How to Decorate Your House for Christmas in Australia

When it comes to how to decorate your house for Christmas, trends are always shifting in and out, and that includes trends for an Aussie Christmas. But how you go about decorating your house for Christmas tends to stay pretty much the same.

Read on to see what we recommend, and what trends are appearing for 2021.

10 Top Christmas Decorating Tips

1. Adopt a colour theme

Adopting a colour theme makes decorating easier and more elegant. In contrast to traditional reds and greens, consider colours that reflect a more casual aesthetic. Likewise, your favourite colour or a monochrome palette, can really personalise Christmas decorating.

2021 Trend – Silver is strongly featuring in the colour themes for 2021. Gold is coming out to play a bit too, adding warmth, depth and contrast against the stronger silver tones.

2. Create a welcoming front entry

Welcome your guests with a beautiful front door and entry. Create your own Christmas wreath using Eucalyptus, rosemary from the garden or your favourite natives like gums or wattle. Also add style to your front entrance with symmetrical potted plants either side of your front door. Add a touch of Christmas with small decorations and sparkling fairy lights.

2021 Trend – Tree skirts are making a comeback, especially in white, light and neutral colours (shot with silver and gold would be especially beautiful). Drape them around the base of your potted plants at your front entry for a luxurious Christmas feel.

3. Turn to nature and incorporate greenery in your Christmas decorating

Green is a traditional Christmas colour. Even better it adds a touch of freshness to your home by bringing the outdoors in. Nothing says Australia like nature.

Make beautiful wreaths from native and local foliage, such as Eucalyptus, rosemary, magnolia or Australian natives, that retain their colour out of water. In contrast, greenery in water can be used with bright berries and pomegranates to create a beautiful effect on table displays.

2021 Trend – Natural foliage is a huge part of 2021’s Christmas trends. In fact, the more greenery the better. Incorporate it into your wreaths, your table decorations and more.

4. Personalise your Christmas tree

Australia hasn’t always been well suited for real traditional Christmas trees (pine trees). The heat makes them dry out much more quickly than they would in North America (which means shedding needles and a dry brittle appearance. A lovely alternative choice for a real Christmas tree is a potted Australian native available from good, local nurseries.

But whether you choose a real or artificial Christmas tree, I have a few simple tips for decorating your tree.

• Start with the lights because it’s far easier to wind them around the tree without the decorations getting in the way.
• Choose a colour theme, simply for the reason that colour en masse looks gorgeous.
• Hang one type of ornament at a time. As a result, you’ll find it easier to spread them around the tree.
• Put your travels on your tree to add a personal touch. Decorations from your travels add to your story.
• Decorations made by the kids provide great memories.
• For a beach-themed Australian Christmas, decorate with shells, starfish and coral.

2021 Trend—Australians are embracing the asymmetrical or sparse Christmas trees with a more organic, natural look.

5. Spread your decorating around

Don’t restrict your decorating to just the Christmas tree. Look for places within your home to incorporate Christmas decorating. Style your front entry console, decorate your alfresco, personalise your kids’ bedroom doors and more.

2021 Trend—If you have more than one living space, a second smaller Christmas tree (perhaps potted) is a lovely way to spread the Christmas cheer. It also gives you a chance to try a second colour theme!

6. Light up your house

First of all, use fairy lights wherever you can. Not only do they add sparkle to your home, but they’re also cost effective to run. Likewise, candles can be used to add a glow to your home at night. This is one tradition I loved seeing in the windows as we travelled through Scandinavia.

Christmas scented candles are a great addition to your Christmas decorating. They add an authentic Christmas aroma, which is perfect if you’ve opted for an artificial tree and miss the smell of pine in your house.

2021 Trends—Outdoor lights and decorations are becoming more and more popular. You don’t have to go over the top to make a beautiful statement. Lights wrapped around tree trunks is always festive and joyful.

7. Gift wrapping

When people ask how to decorate your house for Christmas, they don’t usually consider their gift wrapping. After all, it’s not really part of your house. But your gifts will sit under your Christmas tree and will bring sparkle and colour to the entire room. So, continue your chosen Christmas decorating colour through to your gift-wrapping for full effect. Tie a sprig of rosemary or a pine cone to the package, rather than the traditional Christmas holly to your gifts.

2021 Trends—When it comes to wrapping the trend this year is DIY and sustainable products. Make your own wrapping paper from fabric bags, kids artwork and reused paper products. Repurpose cards and bows, or use items that can have a second life (ribbons or garden twine, for example).

8. Advent calendar

Get creative with your Christmas advent calendar this year. String together handmade envelopes filled with personalised trinkets for your family to open in the lead up to Christmas. Or include outings, adventures or experiences rather than the traditional choccy.

2021 Trends—Artisanal products, like cheese and local wine, are being offered in ‘grown-up’ advent calendars. A fantastic way to celebrate the season.

9. Create a beautiful table setting

Christmas is the one day of the year when you should go all out on your table setting. Firstly, I like to include fresh greenery on the table. Take a morning walk around your garden or local neighbourhood and pick out some of your favourite foliage. Personalise place settings with baked goods, sprigs of foliage, small gifts or name cards.

Then coordinate your colour scheme with your chosen Christmas colour scheme. Add some Christmas baubles and fairy lights or tea-light candles and finally bring out your best tableware, napkins and cutlery. If you don’t use it at Christmas, when will you use it?

2021 Trend—Farmhouse Christmas idea searches are up 400% on Google this year! 2021 might be the year to get out Nan’s vintage (mismatched) china.

10. Create your own decorations… because you can!

When it comes to how to decorate your house for Christmas, the main rule is to take time to really enjoy the process and the festivities. Children especially love to look back at decorations they’ve made each year. For that reason, I encourage you to explore the many Christmas decorating activities you can undertake.

Bake and decorate gingerbread men to hang on the tree. String popcorn, an old-fashioned North American tradition, to hang on the Christmas tree. Or make Christmas wreaths and garlands from native garden finds. You’ll have fun doing it and come away with something personal and unique for your Christmas celebrations!

2021 Trend—Nostalgic decor is in in 2021, which is perfect for DIY Christmas decorations. We especially love the idea of homemade wreaths from garden finds!