In this blog post I will share my tips & tricks to make Christmas feel like Christmas–without the hassle of extravagant decorating!
My Love for Christmas Goes Wayyy Back
Growing up in Panamá as the oldest of four, my mom used to work at a gift wrapping station at the mall in order to help buy Christmas presents for her younger siblings.
Fast forward a few years, I’m criss-cross-applesauce in front of her on the living room floor, my braids cascading down my back as she carefully teaches me where to pleat the wrapping paper. A fire crackles & glows in the background while a simmer pot releases an aromatic blend of orange & cinnamon. My abuela walks through the door with a smile & bags of presents to wrap, commenting on my mom’s magazine-worthy holiday decor. Mami smiles in my direction as I hold up a perfectly enclosed regalito that says “From: Santa” in my kid handwriting.
This. This is Christmas.
My childhood comprised of magical holiday seasons filled with love & gatherings. Needless to say, I vividly remember my first Christmas away from my family. I lived almost 2,000 miles away from my mom’s immaculate light show & I longed for a piece of familiarity. I wanted my little apartment to feel like Christmas back home, but how could I create a similar feeling in this new space of mine?
These last few years have felt nothing short of transient (in this blog post I talk about how I’ve moved 5 times in the last 18 months alone!), making me hesitant to invest hundreds in a tree, ornaments, lights, stockings, etc etc etc (no matter how desperately I’ve wanted them). Even if I was willing to dish out that dough, where would I store all of that in my one-bedroom apartment in the off-season?? 🤔
Where to Start
First thing’s first: make a list of holiday traditions you looked forward to & then pick out which ones might be most important to you. If you live with a partner or friend, have them write out their list too & then cross-reference them to see what might be the highest priority for the both of you.
Maybe it was going to a farm to pick out a tree, doing a cookie exchange with friends, getting the family together for a gingerbread house competition, or doing a Home Alone movie marathon.
Maybe it was just the extra twinkling lights or that pine scent wafting through the house.
Once you figure out what’s important to * you * then it’s easier to be creative to find ways to incorporate those things.
So much of entering into adulthood is realizing you can do anything but not everything, so recognizing what’s going to be special ~ for you ~ will help you feel confident with splurging where you want & unapologetically (or sometimes begrudgingly…) saying no to the rest.
For some inspiration, here’s a compilation of 20 ways to make your home feel like Christmas without breaking the bank (or adding a bunch of stuff to your home). I’m breaking them down by our senses in order to hit every aspect of that magical holiday ambience!
SIGHT
1. Buy some garland & put it up in places you’ll see frequently, like the mantle or by windows. A few years ago I bought fresh garland from Trader Joe’s—it smelled fantastic & was compostable afterwards (with some work), which made me happy! (Check out this pretty one that already comes decorated)
2. I. LOVE. Lights! Put them in your garland or use them on their own. You cannnoooot tell me lights don’t make you instantly giddier.
3. On a similar note, light some candles to create a cozier look.
4. Cotton balls create great fake snow! Pull them apart to create little clouds (or little “snow” in this case) & put them at the base of existing picture frames, books, figurines…you get the picture.
5. Similar to garlands, wreaths give off a very holiday feel.
6. Display holiday cards from loved ones. They’re basically free decorations & you get to think of people you care about—it’s a win, win!
7. Find YouTube channels of scenes that feel like the holidays & play them on your TV: a German market, a snowy field of trees, a blazing fire place…the sky is the limit.
8. Growing up I had family friends who always got a family set of pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve. Do you have any special jammies or blankets reserved for the holidays? Their look can inspire all things holly & jolly. They have great & affordable options at Old Navy!
SOUND
9. I’m one of the basic girlies who loooves Christmas music. But I mean, maybe it’s basic because who the heck doesn’t? Here are some of my favorite Christmas Spotify playlists:
I also love this modern classic by Michael Bublé & for my other Latinos, here is this a Spanish Christmas playlist!
10. The holidays are a special time of gathering. Call your friends & family & tell them how grateful you are to have them in your life. Read holiday cards out loud. Tell your partner how you’ve grown to love them more throughout this year. Let your gratitude be known!
11. I distinctly remember my little brother’s maniacal toddler laugh his first Christmas watching Home Alone. One winter in college I had a caregiving job where I spent my shifts watching Hallmark movies with the couple I assisted. Movies are great way to create some nostalgia (or even form new traditions) in the holiday season.
SCENT
12. Essential oils are a great way for your house to smell like Christmas, even if you don’t have a real tree. Diffuse pine, cinnamon, orange, peppermint, or others to feel like you’ve walked into holiday bliss.
13. Don’t have an essential oil diffuser? Try creating a simmer pot. Basically you just simmer different foods to create an aroma, like cinnamon sticks & orange peels. Read this blog post to find out more!
14. Everyone loves a great candle. Not only do they smell delightful, they create a cozy ambiance as well!
15. When I drink tea, I try to have mindful (mija) moments where I intentionally focus on the scent. This Market Spice cinnamon-orange tea smells sooooo GOOD! (I’m from Washington, so it’s a perk that it’s made in Seattle!)
16. Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh-baked goods? Cookies, breads, rolls, the works. You name it, I’m sure it’ll instantly make your home feel like the holidays.
SAVOR
17. Obviously the aforementioned baked goods will not only smell good, they’ll taste good, too! Use this to your advantage to get into the Christmas spirit. Bonus if you add red & green sprinkles!
18. Are there any cultural foods or family recipes that you’d make during the holidays? In Panama & Mexico (where my parents are from), it’s common to make tamales around the holidays. We have a lot of Puerto Rican friends who share their coquito. My best friend in high school was Italian & I’d help her family make tortellini for a New Years soup. Whether it’s a generational family recipe or a new twist on a traditional dish, food is the centerpiece of any holiday.
SENSATION
19. This is random, but cozy socks are a hallmark of the holidays for me. Maybe it was growing up with my abuelita telling me to not walk barefoot, but there’s something special about your toes being warm that reminds me of Christmastime.
20. Similiarly, cozy & soft anything just feels extra good this time of year. Whether it’s soft jammies, a nice blanket, or your favorite scarf, take a moment to notice how these feel against your skin & then feel gratitude for these simple pleasures.
Bonus Budget Holiday Tips:
– Buy things off-season. My mom has purchased eeeverything at after-Christmas sales when everything is 50% (or more) off. If you want more items & don’t mind waiting, snagging things later in the season could save you big bucks. On December 26th, you can find her at Michael’s, Hobby Lobby & Walmart.
– Ask family if they have decor you could borrow. I don’t have this luxury since I live in a different state, but if I lived close to my parents I would surely be asking my mom for extras!
– Check Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, or Facebook buy-nothing groups. I saw countless faux trees when I was on FB Marketplace for our move, so if storage space isn’t an issue then this is a great option. If you’re going this route, start looking in October/November because you never know when people will post!
– Intentionally gather. To me (& many others), the holidays are a sacred time to spend with loved ones. Decorations or not, festive tunes or not, spending time with friends & family will make the holidays magical. If you are far from family & want to keep traditions despite the distance, I wrote a blog post to help. If you are in a new place & are having a hard time finding friends, I wrote a blog post about making friends as an adult that you might find helpful.
There ya have it! 20+ tips to create a holiday ambience without spending a ton of money or bringing a bunch of stuff into your home (if you don’t want to). Let me know which ones you try out!
