There are several country styles that make wonderful Christmas themes that you and your family will enjoy the entire holiday season. You may like an English or French country theme for your family room and an American country for the kitchen and den. Whichever style you choose, warmth, family and comfort are the main feelings that go with a country Christmas theme.
English Country Holidays
An English country home decked out for the holidays will include fresh live pine boughs, but you can opt for artificial ones. Frame the front door and place a swag or wreath on the door for a traditional look.
Many English country homes were manors or estates that were often used as hunting getaways. Finding an antler or rustic chandelier in the foyer or great hall was common just as finding more elegant ones. Any kind of chandelier lends itself to the draping of greenery and a kissing ball suspended from the center of the light fixture.
Fireplace Decorations
Carry the theme from the front door to your fireplace with live pine boughs or cedar boughs draped over the mantel.
Dining Room and Table Setting
Set the table with a red and green plaid table runner topped with cedar and pine greenery. Place a few pewter candlesticks of varying heights with hand-dipped tapers among the greenery.
- Come tea time, you will want to serve guests from a Christmas teapot, so feel free to have this setting out in the dining room for decoration before it is used.
- A buffet or sideboard can be decorated using pine and cedar garland, a hurricane candle holder, and a pair of stag figurines.
No English country Christmas dinner is complete without crackers waiting on dinner plates to be pulled and popped before the Christmas dinner begins.
Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree is usually a pine, spruce, or fir.
- Clip some faux candles onto the branches for an authentic look.
- The trees were traditionally decorated with sweets, chocolate candies and chocolate coins, cakes, fruits, and nuts tied to the branches with red ribbons. You can always opt for artificial replicas of fruit ornaments.
- An angel or star topper is the finishing touch for your English country Christmas tree.
Decoration Ideas for Any Room
There are other rooms and areas you may wish to decorate. It's easy to find items that can be used in various rooms throughout your home. Some of these include:
- Potted rosemary tree: Use trees individually with a ribbon wrapped around pot or place a group of three on a coffe table; they could be tucked into the corner of your bathroom, too.
- Plaid pillows: Add a red plaid Christmas pillow in your den or bedroom.
- Carved pair of reindeer: Place the reindeer with some greenery on a table by a staircase or side table.
- Cobweave red and cream throw: Drape one over the couch for easy access.
- Christmas crackers: Place Christmas crackers at each table setting before all the special holiday meals.
French Country Christmas
French country is all about fresh woodland greenery with gold or silver accents. Select garlands of greenery mixed with lily-colored roses and apples for a traditional country look to adorn doorways outside and inside your home. A greenery wreath can be hung or you may prefer to take advantage of preserved French lavender and rosemary for an aromatic wreath in your dining room or den.
Fireplace
The traditional yule log is rarely used since most fireplaces can't accommodate such a large log. Despite this, the tradition can still be honored with mantel centerpieces that use a small log decorated with greenery and candles.
- Decorate with other greenery placed along the mantel with antique gold candle sticks supporting two-inch column candles.
- Place pine cones and cranberries in greenery.
- A 20th century mantel decoration choice is colorful glass ornaments hanging from the mantel to reflect light and dazzle with their unique designs.
In leiu of a fireplace wreath, place a stylish Jastore 16" vintage rusted metal country French wall clock or a Joyeux Noel canvas plaque.
Dining Room and Table Setting
Hang a real candle chandelier with tall red taper candles and dress it with pine boughs. Use LED candles to prevent fires. Create a canopy effect with the chandelier by hanging two wide strips of dark green silk or red silk on either side of the chandelier and attaching to the ceiling in the room corners.
- Table - Cover the table in this lovely red and white Starry Night tablecloth. Dress the chairs in matelassé damask slipcovers.
- Centerpiece - Place a swan tureen surrounded by fresh greenery, gold ribbon, and glass ornament balls on the table for a stunning centerpiece. Set an aged iron pillar candle holder set on either side of the tureen to support gold fleur-de-lis votive candle holders.
