Simple Tips for Christmas Coffee Table Decor Ideas
Create a focal point in the living room with easy Christmas coffee table decor ideas. Check out my favorite simple items to use and easy steps for decorating a Christmas coffee table!
At this point, you’re probably working on your Christmas decorations. If you’re anything like me, though, you continue tweaking things all season long! A coffee table is a perfect spot to switch a few simple items around to keep the living room feeling fresh and to keep having fun decorating too! Today, we are going to chat about some really simple Christmas coffee table decor ideas. At the same time, I’ll share my fail-proof, tried and true formula for styling a coffee table vignette!
This is going to be so fun! Let’s get to decorating!
What do you put on a coffee table for Christmas?
I’ll show you how I use these various decorative objects to decorate a Christmas coffee table centerpiece. However, I thought a quick list might come in handy for you first! Here are some of my favorite kinds of things to use for easy coffee table decorating ideas:
How do you decorate a Christmas table on a budget?
Firstly, my number one tip to decorate a Christmas table on a budget is to add your ideas to the list above. Then, start pulling from your own decor collection. You likely already have so many decorative items you can use to decorate your Christmas coffee table for the holiday season!
Remember to browse through your regular, non-seasonal decor too. Pretty decorative objects like trays, bowls, vases, and candle holders can be used year round.
I hope this post helps you to creatively think about how you can use what you already have to create beautiful Christmas centerpieces for your living room coffee table! At the same time, you can tweak these ideas to using on a dining room table or even a console table too!
Secondly, you can decorate a Christmas table on a budget by using natural elements. Think about things that you can forage from the beautiful outdoors. Pine cones, dead branches, and dried stems can make beautiful Christmas decor.
I also love to go to the local tree farm and ask if I may pick up evergreen branches from the ground. They’ve never told me no so far! It is a great way to get fresh greenery for free! You can use this fresh greenery for coffee table decor or on a dining table or even tucked around Christmas table settings for Christmas dinner too! (Just make sure to gently spray it off first so it’s clean!)
Simple Tips for Christmas Coffee Table Decor Ideas
Four Easy Steps for Christmas Coffee Table Decor Ideas
How do you make a table look good at Christmas?
To style a coffee table centerpiece for any season, I like to follow these four easy steps:
- Base
- Tall item
- Medium item
- Shorter object
Let’s break this down into details so that you can start hunting for pieces that will definitely work for your Christmas coffee table decor centerpiece!
What do you put on a coffee table to decorate it?
Here are the basics we will consider in this post:
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Start with a base.
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Add the tallest item, scaled correctly to your specific space.
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Add a medium item.
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Use a Christmas decorative item for the 3rd element.
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Decorate with odd numbers for a curated, interior design style.
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Include greenery or florals.
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Use commonality in some accessories for a cohesive look.
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Use layers to create a curated style.
Christmas Coffee Table Decor Essential #1: Choose a base
Essential #1: How to decorate a simple Christmas table?
First, you need to choose a base to decorate a coffee table for Christmas. To me, it’s the first essential thing and I really just can’t seem to put together any coffee table decor without a base! The base corrals the decorative objects and makes it all look more cohesive.
There are a number of different items that make a great base to decorate a coffee table vignette. A large tray, dough bowl with a flat bottom, basket with low sides, or even an antique bread board (my personal favorite!). My coffee tables are both quite large, but you’ll want to choose a scale that feels right for your coffee table.
Pro Tip: I like to think of my base as being about one third to one half of the table size.
Christmas Coffee Table Decor Essential #2: Tallest item
What should you display on a coffee table?
Next, you will choose the tallest item to decorate your coffee table.
Lanterns, buckets/planters, vintage pitchers, glass cloches, and tall vases are all great decorative elements for the first item you’ll choose for your coffee table vignette. Depending on how you use the space, you’ll want to determine the height for your tallest item. For the Christmas season and through the winter months, I also love using a small tabletop tree.
If you have a TV on the opposite wall, for example, you’ll want to make sure you don’t block the view. Play around with some different options to settle on a final scale, as the tallest item sets the scale for the rest of your coffee table vignette.
