns
When it comes to textures & patterns in creating a cottagecore holiday vibe, I like to go as natural as possible, and generally like to keep the idea of “what would I find on a farm” at the back of my mind when I’m looking. For patterns, I like to include things such as gingham and plaid, or even patterns that feature things like a forest. When it comes to textures, like on ribbons, whether they’re around my home or for wrapping gifts, I like to use satin, chiffon & burlap, and when it comes to the paper itself, like I mentioned above, craft paper is the way to go! Not only is it more eco-conscious, but you can also take paint or stamps and make your own pattern if you want.
Another texture that I love to include is velvet ribbons. If you ask me, there is absolutely nothing more cottage-feeling to me than delicate ribbons tied throughout the tree! This has become a popular trend across so many types of holiday decor over the years, but it really feels like it stems from an old-school, cottage Christmas feeling.
Farm Animals & Gardening Tools
If you ask me, the cottagecore style has a few main elements to it: lots of pattern, soft colour palettes, and an emphasis on farm animals & gardening! Because of this, I also love to incorporate little animals and gardening ornaments throughout my tree. I actually grew up across the street from a farm, so including farm animals like bunnies, mice, cows, geese, chickens, lambs, pigs, etc is not only right in line with my style, but gives me a nostalgia vibe, and isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Plus, since I love to garden, and it fits my style, including gardening tool-shaped ornaments is another must-do.
If you also love the cottagecore home decor style, I hope this blog brought you some inspiration to incorporate similar elements into your holiday decor! Let me know some other cottagecore tips & tricks you have in the comments below, or send this to someone who is looking for some inspiration to embrace a cottage feel this Christmas season.
* Note: Links and linked products featured in this blog post are commissionable links. Should you purchase a product with these links, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.
