10 Christmas Vignettes for Festive Decor

We all know that saying: “It’s the little things that count.” I think that thought definitely applies to home decor; during the holidays, it’s the little things that delight and “make our spirits bright.” I’ve created 10 Christmas vignettes around our home and I want to show them to you as inspiration..

I love creating little scenes, those gatherings of items that by themselves may not attract our attention, but brought together in a collection, they grab our attention.

Because you want your spirit bright, right?

You want to be delighted.

You want to smile.

Me too.

These 10 Christmas vignettes start at our front door, continue in the living room, the kitchen and breakfast room, and on into our bedroom and bathroom. I love our 4 Christmas trees, but these 10 Christmas vignettes create the whimsical and festive decor I want our home to have.

10 Christmas Vignettes for Festive Decor

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First, What is a Vignette?

I looked it up. At first, I didn’t’ find a definition that applied to home decor and what we think of as a vignette today. Originally, a vignette was “a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or character and gives a trenchant impression about that character, an idea, setting, and/or object.” Is that more information than you needed?   That is the old style definition.

For definitions that apply to today’s home decor, I found a couple of better descriptions:

• A vignette is a small grouping of objects that creates a pleasing focal point and “tells a story”.
• A vignette is a small, pleasing picture formed by grouping several objects ~ think of it as a pocket-size table arrangement that tells a story about you and your home.

Why Do We Love Vignettes?

Why do we love to create vignettes in our homes?

• First, they are an affordable way to bring charm, character, and life to any space.
• Since vignettes are relatively small, you can create one in a limited space. You can shop your home, change out groupings for the seasons, holidays or just because you get bored and want to create a new focal point in your home. Add a new item to loved treasures, mix and match.

What Do you Need to Make a Vignette?

All you need to make a vignette is a flat surface: a dresser, table, bookshelf, countertop or window ledge. You can use accessories like vases, mirrors, plants, greenery, photos or other personal belongings to create a mood or a story. Vignettes can combine similar objects or mix up the items: a lamp, a plant, a figurine.

Some Vignette Tips

If you Google vignette, you will find a wealth of information. I read several articles online (after I created my Christmas vignettes) and was happy to know I wasn’t off the mark. The articles I read didn’t actually pertain to Christmas decor, but the basic guidelines apply.

• use color in your vignette to attract the eye
• display objects in odd numbers ~ you knew that one!
• vignettes can be symmetrical or asymmetrical
• vary the height of your objects (use boxes or pedestals to elevate objects or a variety of short, medium and tall)
• have a theme, like candles or photos or plants
• use a variety of textures
• create depth by having a front, middle, and back to your vignette
• use lamps or candles to bring light to your vignette

Not every vignette will have all of these elements, but they will help you get started. These tips should inspire you if you need a little encouragement to create your own Christmas vignette.

So here are my 10 Christmas vignettes.

Our Entry

I consider our entry commode with the mirror above as the backdrop for any vignette. For this year, I started with the magnolia wreath that I bought last year at Lowe’s. My theme is gold, so I painted some of the leaves with Gold Metallic ChalkArt from A Maker’s Studio. Then I added gold~tone battery operated lights on a timer.

Then I added a primarily gold bow and wove another strand of gold lights in the bow. Finally I hung it from a nail hidden at the top of the mirror. I used 2 more of the same bow on our staircase bannisters.

On the commode, I continued the gold theme with garage sale candlesticks I painted gold. I already had the gold candles. Below the mirror, I added a short piece of green garland and another strand of gold lights.

In front of the garland, I placed the long tray that I bought last year at Mary Cates and Co. Just last week I found several gold bottle brush trees at one of my favorite local antique malls. I bought the 3 tall ones and all 5 short ones in a vendor’s booth. I placed the 3 tall ones on the tray. I had a box of small gold, white, copper and silver balls and I placed all of them on the tray.

The tea lights on stems came from Dollar Tree. I gilded them with gold leaf from A Maker’s Studio. Using gold (or silver or copper) leaf adds an amazing decorative element to any surface. I ended up going back for several more for my Christmas tablescape.

On the side of the tray in front of the candlesticks, I placed 2 small Santas that are dressed in natural attire.

When the sun goes down and the lights come on, the magic begins.

Living Room

By the entry into our master bedroom, on the antique lady’s desk, bought in Jefferson, Texas, years ago, and painted white, I added a very small tree that usually sits on the coffee table. I moved it to give height to a little vignette of Santas and a sleigh ~ but just one tiny reindeer.

The snow is batting I keep for stuffing pillow forms. Pretty realistic, don’t you think?

It took 3 strands of light for that one little tree.

So pretty at night.

