Views From Christmas Past

ByChelsea @ Making Manzanita Updated on Design, Holidays, Home Inspiration

Take a trip down memory lane with my views of Christmas past! See how I’ve decorated our home over the years—reusing decor in fresh new ways.

The other day, I realized that I’ve never had a central place here on our website to share our finished Christmas decorations each year. Many times, I’m sharing step-by-step tutorials for the DIY projects we make each year, but I never get around to sharing all the pictures after I’m done decorating for the holidays! Probably because I’m so busy during the season – mostly baking Christmas cookies and watching “The Holiday”…but hey, busy is busy.

So I decided to round EVERYTHING up so you can see how I’ve decorated our home for all the “Christmas past”. Below you’ll find various photos from 2019 to the present!

Collage of Christmas home decor styled in different ways in the same home with the years labeled on each photo with text overlay that says Views of Christmas Past

Every year, I love sharing new Christmas home decor ideas—but most of the time, they come from the same boxes of decorations I’ve had for years. I try to move things around a little bit every year. I don’t invest in new decorations every year, but add a new item or two when needed. I also love making DIY decor, so you’ll see new items appear that I’ve made that get used again and again.

Because of that, many of the items I use in my decor are no longer available to be purchased, but I’ve done my best to find similar items and link those so you can shop if you’re looking for something to add to your Christmas decor.

If you’re looking for simple Christmas home decor ideas that don’t require starting from scratch, you’re in the right place. Let’s take a walk through each year’s look and see how my Christmas home decor ideas have changed over time. Enjoy!

This Christmas home decor ideas article contains affiliate links, but nothing that I wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend anyway! Read my full disclosure here.

Christmas 2019

A photo of a Christmas tree capturing nostalgic Views from Christmas Past.

This was the first year that I FINALLY invested in a faux Christmas tree so that I could start decorating a little earlier. Before this, we were always purchasing real trees.

Another photo of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree glowing with festive lights and ornaments.

These shelves are definitely my favorite place to decorate for the holidays. They always hold our Christmas stockings, but the actual decor on the shelves changes every year – as you’ll see as you scroll forward through the years.

A close-up photo of shelves decorated for Christmas with festive ornaments, greenery, and hanging holiday socks.
A photo of DIY christmas village.

This white Christmas village is another one of my favorite items to get out year after year. It always moves around to a new spot in our home.

A photo of a Christmas tree surrounded by snow-themed décor, featuring frosted ornaments, white lights, and a cozy winter ambiance
A photo of a shelf decorated with elegant gold Christmas décor.
Christmas décor featuring small pine trees and a festive decorative board.

Christmas DIY Projects and Articles of 2019

Christmas 2020

Ahhhhh…2020. The year when we were all craving simplicity in chaotic times.

A Christmas tree adorned with snow-inspired décor, featuring frosted branches, white ornaments, and a cozy winter theme.
A photo of Christmas décor on shelves featuring a framed picture, a small Christmas tree, and festive seasonal accents for a cozy holiday display
A photo of four Christmas socks hanging as décor on the shelves

Things were fairly consistent with the previous year, but I added more garland here and there and a few more Christmas signs to the mix.

A photo of four Christmas socks hanging as décor on the shelves, surrounded by festive ornaments and holiday accents for a warm, cheerful display.
A close-up photo of a small white house and a tiny Christmas tree used as holiday décor on a shelf, surrounded by festive greenery and cozy seasonal accents.
A cozy frame hanging above the sofa in the living room, adding warmth and a stylish touch to the space.
A Christmas décor setup in the living room featuring a small tree and stacked books, creating a festive and stylish holiday display.
A Christmas décor featuring a snowy tree, creating a festive and wintery holiday ambiance.

Christmas DIY Projects and Articles of 2020

Christmas 2021

As I looked back through the years, I realized my favorite Christmas home decor ideas always came from reusing what I already had in creative ways. See if you can spot the same items year after year as you continue to scroll through these ideas.

A photo of a living room showcasing a cozy and inviting space with stylish furniture and décor.

