Red and Green Christmas Decor

Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by Rachel Granholm

I’m inviting you into my home to share my classic red and green Christmas decor!

Merry Christmas to you! I’ve been hard at work the past few weeks decking the halls with classic red and green Christmas decor. For me, decorating my home for Christmas is a very creative process. My decor tells a story and I want anyone who comes into my home or looks at photos of it to really feel the spirit of Christmas!

This season, I was inspired by velvet. A green velvet deer along with red velvet ribbon sparked my imagination for a nostalgic Christmas, filled with vintage pieces. I truly hope my classic red and green Christmas decor brings you joy!

Decorating with Vintage Christmas Items

Christmas decorating is different for everyone. Some people love to use tons of color, others prefer neutrals. Some may adore the color red while others may choose to use blue or gold. That’s what is so special about Christmas.

When looking at other people’s decor, you get a window into their world and understand the meaning behind their decorations.

For me, I wanted to achieve a magical feeling full of nostalgia. Think Christmas at grandma’s house or the movie ‘A Christmas Story’. The classic red and green colors that I chose helped me to combine all of those pieces together.

Inspired by velvet and natural elements this season, you will notice a story unfolding with deer, trees, and loads of greenery. I absolutely love vintage decor over anything else, especially vintage Christmas decor.

To really achieve a nostalgic Christmas aesthetic, I used red velvet ribbon in each part of my home along with vintage and thrifted Christmas items that I’ve picked up over the years.

Classic Red and Green Christmas Decor

As you walk in the door, the Amy Grant Christmas album is playing and you are greeted with this little shelf vignette. It holds a vintage Santa that belonged to my husband’s grandma and a ‘Merry Christmas’ needlework picture made by my grandma.

It’s as if our grandma’s are welcoming the Christmas season from heaven and that gives me all the feels!

The Mantel

To the right of the entry door is our living room. The fireplace is the main focal point in this area of the home. It has taken me many years to figure out how to best decorate the mantel but I’ve come to learn that this is where the story that my decor tells can begin.

My eye is drawn to the vintage barn on linen art by Kay Dee. Do you see how the mantel feels like it’s all a part of that snowy scene?

I wanted the mantel to feel like you were looking at a snowy forest.

To start, I added as many faux and flocked trees as I could. The red velvet takes hold here as well.

The right side was kept really minimal due to the placement of the mantel clock.

I simply added three trees and adorned the tallest one with red velvet ribbon.

On the left side, I placed a wood round underneath the trees for some texture and height. My velvet deer take center stage here and really bring that snowy forest idea to life.

A small string of fairy lights was added to the trees to make that corner brighter. Isn’t it so pretty how the antique mirror catches the reflection of the lights and the deer?! I just think it’s stunning.

The Christmas Tree

Let’s continue on to the tree!

I have to tell you a little story about this tree.

We purchased this skinny little tree a year after we moved into this home because our other tree was much too large. I’ve never liked this tree. Ever. It didn’t have any life to it and was so low to the ground that I couldn’t fit any presents underneath it. We had been talking about getting a real tree this year because I was no where near excited to use this one.

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But. My husband hatched a big undertaking to transform this ugly tree into one that he said I would love. So, I let him at it because there was nothing to lose. You guys, what he came up with is truly amazing.

This tree sits at just over 6 feet when placed on the floor. So, to make it much taller, he turned over my vintage wooden crate and placed the tree on top of it. Now the tree is about 8 feet, giving it a much more prominent presence in the room!

I still wanted to use my grandma’s tree skirt so I placed that under the crate and then wrapped a thrifted lace tablecloth around the base of the tree, Charlie Brown style.

Then, to give the tree a more life-like appearance, he clipped larger, bushier branches from our larger tree and stuck them throughout. Pine trees that grow in the woods are not perfect yet they have so much life and movement to them.

I think having these larger branches in random spots throughout the tree helped achieve that!

To tie the tree in with the mantel, I chose wide velvet ribbon to wrap loosely around it. My grandma’s angel graces the top once again and ornaments from special times are found amongst the branches. I never thought I would like this tree but it truly looks so pretty.

Christmas Vignettes

On the Credenza

There are several different shelves around my home where I created little vignettes. The first Christmas display is on top of the credenza.

Here, I wanted to continue the woodland theme from the mantel. You will find another deer, more velvet, and the use of greenery for texture.

The classic red and green theme comes through in this display really well. On the left, my thrifted red book holds a vintage milk glass banana stand.

I filled the stand with faux eucalyptus stems and red berries. Then, I incorporated some vintage brass vessels to tone down the red. Brass also complements red and green beautifully.

The garland that is running along the front is a new purchase this year. I love the use of mixed greens in it as well as pinecones.

