It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Actually, it has in our home since early November. The past few years I’ve been decorating before Thanksgiving so we can enjoy it for as long as possible. I wanted to share a peek into how I cozied up our apartment for the holidays this year and share some of my favorite sources for decorations. I also want to mention that everything in this post is linked in the scrolling image widget at the bottom if you want to shop any of it!
This wooden sign is my favorite new piece for Christmas from Michaels, one of my go-to sources for seasonal decorating. I love the simplicity and it was such an amazing price at only $25. I hung it above our buffet table the second it arrived. Below the sign, I added some faux pine garland and accented it with gold using candle holders, glass vases, pine cones, and deer antler picks. The antler pick shown here is only a few dollars and also comes in natural, rose gold and silver. They’re great to tuck in all kinds of floral arrangements—I have them scattered all over the living room. I always rely on candles year-round to give our home a cozy vibe because they’re small and can fit just about anywhere. The gold glass votive holders are all under $10 each and the tealights inside are also really inexpensive. I’m a huge fan of battery-operated candles, too (Luminara is the best brand for a realistic ‘flame’) and the gold pillar holders shown here are on major sale right now.
For the dining room table, I made a little candle garden with my favorite battery-operated candles and tucked some pieces of pine and another antler pick around them. I purchased the round tablecloth a few years ago at a Christmas market in Germany (can’t wait to look for some more when we’re in Europe next week!) 
This nativity scene was handmade from olive wood in Jordan, and will be so special to display every year as a reminder of our time here. I also have a matching stable being made as we speak, but for now I created one using part of another random decoration we had.
These handmade ornate metal lanterns were another purchase from Jordan and I tucked some inexpensive glass ball ornaments around the candles for a festive look. If you love lanterns, I found another pretty gold style under $30 you can check out here.
I love incorporating little things we find on our travels into our holiday decor because it brings back some wonderful memories. These Santa nesting dolls are from Poland (but actually made in Ukraine) and the wooden pyramid is from Germany.
I purchased both of these pillows from Pier 1 Imports—I love shopping for pillows there because they’re usually buy one, get one half price! The quality is also great for the price (most are under $50 each).
This new pillow may be my favorite—it has the prettiest beaded detail on the deer’s antlers. I purchased mine from Target and I think it may be sold out now, but this one is in stock and nearly identical (the deer is just turned sideways).
You may recognize this green leaf bowl if you read my fall home decor post, and I filled it with some glass ball ornaments and pine cones for Christmas. I decorate with this bowl year-round since you can fill it with just about anything for each season.
This urn was also featured in my fall home decor post and now it’s ready for the holidays with some pine stems, berry branches, and my favorite, this gold antler pick. You guys are seeing my theme now, right? I basically use the same pieces all year and just switch out my florals and vase fillers for the seasons. What are your tricks for making your space look cozy for the holiday season? I’d love to hear them!
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