These 5 Old-Fashioned Christmas Decorating Trends Are Making A Comeback This Year, According To Designers
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A Veranda report on Christmas decorating for 2026 highlights five approaches designers say are drawing renewed interest: old-fashioned details, sentimental handmade pieces, nature-inspired décor, cozy textiles and decorations in overlooked rooms. The report presents these as designers’ observations and recommendations, not as a measured industry-wide trend.

Designers interviewed by Veranda say five traditional Christmas decorating approaches are returning for the 2026 holiday season, including meaningful heirlooms, handmade crafts, natural greenery, seasonal textiles and décor in rooms that often go undecorated. The report describes these as design observations and suggestions; it does not cite sales figures or survey data showing how widely households are adopting them.

The first two ideas center on personal history and making decorations by hand. Designer Anthony Gianacakos, founder of Anthony George Home, recommends choosing ornaments and other pieces with stories behind them rather than relying on matching sets. He suggests adding a small number of meaningful items each year so a collection reflects the people and experiences of the household. Designer Jenna Randolph David of Grossmueller’s Design Consultants suggests displaying old family holiday photographs or children’s Christmas drawings as understated seasonal décor.

Handmade details are another part of the return to a more personal style. The report points to paper chains, festive streamers and papier-mâché crafts, as well as oranges and lemons studded with cloves. Designer Frank de Biasi describes making paper chains together as an at-home holiday activity. These examples combine decoration with shared family time, rather than focusing only on finished products.

The remaining ideas bring natural materials and comfort into the home, and extend decorating beyond the living room. Designers suggest evergreen clippings, dried citrus, pine cones and candles, along with velvet pillows, wool throws or tartan textiles. Kathryn O’Shea-Evans also recommends modest touches in bathrooms, home offices, bedrooms and windows, such as seasonal hand towels, a candle, a small Christmas village piece, greenery on picture frames or a wreath hung inside a window.

At a glance
reportWhen: Published ahead of the 2026 Christmas s…
The developmentVeranda has published designers’ recommendations for five nostalgic Christmas decorating approaches they say are returning for 2026.

A More Personal Holiday Home

The recommendations point to a holiday decorating style built around meaning and atmosphere rather than buying a coordinated set of new ornaments. Heirlooms, family photographs and handmade crafts can connect seasonal displays to individual histories, while greenery and textiles offer ways to change a room without adding many overtly Christmas-themed objects.

For readers planning seasonal spending, some of the suggested materials may already be at home or easy to source: evergreen branches, citrus, paper and existing blankets. The report does not establish that these choices are cheaper in every case, or that they are gaining popularity across the market. It does show how designers interviewed by Veranda are framing the season: as a return to collected, tactile details and decorating that reaches into more parts of the home.

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From Matching Sets to Keepsakes

The report contrasts these recommendations with decorating centered on bulk sets of matching ornaments. Instead, the designers describe gradually building collections, putting family-made objects on display and mixing old pieces with natural materials. The approach is not presented as a rejection of polished or elaborate décor: the article also points to generous evergreen swags and classic seasonal colors as enduring options.

Some suggestions are small changes rather than full room makeovers. O’Shea-Evans says she has switched from LED Christmas lights to incandescent lights, describing the warmer effect as more magical for her. That is a personal preference reported in the article, not a general finding about lighting or a recommendation that all households make the same change.

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

— Frank de Biasi, as quoted by Veranda

How Broad the Trend Is

The report offers designers’ views and examples, not a representative survey, retail analysis or sales data. It does not establish how many households are choosing these styles, whether retailers are seeing increased demand, or how the five ideas compare in popularity. “Making a comeback” is therefore the article’s characterization of designers’ observations, rather than a quantified measure of consumer behavior.

It is also unclear whether the recommendations will be adopted broadly during the 2026 season. The source does not provide price comparisons, product availability or evidence that natural and handmade materials are always less costly than store-bought decorations.

What to Watch This Season

The ideas are recommendations for the upcoming 2026 Christmas season, so their reach will become clearer as households decorate and retailers report on seasonal demand. The source does not identify a follow-up survey or data release. Readers can treat the suggestions as options rather than rules: bring out a meaningful keepsake, make a simple decoration, add greenery or a warm textile, or place a small seasonal detail in a room that is usually overlooked.

Key Questions

Veranda’s report lists old-fashioned details, sentimental and handmade pieces, nature-inspired décor, cozy textiles and decorating unexpected spots such as bathrooms, offices and windows.

No sales figures or representative survey results are cited. The article reports designers’ observations and recommendations, so it does not establish how common these choices are among consumers.

What are examples of handmade decorations?

The designers mention paper chains, streamers, papier-mâché crafts and citrus fruits studded with cloves. The report also suggests displaying old family photographs or children’s holiday drawings.

How can someone use natural materials in holiday décor?

Suggestions include evergreen clippings, dried citrus, pine cones and candles. The report also describes sliced orange garlands and sugared fruit for mantels or tables.

Source: rss

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