I also decided to use red eucalyptus stems, the same ones I had out through the fall. It’s an unexpected twist for Christmas but I truly love how it contrasts with the deeper reds and greens!

Something that I really like to do for Christmas is to use vintage ornaments in bowls. I have a variety of milk glass and other vintage bowls all around my house that I arrange ornaments in. They make for such an easy and lovely display!

Finally, I added in a lovely brass bell. To tie it together with the rest of the display, I simply placed a red velvet bow amongst it!

When you take the time to get creative with items that can be used for decorating, beautiful things can be accomplished.

If you’re not sure about a specific thing, try it and see how it looks! You might love it but if you don’t, it’s easy to take away and try something else.

Wall Shelf

The next area in the living room I want to share is the wall shelf. I really had fun with this one, packing as many vintage items on this as I could!

For the base, I used a thrifted red plaid scarf. Then, I poked Christmas stems into tall vintage vessels to act as anchors on both ends.

Pulling from decor that I already had on hand, I simply started filling the shelf, making sure to vary the heights and textures of the vintage items.

Height was achieved through the use of vintage books. I tried to stick with the red and green theme while also using whites and brass elements for some variety.

I saved this pretty card from last year because the scene on it is so magical!

It fits perfectly snuggled into this pinecone and really enhances the nostalgic feeling I was going for.

It is just so much fun to use vintage pieces in my decorating because they add interest.

You can mix vintage glass, Ironstone, enamelware, and a Scandinavian-style bell together to achieve a unified display.

For added texture, I added in some pinecones, which also ties in with the credenza.

Vintage Christmas Decor

The last two living room areas to share are quick.

Here is my milk glass shelf this year. I kept it super minimal, only adding berry stems and a few bottle brush trees.

Right next to that shelf is this little scene. I thrifted both of these light-up houses years ago and still adore them.

All I did was set them atop wood rounds and added various trees.

The barn is my favorite. It is especially cozy at night when it’s dark.

Sometimes, when I walk by it, I like to imagine living at this farm and how much fun that would be.

Hall Bath

I like to minimally decorate the hall bath, mainly for guests that visit during the holidays.

All I did here was add a few shelf decorations including another vintage Santa and a bowl of ornaments.

Vintage copper is another fun element to use for Christmas. I pulled this copper vessel from the kitchen and poked some Christmas stems into it for an instant holiday vase!

Then, across the room, I created a small vignette filled with vintage and thrifted decor.

You will notice the red velvet ribbon in here as well, which ties this display into the rest of the house.

Some of these items aren’t necessarily ‘Christmas’ but, by simply adding berry stems to them, they instantly have that holiday feel.

Christmas Kitchen

The last room I wanted to touch on is my kitchen. This is the most used area of our home so you would think there would be a ton of Christmas decor here. But, it doesn’t make sense to throw a bunch of decor on the counters and other utilitarian areas because they would just get in the way.

So, I really didn’t do much in here but the items I did add bring some Christmas cheer to this busy space.

Sticking to the classic red and green, I stuck red berry stems into my vintage green kitchen scale.

Across the way, I added in some vintage milk bottles in red and green with more berries.

On the peg shelf, I tied a piece of red velvet ribbon into a long bow.

Lastly, some more red berries were added to my copper creamer collection.

When it comes to any kind of decorating, it is important to keep in mind what makes sense for your family.

This is what makes sense in this season of life, so here is my simply decorated Christmas kitchen!

I sincerely hope you enjoyed coming into my home today! Vintage Christmas decor runs deep through me and love sharing it with each of you.

I hope my home inspired you and maybe gave you some ideas of how you can easily incorporate vintage Christmas into your own home.

Closing Tidbits

Thank you so much for coming along on this classic red and green Christmas decor home tour! You truly do not need to spend a fortune decorating your home this season. Find a theme that works for you and then keep it minimal by infusing natural elements along with vintage or thrifted items.

Remember the meaning behind this special holiday. Be encouraged to not get caught up in the material things. Rather, harness all your energy towards what truly matters, such as the present moment and being surrounded by people who care about you. When you can hush the noise, you will be able to clearly hear and feel the Spirit of Christmas moving within you.

From my home to yours, Merry Christmas!

Let me know in the comments below how you decorate for Christmas! Do you stick to the same theme or like to switch it up? I would love to know!

If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!

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The Antiqued Journey Christmas Candle Collection

I want to remind you that The Antiqued Journey Christmas Candle collection is live in the shop! I only have four candles remaining and three scents left. The candles are made with organic soy wax and hand poured, by me, out of my kitchen.

These make amazing gifts for those on your list that have everything 🙂 Thanks so much for your support!

Other Christmas Posts to Enjoy

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Shop Red and Green Christmas Decor on Amazon