On the coffee table, I combined our Santa and reindeer with my favorite glass vase from Kirkland’s. Around the candle, I filled in with red and white Christmas balls. More white felt to contain the scene and lights.

Santa can sled through the night.

I have always hesitated to put red on our aqua sofa, but I decided to try it this year and I like it. I’m not sure if pillows on the sofa count as a vignette, but it fits the criteria:

• vibrant color (a red shawl from Joann ~ an impulse buy that paid off)
• 3 pillows ~ the white one is a purchase last year from Target that I embellished with large pom~poms; the red stripe one I made a few years ago; the “It’s the Most Wonderful Time” pillow is made from a dish towel.
• a cute little Christmas moose as a focal point ~ bought in Jackson, Wyoming several years ago.

Kitchen

One one side of the kitchen I created this Christmas vignette with several of our Christmas figures. I used a white square cake plate to ground and elevate 3 carrot~nosed snowmen and sprinkled red jingle bells around them. One tall snowman and one that lights up complete the Christmas vignette. We’ve had all these figures for years, but they feel new this year.

On the opposite side of the kitchen, I used my “vintage” cake stand to show off some Christmas goats and other figures. I found the goats and the little reindeer in the ornament section at Target when I was looking for more lights. The little Santa and eskimo were already in my Christmas box.

We have a table in the center of our kitchen (which is in transition mode right now). It gets the Christmas vignette treatment with a rectangle rustic tray (from Kirkland’s last year) and bows (ribbon from Ballard & Blakely) on the beaded handles. I love the plaid ribbon which matches the ribbon on our wreath on the stove hood, the mantle and front door. The Merry Christmas ribbon is new this year. I placed 3 red candles from Joann down the center of the tray.

I surrounded the candles with mini pine cones from Mary Cates and Co.  and a sprinkle of snow. At the last minute I wrapped a strand of lights around the candles.

I love to turn off the overhead lights after dinner and experience the wonder of little lights.

Breakfast Room

On the console table in front of our large breakfast room window, I created this little wonderland scene. Earlier this fall at the Pinners Conference, I bought 2 reindeer and a Christmas tree in raw wood from one of the woodworking vendors. I used Rescue Restore paint, ChalkArt, stencils from A Maker’s Studio, glitter and glue to decorate them. I’ll show you how I made them in a later post. I placed them on a white piece of felt. Under the felt I placed a strand of white lights. A sprinkling of snow helps to set the scene.

I gave the reindeer red glitter noses, white tails and jingle bell necklaces. On a quick trip back to the antique mall to buy more bottle brush trees, I spied this cute little Santa in a red jeep. He gives more pop of color and completes the Christmas vignette. It seems that red trucks and cars are really popular this year.

White snow, bright lights.

Bedroom Entry

As you walk from the living room into our master bedroom, we have a little alcove. A corner vintage piece from Sweet Shark’s grandmother always has a lamp and framed photos on it. For this Christmas vignette, I added a little garland and 3 sweet felt birds from Wisteria. And, of course, lights and a couple of silver votive candles.

Master Bedroom

Moving the narrow console table from our entry to our master bedroom last spring (my One Room Challenge makeover) gave us more display space in the bedroom for photos and books, but also grounded our Venice painting ~ it always looked forlorn by itself on the wall. It also gave us another place for a Christmas vignette.

I covered the top with a piece of white felt and grouped 5 white and gold Santas in varying heights and 3 yarn reindeer. (I think from Target last year.)

White and gold Christmas tree candles (don’t’ light them as I accidentally did with the gold ones) add to the vignette.

Finally, a strand of white lights and more snow. We’ve had these Santas for several years but they still look great.

I love how this looks at night.

We always have a tree in our master bedroom. After setting up and decorating the tree I wrapped a chenille throw around it which almost looks like snow.

My favorite part of this Christmas vignette are the crystal angels, Santas, polar bears, and Christmas trees that we have collected over the years. This Christmas vignette really sparkles at night.

Master Bathroom

By the side of our bathtub, I have a vintage table with a marble top, another antique mall find, that I bought about 3 weeks before we moved into our home. I knew it would be perfect for this space. I didn’t even have to paint it.

It normally has a crystal lamp that burns a tea candle, a bowl of soaps and lotion. I’ve never decorated it for Christmas. When I bought these sweet little bird nest place cards at Wisteria, I thought they would be perfect on the table ~ one in my flea market birdcage. I added the owl to watch over them.

I hope you love my Christmas vignettes as much as I do. They bring whimsy, charm, and interest to so many areas in our home for the holidays.

If you haven’t completed your Christmas decorations, then you might try collecting decorations you already have in your home to make your own Christmas vignettes. If you are done decorating, then Pin this post for future reference.

Merry Christmas!