- Sideboard - Drape garland over and around the mirror or painting hanging over the sideboard. Suspend pinecones from the greenery as though they are hanging ornaments. For a sideboard decoration, add a set of three French country pillar candle lanterns in black with a few large gold glass ornaments and live greenery. Carry the gold ribbon theme by weaving it through the greenery.
Christmas Tree
Select a faux Christmas tree like a Vienna Twig that you can decorate with pinecones, berries and vines.
- For a great French country look go with a Toile tree skirt in black, blue, burgundy, or green.
- Decorate the tree with crocheted snowflakes.
- Thread garland with white, silver, or gold ribbons and additional crochet snowflakes.
The 20th century ushered in Christmas tree ornaments in colorful crystal balls along with silver or gold pinecone ornaments.
Decoration Ideas for Any Room
Create a festive look anywhere in your home with throws, pillows, wall art, and figurines.
- Burlap and striped pillows: Select the perfect Christmas message with a pillow for your couch.
- Red Santa French postmark pillow: A touch of nostalgia is evident in this great graphic pillow.
- Joyeux Noel wood sign: Hang this sign on your kitchen wall or in your bathroom.
- French figurines: Create a village vignette on a table with a couple of these authentic figurines.
- Twelve days of Christmas throw: This is a perfect French-styled throw for cozying up by the fireside.
American Country Decorations
Select greenery for your region to use as garland and wreaths for your American country decoration. If living in the south, you may prefer to use magnolia leaves instead of the typical pine, ivy, or cedar. You may prefer an artificial garland and wreath that you can use year after year.
Apple fans in the style of colonial Williamsburg can be placed over doorways. Pineapples and apples along with magnolia leaves are the traditional choices, although you could easily substitute boxwood or pine for the greenery.
Fireplace
Pinecone Santas make a nice centerpiece for a country mantel set among the garland. Hang a swag with pinecones and greenery over the mantel. Finish the mantel with plaid snowman stockings. Decorate the hearth and surrounding area with the following ideas:
- Set a couple of pieces of pottery urns and a pottery jug filled with sprigs of fiber optic twigs and berries on the hearth along with a burlap snowman.
- Wrap red gingham ribbon and tie a bow around the urns and jug.
- A cardinal red hearth rug placed in front of the hearth is an open invitation to gather around the fireside.
- Add a red woven basket for wood and pinecone kindling.
Dining Room and Table Setting
A classic country dining table centerpiece can be made with an apple cone form created by adding sprigs of boxwood between apples, pears and/or oranges. If you prefer a ready-made centerpiece, then consider a berry apple cone centerpiece instead. Additional dining room ideas include:
- Drape greenery around overhead lights.
- A buffet can be trimmed with greenery accented with red and green plaid bows and sprigs of red berries.
- A white lace tablecloth or runner is always a good choice for an American country table setting or ccontinue wth the sideboard's plaid theme by choosing a plaid table runner.
Christmas Tree
Rustic burgundy sleigh bells tied to a red gingham garland sets the theme for an American country Christmas tree. If you're nostalgic, you may prefer to string your own popcorn and cranberry garlands or make chain garlands from different patterned red papers to string around the tree.
- Homemade or purchased wood star and snowman ornaments painted red and white can be tied the tree with red and white ribbons.
- Add white snowflake ornaments along with individual sleigh bells suspended by ribbons.
- A burgundy and tan jute braided tree skirt with a star motif carries the country theme.
- Top your decorated tree with a deep red punched-tin star tree topper.
Decoration Ideas for Any Room
Some decorations are suitable for just about any room in your home. Plaids, gingham, bleached cotton and homemade quilts are all sources for American country Christmas designs. Try a few of these items for other rooms:
- Americana Christmas flag: Let your spirit fly this Christmas with this tribute to patriotism.
- Metal angel candle holder: Light up a dark corner with this angel candle holder; use an LED candle and place it in the bathroom in the evenings.
American country Christmas décor lends itself well to incorporating both cowboy and rustic Christmas decorations as well, if you feel like adding a few of those touches throughout your home.
Comfort of Country Christmas Décor
The ambiance of country Christmas decorations conveys warmth and comfort and brings a touch of nostalgia to your home. The colors and textures of country themed Christmas designs are sure to brighten any room.