There was, obviously, a huge change between these years with the renovation of our living room. With the darker paint color, the Christmas decorations seem to pop a little more than they did before – don’t you think?

A photo of a cute Christmas décor on a table, featuring white festive accents, ornaments, and seasonal decorations for a cozy holiday look.
A close-up photo of a cute Christmas décor on a table, featuring white ornaments, festive accents, and cozy seasonal details.
A small snowy Christmas tree decorated and placed on a center table alongside a book, creating a cozy and festive holiday display.
A photo of a sofa showcasing a comfortable and stylish seating area, perfect for a cozy living room setup.
A photo of a table featuring a stylish lamp and a decorative plant, creating a cozy and inviting tabletop arrangement.
A photo of a sofa in the living room with a side table and center table decorated with plants, creating a fresh and cozy home atmosphere.
A small snowy Christmas tree placed near a sofa, creating a cozy and festive corner in the living room.
The Christmas village decor on the shelves.
A close up photo of The Christmas village decor on the shelves

Our Christmas village found a new home on these shelves and it was such a fun place to decorate!

A photo of a snowy Christmas tree beautifully decorated with ornaments and festive lights.
A photo of a snowy Christmas tree beautifully decorated with ornaments and festive lights, alongside shelves styled with Christmas décor.
A photo of shelves decorated with four Christmas socks, festive ornaments, and cozy holiday accents.
A close-up photo of shelves decorated with four Christmas socks, festive ornaments, and warm holiday details.
A photo of three painted frames on a table with a wooden bowl filled with pinecones, creating a cozy and rustic holiday display.

I also moved out of just decorating the living room and added some simple touches to our hallway cabinet, kitchen, and bathrooms.

A photo of a Christmas tree adorned with ornaments and a decorative basket hanging on the wall, creating a festive and cozy holiday setup.
A photo of a hanging cabinet decorated with a festive ribbon, adding a simple and elegant Christmas touch.
A photo of a chandelier decorated with Christmas décor, featuring festive greenery and ornaments for a warm holiday touch.

Christmas DIY Projects of 2021

Christmas 2022

My approach to Christmas home decor ideas is pretty simple—mix up placement, layer in texture, and add a few cozy touches to make old decor feel new.

A photo of Christmas décor in the living room, featuring festive accents, a cozy tree, and warm holiday details that create a cheerful atmosphere.

This year we had so much fun making the living room extra cozy with the paper bag snowflakes and cotton ball garland! It really added so much character to the space.

A photo of a snowy Christmas tree and shelves decorated with festive Christmas décor, creating a cozy and cheerful holiday atmosphere.
A close-up photo of shelves decorated with festive Christmas décor,

I leaned a bit more into the neutrals this year, swapping out our stockings with these cream colored knit ones and made our own yarn-wrapped stocking tags to tell whose is whose.

Another photo of Christmas décor in the living room, featuring a beautifully decorated tree, warm lights, and festive accents that create a cozy holiday vibe.
A photo of Christmas décor in the living room from another angle, highlighting the tree, festive accents, and cozy holiday setup.
A close-up photo of DIY paper decorations crafted for Christmas décor, showcasing festive details and creative holiday designs.
A photo of DIY paper decorations in the living room, styled as part of the festive Christmas décor.
A photo of a DIY Advent card hanging, adding a festive and creative touch to Christmas décor.

We add these Advent scripture cards, which are now one of our most cherished Christmas traditions! The kids love flipping a card over every day as we count down towards Christmas.

A photo of a DIY Advent card hanging, featuring a festive design and adding a creative holiday touch to Christmas décor.
A photo of a DIY gnome displayed alongside stacked books, creating a festive and cozy holiday décor arrangement.
A photo of fireplace.
A photo of cinnamon stored inside Christmas balls hanging on the tree
A photo of cinnamon stored in a jar, ready for use in holiday festive décor.

Christmas DIY Projects of 2022

Christmas 2023

This year, we added festive decorations to our laundry room, moving our Christmas village out here on the pipe shelves.

