Beautiful and Simple European Country Christmas Ideas | Living Room Tour

Today I’m going to share how we found the perfect blend of nostalgia and modern with cozy and charming European country Christmas ideas for the living room.

You can watch the video of my European Country Christmas Ideas over on YouTube

Before we begin…

Decorating for Christmas has ALWAYS been something that I loved.

I’m one of those who wants to skip right over Halloween and start right into the Christmas season.

But this year Christmas feels much different than it ever has.

If you watched the YouTube video or received my email, then you know that we are navigating life without my husband’s mom this year.

I’ve started this post a couple of different times without sharing it, and each time, nothing I typed felt right.

I want to share all the lovely things about Christmas, but I noticed that I didn’t have the pep in my step like I typically do.

So as you read all the ideas for Christmas decor and see how we decorated the living room with European country Christmas style if you notice I don’t sound quite right be patient with me.

I know that we are going to get through this and come out on the other side of it.

We aren’t the first family to experience loss.

But it’s going to take some time and a lot of Jesus.

How to decorate a living room at Christmas time?

Each room comes with unique features that allow for different variations for European country Christmas ideas.

Our kitchen has shelves and counter space to add European country Christmas ideas to.

Speaking of which, next week I’ll be sharing our kitchen decorated for Christmas and ITS ALMOST FINISHED BEING UPDATED!!

I can’t wait to share next week’s post and video with you!

If you missed it I shared a post about the kitchens that inspired me for this update and then a few weeks ago I shared a phase 1 of our kitchen update.

You can read those while you wait to see what it looks like now in next week’s post.

Our dining room has a hutch and the beadboard and picture rail that I get to decorate.

But the living room has a bookcase, a faux fireplace mantel, gallery wall, and space for a large Christmas tree.

Large Christmas Tree

Some of my favorite ways to decorate a living room for Christmas are with a floor to ceiling tree.

This year we decided to put the fake tree in the living room because we were afraid that real tree would be too big.

BUT, we brought home the real tree, and it will fit!

So next year we’re going to add a real tree to our living room instead of this faux tree.

Mantel Garland

My next favorite addition to the living room for Christmas is a garland on the mantel.

This living room did not have a fireplace mantel.

I added a faux fireplace mantel, so we have a place to hang out stockings.

It is not a necessity, but it is something that I loved about our old house, so I wanted to make sure I brought it along when we came to this new house.

Gallery Wall with Greenery Swags and Ribbon

A gallery wall is something that can go in a couple different rooms.

But the living room is probably one of the most common places to find one.

So, if you have a gallery wall, add some simple European country Christmas touches, and it turns a beautiful everyday focal point into a beautiful Christmas focal point.

I like to do this with evergreen and bows, but I’ve seen people do it with french horns, twinkle lights, garland, and wreaths.

The options for turning a gallery wall into a Christmas theme are truly endless.

And a gallery wall lends itself to have the European cottage feelings that I love so much.

How to decorate for a European country Christmas?

When I think of a country Christmas, I think of Little House on the Prairie or Little Women.

Something very simple and natural.

Nothing flashy, but in its own way, it’s impactful.

Honestly, when I think of my job as a mother during the holiday season, I realize this is the feeling I want my girls to remember from their childhood.

Simple and calm yet inspiring and sentimental.

So these are some of the ideas I have used to try to turn a physical environment into a feeling for my family.

European Country Christmas Ideas for this year

Natural Elements for European Country Christmas Ideas

This is something I like to do regardless of the season.

But for the Christmas season some of my favorite items to mix in are:

• evergreen stems (wreaths and garland)
• pinecones
• berries
• bare sticks

Bringing nature inside has an impact on more than just the aesthetic.

After moving to this property and spending more and more time outside I’ve learned that there is a tangible feeling of peace and calm that comes with spending time in nature.

So in the winter months especially, when going outside isn’t something we do as frequently, I want to try to bring that inside.

Now, that being said, with everything that has been going over here I didn’t actually go outside and clip anything real and bring it in for this post and video.

But that doesn’t mean that I won’t be going out before the winter is over.

Seasonal Artwork for European Country Christmas Ideas

I would never tell anyone to take down artwork because it wasn’t seasonal.

There are plenty of ways to make non-Christmas artwork feel Christmas-y.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t grab a couple of pieces of artwork that are seasonal.

I love these vintage Santa pieces that I have.

I picked them up from one of my favorite vintage venders in my area.

In addition to these Santas, I also have a drawing of a winter bridge from my grandma, a print of a farm in the winter, and a canvas piece I found at a garage sale. (I’ll share these next week in the kitchen and dining room).

A seasonal piece of artwork is simple, which is part of why I like them so much.

