Every year, around the end of October I start to see the first signs that the holidays are approaching. I am sure you are beginning to see them also – like seeing Hobby Lobby and HomeGoods filled with holiday decor and television ads for Christmas gifts from Walmart and other retailers.
Or when I see signs hanging from the light poles in my town with the date of an upcoming annual holiday event. When I see the stores filled with holiday items and these signs, I begin to get a hankering to go in search of Christmas decorating inspiration. How about you?
I used to like to go to Barnes & Noble to browse the newest Christmas decorating books, but not many are published anymore – hardly any. Most come in a magazine format nowadays. I enjoy the magazines, but I still love to get my hands on an actual Christmas decorating book to find ideas and inspiration. Sometimes, the older the book, the better for finding new-to-me ideas.
I like to schedule an afternoon to make the time for reading my favorite Christmas decor and craft books or bringing home new ones that I haven’t read. It is a day I look forward to. This year I brought out a few of my long time favorites, some I have owned for years. The rest I requested from my local library.
If you watched Carrie Mader’s interview with me a week ago, I mentioned how I call the days that I am out and about looking for decorating inspiration in books my Bookstore Days or Library Days.
14 Years of Christmas Decorating Ideas
Before I share my favorite Christmas decor books with you, I have to remind myself that I can find inspiration right here on my blog. I have so much holiday content – 14 years of Christmas decorating projects and ideas to browse through.
This time of year I go through all of them and always come up with a new way to do something I did in the past. I created a page here on my blog where you can find all of my Christmas projects and ideas in one place.
This Christmas page is better viewed on a desktop or laptop computer versus a phone where you would have a long scroll to find over 100 Christmas ideas. Here is where you can access this Christmas content: DIY Christmas Decorations: 99+ Creative Ideas.
My Favorite Christmas Decorating Books
Both of these books can become actual Christmas decor as their colorful covers look festive all by themselves when stacked or simply placed on a coffee table.
Christmas At Home
Country Living Christmas At Home is my favorite Christmas decorating book.
It has become my go-to resource every year with more than 200 festive decorating ideas, recipes, crafts, and tips. With each passing year, I always seem to find new ideas just by browsing through the clean-lined format with vivid photos showing festive table settings, colorful trees, pretty wreaths and even no sew projects along with yummy treats from the kitchen.
Christmas Joys
Christmas Joys: Decorating, Crafts & Recipes covers everything from Christmas dinner ideas and baked treats to home decor and crafts.
The book is more of an inspirational book with fewer tutorials than Christmas At Home has. You will find decorating ideas for every room in the house, advent calendars, and of course ideas for trimming a Christmas tree.
Christmas From the Heart of the Home
Christmas From the Heart of the Home by Susan Branch is a classic in my mind. It was published in 1990. It has made it through many of my book purges over the years when I needed to declutter the house.
Reading through the decorating and recipes ideas all beautifully handwritten and illustrated by Susan always puts me in the Christmas spirit.
The cozy New England holiday traditions she shares always reinforce all the reasons I like to make my house feel special at Christmas.
Christmas Joy
This little Christmas Joy book is just as inspiring as Christmas From the Heart of the Home, but in a mini size. It has some of the same artwork and projects. It is more of a keepsake or gift book for someone who loves all things Christmas.
More Favorite Christmas Decorating Books
When it comes to decorating my house for Christmas I always like the old-fashioned and vintage style of decor with sparkly glitter that reminds me of when I was a kid and the Christmas season was magical.
Christmas With Southern Living
Christmas with Southern Living is the newest book on my list. It came out in September. I haven’t gotten a copy of it yet, but it is ordered.
When I first met my husband Ed, he had a full collection of all Southern Living books that his mother gave him. We continued to get them for many years. We no longer get them, but I do look forward to getting this Christmas book that comes out with a new edition every year.
A Very Vintage Christmas
A Very Vintage Christmas by designer Bob Richter is filled with many traditionally vintage ideas for ornaments, decor, and projects that will give your home that old-fashioned Christmas feeling with lots of sparkle and glitter.
Each chapter covers a specific Christmas decor category. He also shares tips for finding the best vintage Christmas items at flea markets, yard sales, and online.
Christmas In the Cottage
Christmas In the Cottage is from the editors of The Cottage Journal magazine.
It’s filled with with 400 beautiful photographs across 220 pages, each filled with ideas for creating a beautiful home for the holidays. It was published in 2022.
Traditions of Christmas
Traditions of Christmas is from the editors of Victoria magazine. It was published this past summer. It is filled with pages of seasonal inspiration that include decor, entertaining, gift giving and recipes.
The featured homeowners open their doors wide, allowing glimpses into grand old residences where holiday traditions of the past meet new ones in the making and treasured collections find pride of place amid the holly and the ivy.
Merry & Bright
Merry & Bright is another book I like from the editors of Country Living. You will find a bit of everything among the 301 ideas in the book that range from repurposing ideas to classic Christmas decor and even a few holiday recipes.
Every project is fast and easy, many you can even do in minutes.
The Farm Chicks Christmas
The Farm Chicks Christmas by Serena Thompson shows us how to spread the magic of the season, with ideas for entertaining, decorating, tree trimming, charming crafts, and 17 recipes for holiday sweets-plus tips for wrapping food and gifts.
Serena weaves delightful stories of her family and friends throughout the book, calling forth nostalgic smiles that remind us of the importance of Christmas traditions.
Vintage Christmas Cut & Create Paper Books
I may have an extra need to be very crafty this Christmas. I think these books that are filled with vintage or nostalgic images to cut out will come in very handy to make not only Christmas decorations, but table decor and more.
I am not 100% positive yet if I will need them, but I will keep you updated on the reason why soon. Here are 3 that I am interested in getting:
Do you have any Christmas decorating books that you like to bring out around this time each year to start getting excited for the holiday season? If, so what books are they? Please share them in the comments.
More Christmas Decorating Ideas
