These 5 Old-Fashioned Christmas Decorating Trends Are Making A Comeback This Year, According To Designers

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Veranda reports that designers are favoring five nostalgic Christmas decorating approaches for 2026: meaningful old-fashioned details, handmade pieces, nature-inspired decor, cozy textiles and decorations in overlooked rooms. The article presents these as designers’ observations and recommendations, not as measured sales or industry-wide data.

Designers interviewed by Veranda say five nostalgic approaches are shaping Christmas decorating for 2026: using meaningful old-fashioned pieces, adding handmade crafts, bringing in natural materials, layering cozy textiles and decorating spaces that often get overlooked. The report frames these as designers’ observations, rather than a quantified industry trend, and points toward a holiday style centered on personal history and simple details.

The first two approaches focus on personal meaning and making things by hand. Designers recommend building a collection of ornaments over time, choosing pieces tied to memories or interests instead of relying only on matching store-bought sets. Anthony Gianacakos, founder of Anthony George Home, told Veranda that an antique ornament or a hand-painted bowl can carry more significance than a dozen similar baubles. He said his own tree reflects his interest in wildlife through animal-themed ornaments.

Designers also suggest bringing back handmade holiday crafts, including paper chains, festive streamers and papier-mâché decorations. Jenna Randolph David, director of interiors at Grossmueller’s Design Consultants, described framing family holiday photographs and children’s old Christmas drawings as a restrained way to add personal history. Designer Frank de Biasi told Veranda that making paper chains and studding citrus fruit with cloves can turn decorating into a shared activity.

The remaining ideas extend beyond the tree. Evergreen clippings, dried citrus, pine cones and candles can create a seasonal atmosphere without requiring holiday-specific purchases, designers said. Cozy textiles such as velvet pillows, wool throws and tartan fabrics offer another way to change a room, while a candle, hand towels, a small Christmas village house or greenery on a picture frame can bring seasonal touches to bathrooms, home offices and bedrooms. Designers also pointed to windows, foyers and hallways as places for garlands, wreaths or a simple ribbon.

A More Personal Holiday Home

The recommendations offer a version of holiday decorating that does not depend on replacing a room’s entire look or buying a coordinated set of new ornaments. Family keepsakes, handmade crafts and natural materials can make decorations feel connected to a household’s own memories, while small changes to textiles or overlooked rooms provide ways to mark the season without concentrating every effort on the tree and mantel.

Some suggestions also have a practical appeal: evergreen cuttings, citrus and pine cones may already be available at home or from a grocery store, according to the report. But the piece does not establish that these choices are less expensive overall or that they are being adopted widely. Its value for readers is as a set of designers’ ideas for decorating, not proof of a nationwide shift in consumer behavior.

From Keepsakes to Seasonal Details

The Veranda report presents the five approaches as a return to traditional, nostalgic details, while noting that natural decor itself is not new. It describes holiday decorating as extending beyond a well-dressed tree to mantels, textiles and smaller touches around the home. The central theme is collecting and using objects with a story rather than aiming for a perfectly matched display.

The designers’ examples range from switching to incandescent Christmas lights, as design journalist and author Kathryn O’Shea-Evans said she had done, to adding citrus garlands and sugared fruit to a table or mantel. These are individual preferences and recommendations offered in the article; Veranda does not provide survey results, sales figures or a comparison with previous years to measure how common the practices are.

“We’ll spend a whole day cutting and gluing construction paper chains, and studding oranges and lemons with cloves.”

— Frank de Biasi, quoted by Veranda

How Broad the Trend Is

The report does not quantify how many households are adopting these styles, whether interest has grown compared with prior years or how designers selected the trends. It relies on comments from design professionals and offers no consumer survey, market data or sales evidence. The article therefore supports the conclusion that these are approaches some designers are recommending for 2026, but not that they have become widespread.

It is also unclear whether readers will interpret the suggestions as a rejection of newer decorations. The report describes nostalgia and traditional details as the focus of this year’s recommendations, but does not claim that contemporary styles are disappearing.

Ideas to Watch This Season

As the 2026 holiday season approaches, the ideas to watch are how homeowners adapt these recommendations to their own spaces: whether keepsakes return to the tree, whether handmade projects become family activities, and whether natural greenery or small textile changes appear beyond the main living areas. Veranda’s report provides no later forecast or scheduled follow-up, so any broader assessment would require further reporting, such as consumer surveys, retail data or additional designer interviews.

Key Questions

What are the five Christmas decorating trends in the report?

Veranda lists old-fashioned details, sentimental and handmade pieces, nature-inspired decor, cozy textiles and decorating unexpected spots such as bathrooms, home offices, windows and bedrooms.

Are these proven to be the most popular decorating trends for 2026?

No. The article reports designers’ observations and recommendations, but does not include a survey, sales data or other evidence showing how popular the styles are among households.

What natural materials do the designers recommend?

Examples include evergreen clippings, dried or fresh citrus, pine cones, candles and cloves. Designers say these elements can add seasonal color and scent without relying only on decorations made specifically for Christmas.

How can someone add a nostalgic touch without redecorating a whole room?

The designers suggest displaying a meaningful ornament, framing an old family holiday photo or a child’s drawing, adding a wool throw or velvet pillow, or placing a small seasonal object in a bathroom or home office.

Source: rss