Ribbon for European Country Christmas decor

Ribbon is perfect for Christmas.

It flows seamlessly with garland, wreaths, as ornaments, on picture frames and mirrors, or tied in a bow on wall scones.

I had every intention of making more for this year, except instead of a dark red dye, I planned on using a brown dye.

I bought all the supplies and was ready to go.

But life happened.

So this will be a winter project I take on for 2025.

January and February are my favorite for calm and slow projects.

Life is slower during these months, so we’re about to accomplish things with less anxiety and pressure.

Bells for European Country Christmas Ideas

There is no way to do bells wrong at Christmas time.

I have small bells, medium bells, and large bells.

I turned my small jingle bells into a garland and added them to my small Christmas tree a couple of years ago.

Then I took some of them and turned them into a cluster of bells for an ornament.

The medium bells were from a wind chime I found at TJMaxx a few years ago.

You can buy these bells online, but the wind chime was cheaper!

I turned some of them into ornaments and the rest I turned into a couple hanging bell clusters.

For larger bells I think they look nice laying on a coffee table stack of books.

Simple.

But it still speaks to the European cottage Christmas decor style.

Advent Candle Holder for European Country Christmas Ideas

This is my first time ever decorating with an advent candle holder.

I’ve wanted to for many years, but I am cheap and hadn’t found one within my budget.

A couple of months ago, I was at Goodwill and found this super cheap.

So I grabbed it and held on to it, waiting for Christmas time to arrive.

Now that I have it, I will say that I’m not disappointed in the slightest.

Christmas Village for European Country Christmas Ideas

I wasn’t sure when the Christmas village became popular.

So I googled it.

Apparently, it was in the 16th century when the Christmas village decor originated.

Crazy, to think about how long some of these traditional decorations have been around and impacting generation after generation.

Growing up my grandma and mom had Christmas villages that they decorated with.

I remember my mom had a little pond with a child ice skating in her Christmas village.

I used to play with the little people in that village.

With that in mind, I thought it would be neat to put our Christmas village on the floor in front of the fireplace mantel for the girls.

They have little magnetic dolls that they play with in the living room.

I wondered if the girls would grab those dolls and use the village houses and church while playing.

Maybe my girls will reach 35 years old and think about the Christmas village they used to play with at Mom’s house.

Wouldn’t that be cool?

Candle Wall Sconces

I love candle wall sconces all year long.

But add a bow and some greenery and they are the epitome of European cottage Christmas.

At least in my thinking of an old-world Christmas.

My sister-in-law got me these battery operated candles a couple Christmases ago and I love them so much.

Before these I was kinda a snooty brat about “real” candles.

But by having that mentality, I limited the ambiance that I could add to a space.

The difference between an un-lite real candle and a glowing battery-operated candle is real.

Now I’m asking for more of these candles for Christmas because I love them so much haha!

French Horn

French horns are also a great way to add some old-world charm to your Christmas decor.

They are simple and speak to the Christmas season.

I only have one large French horn, but I’ve seen people display a collection of French horns similar to the gallery wall and that is beautiful too.

Darker/Cozier Vases

Darker vases are an easy swap for changing from the light and airy Spring and Summer months, to calm and cozy winter months.

Some of my favorites are crocks or baskets.

Although, I think a basket is something that can transcend all the seasons.

It’s a piece that you can set and forget because it’s timeless in that it is a great addition all year long.

Some of my favorite vases are crocks, and I have them in a variety of colors.

I also have a few vases that I’ve thrifted and painted black that I often use on my coffee table during the Fall and Winter.

Oil Lamp

I saved the best for last in this list.

This is a piece that my husband and I bought early on in our marriage.

We went to Amish Country for a vacation and while we were there we picked this up.

Honestly, I don’t know why we did it.

If I were to do it all over again, though, I’d get a different-looking oil lamp, but what’s nice about this is that it’s fairly neutral.

But the best part about this is that when we light it, the room is illuminated with beautiful flickering light.

New Family Rhythms

When we moved here last year we were encouraged by the idea of eating dinner by candle light.

That turned into turning off all the lights, and getting ready for bed and doing a calm family read-a-loud time by candle light as well.

At first, it seemed like maybe the girls would get sick of having to do everything for getting ready for bed in the dim light.

But they loved it all winter long.

Not to mention is was a wonderful way to get them calm and ready for falling asleep.

Which is why we’re excited to start this back up with year!

Thank you so much for stopping by.

I appreciate you all so much.

All your sweet comments and messages mean more to me that you realize.

European Country Christmas Ideas from Christmas Pasts

Christmas in the Kitchen

Vintage Inspired Christmas Ornaments

Thrifty Christmas Decor Ideas

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Have a great week! XoXo

Open Your Doors,
Aliya

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