Christmas Coffee Table Decor Essential #3: Add a medium sized accessory
What do you put on a decorative tray on a coffee table?
Candle holders, glass cloches, a pot with plant, an ironstone compote,lanterns, mason jars, or vases are all great medium decorative items for your vignette. Often, my tall and medium items might be a tiered pair of something, like candle holders or lanterns.
Pro Tip: If you have two items that you want to use together but they are the same height, put one on a stack of vintage books to create your tall and medium items.
The stack of books is a simple way to add a curated look to your vignette, as well as more texture!
Christmas Coffee Table Decor Essential #4: Add the smallest item
What should I decorate my coffee table with?
I like to think of the smallest item as my “seasonal” touch. No matter the season, there are small decorative objects that are perfect for coffee table decor ideas. For example: a piece of coral for summer, a little pumpkin in the fall, a reindeer figure in the winter, or a cute cement bunny in the spring! At the same time, keeping those seasonal items in smaller sizes can be super helpful with your storage.
How to update table decor in one minute:
Additionally, if you have a coffee table vignette that you love and don’t want to change, just switch out that seasonal item and you have a brand new look in 1 minute’s time! Simple, easy, budget-friendly, and time-conscious too!
How can I decorate my table cheaply?
If you decide to do a little shopping for an elegant Christmas centerpiece, there is good news! You can usually switch out these smaller holiday decor pieces for budget-friendly accessories, especially if you’re doing so with seasonal items.
Here are a few ideas for small Christmas decorative objects:
Christmas Coffee Table Decor Essential #5: Add seasonal greenery
Almost every coffee table vignette I create, no matter the season, will have some kind of greenery or flowers mixed in! Whether fresh greenery or faux, I think it adds so much life to the vignette.
At the same time, greenery also helps to soften the edges of your coffee table vignette pieces and help everything blend in. You can find a couple of my favorite faux greenery for holiday table decor HERE and HERE.
Don’t forget to hit up your local tree farm for some free greenery pieces too!
Christmas Coffee Table Decor Essential #6: Use layers to add texture
Layer, layer, layer! Layering is a great way to add texture and character to your coffee table vignette.
For example, let’s take a look at this Christmas table centerpiece I created for our back living room. While I could have just let the glass cloche bases be the bottom layer, I added this large antique bread board for an additional layer. I think it gives the coffee table decor more character and interest with the antique patina.
Layered with the wood of the cloche bases and combined with the glass domes, mercury glass trees, and gold bells, the layers feel cozy and interesting with different textures.
Christmas Coffee Table Decor Essential #7: Use different colors
This might sound like an odd thing for me to say, but take a look at my Christmas table decorations again! Even though I used neutral colors, there are a few different colors incorporated to make these DIY Christmas coffee table decorations feel interesting. The combination of wood tones, white, greenery, and sparkle of the glass are a classic combination.
However, you could easily add a traditional pop of color with red ornaments or even red berries tucked into the greenery for a festive touch. Small accents are an easy way to incorporate the different colors you use in your own home during this time of year.
Happy Decorating!
I hope that as you have are decorating and creating a holiday masterpiece in your own home, that you also have fun. Our homes are meant to be spaces where we add our own personal touch. The decor that you choose takes center stage to tell your own home story. At the same time, the festive touch should make your space feel cozy and help you and your family feel ready for a memorable holiday season!
While these easy steps for Christmas coffee table decor ideas work for me, you can make them your own by simply tweaking holiday decorations in a better way to fit your own home. However, I hope these steps can be a guide to make your Christmas decorating easy and stress-free!
Happy decorating!
You may also enjoy these posts:
- Best Ideas for Christmas Decorating with Winter Greenery
- Easy Ideas to Decorate a Console Table for Christmas
- 13 Best Ideas for Decorating a Sparse Christmas Tree
- Beautiful Vintage Farmhouse Christmas Home Decor Ideas
- How to Use Christmas Ornaments for Quick and Easy Holiday Decorating
- 5 Easy and Festive Farmhouse Christmas Front Porch Ideas
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Beautiful ideas, my friend. Just lovely. Isn’t it so much fun decorating for Christmas. Hugs and blessings to you.