Bling the Bookshelves

Soft and subtle holiday hints around the house add cheer—rather than chaos—to every room. Decorating with what you have is one of our favorite small space Christmas hacks. We suggest choosing ribbon to match the style of your room and using removable adhesive hooks to hang metallic ornaments from a bookshelf, cupboard, or mantel. A monochromatic look ups the minimalism.

Wood Bead Ornaments

Plain wooden beads, with their warm tones and textures, are a perfect match for evergreens and small hints of holiday colors. These wood bead ornaments are easy to make using wire, beads, and yarn, plus they make thoughtful gifts.

Seasonal Signs

With a simple addition of a holiday sign—in a modern black-and-white motif—a snow globe, and maybe a candle or two, you can give a shelf or bookcase a Christmas makeover in mere minutes.

Twinkle Lights

Think beyond exterior holiday lights and add festive holiday lighting throughout the house. We love the cozy feel Beth from 1111 Light Lane created for her dining tablescape, with candles and the low-light chandelier twinkling in front of the lit Christmas tree. Remember: If you go full holiday in one room, show restraint in adjoining rooms to keep the feel of the whole house in balance.

Serious Swag

Blogger Julie Blanner proves a simple bough of fresh greenery hung over a doorway can transform the look of a room. We love the seasonal addition of fresh evergreen to this otherwise simple white wall—and can only imagine how good it smells throughout the holiday season.

Simple Stamps

Go retro with a potato and a cookie cutter to make a custom holiday stamp that can make a pile of DIY holiday gifts and add a perfect minimalist holiday touch near a sink. We love the look of this black-and-white holiday tea towel and think it would be just the thing to add a little merry to a modern kitchen or bathroom.

Foraged Greenery

With a few birch branches perched by the front door and a length of fresh evergreen hung above the stairs, this entry is welcoming, festive, and understated—a minimalist nod to merry if we ever saw one. (Just imagine how stunning this would look at night in the snow!)

Paper Wreaths

Hints of silver and sparkle make monochromatic paper wreaths perfect for front door. This easy-to-make holiday wreath—all you need to do is hit the scrapbooking aisle of the crafts store—is so subtle that you could even leave it up through January to keep the good vibes flowing straight into the new year.

Ribbon Ready

One simple touch of ribbon transforms a fresh holiday wreath into a welcoming statement. We love this holiday wreath paired with the butter yellow door, but the subtle look would work on almost any style of door.

Cozy Votives

Wrapping basic votives with cuttings from the sleeves of old sweaters adds a layer of warmth. The texture adds a touch of cozy to unexpected places like bedside tables. Or group a few for an understated statement in a holiday centerpiece on the dining table.

Leftover sweater? Put it to good use!

Mantel Magic

A small collection of trees and candlesticks give a mantel a holiday touch without knickknacks taking over the house. We love how Lacey from Ponderosa and Plaid stuck to different sizes and colorways of the same item to pull off this minimalist holiday decorating idea. Deck your halls with buffalo check decor.

Gold Macrame Ring Wreaths

Put those gold macrame rings to good use. Creating a chic DIY holiday wreath is as easy as gathering greenery and wrapping a hoop form. Add pops of color with seasonal berries or small ornaments. We love the way a trio of these minimalist wreaths look above a mantel or on a wall.