A photo of a Christmas village displayed on shelves, featuring miniature houses, trees, and festive holiday details.
A photo of a Christmas village on shelves from a different angle, showcasing the miniature houses, trees, and festive holiday details.

We also created these adorable gingerbread houses and decked out the piano, which was in the laundry room at this time.

A photo of gingerbread houses displayed above the piano.
A photo of gingerbread houses above the piano from a different angle, highlighting the festive details and cozy holiday display.

Somehow I didn’t get a picture of the finished decorated living room this year (face palm), but this is the closest thing I have saved. You can see the new Christmas tree – sans flocking and the shelves in the process of being decorated. The faux tree started shedding the flocking after several years and it was driving me crazy.

If I remember correctly, the shelves were decorated almost exactly the same as 2023, with the addition of the new nativity scene that we added.

A photo of a woman decorating her shelves, with a Christmas tree placed on the side for a cozy holiday display.
A photo of a DIY nativity scene featuring handcrafted figures, creating a festive and meaningful Christmas display.

Bedroom Decorated for Christmas

We also brought the Christmas spirit into our master bedroom this year…and I’ve never looked back. It is now one of my favorite places to decorate.

A photo of a headboard styled with Christmas décor, featuring festive accents, greenery, and cozy holiday touches.
A photo of a bedroom headboard decorated for Christmas, with festive accents and a Christmas tree adding a cozy holiday touch.
A photo of a Christmas tree placed in a bedroom
A photo showcasing creative DIY ornaments for a charming holiday tree.
A close-up of DIY Christmas ornaments crafted for festive décor.
A photo of unique, handcrafted ornaments made for Christmas celebrations.
A festive display of DIY Christmas ornaments, perfect for holiday decorating.
A close-up photo of a headboard decorated for Christmas.
A festive headboard display with Christmas-themed décor.

Christmas DIY Projects & Articles of 2023

Christmas 2024

White holiday socks displayed on shelves, surrounded by Christmas decorations for a charming seasonal setup.
A photo of a DIY Advent calendar, creatively crafted with festive details to count down the days until Christmas.
A close-up of a DIY Advent calendar, filled with small treats or notes, adding charm to Christmas décor.

Christmas Decorations in the Dining Room

This year, I had the most fun adding decorations to our dining room because it was brand new to me. We finished up the space right before the holidays!

A photo of Christmas décor with a dog lounging on the couch, adding a cozy and festive touch to the living room.
A photo of a center table styled with décor, showcasing a cozy and visually appealing arrangement.
A photo of a mini-figure style, featuring small, detailed holiday accents for a charming festive display.
Detailed view of a Christmas mini-figure village décor with charming holiday accents.

Our Christmas village found yet another home. I told you that I love moving things around every year!

A photo of a kitchen decorated with DIY gnomes.
A close-up photo of a kitchen decorated with DIY gnomes, showcasing their festive details.

I swapped in several Christmas decorations onto our wall of built-in cabinets in our dining room, which was fun.

A cozy Christmas décor setup with a dog resting on the couch, surrounded by festive holiday accents.

There you have it! Did you even know that there were that many different ways to style basically the same Christmas decorations year after year?!

Hopefully, these Christmas home decor ideas inspire you to shop your own home and create something special without buying all new decor. You don’t need to buy everything new every year – just simply swapping out the locations of everything and changing out small things, like ribbon color and throw pillows, can make things feel new and fresh!

Which look was your favorite year of these views from Christmas past?

Chelsea @ Making Manzanita

Chelsea is the founder of Making Manzanita - a DIY and renovation blog - where it's all about making your house a home you love one DIY at a time. Chelsea and her husband, Logan, have been renovating homes since 2015 and have seen the sweat equity pay off. They enjoy teaching readers how to renovate with confidence. As an influencer, Chelsea has collaborated with brands like The Home Depot, Etsy, Behr Paint, DAP Products, Walmart, Frog-Tape, and Kreg Tools. Making Manzanita has participated in One Room Challenge and was a finalist in the Fall 2019 Jeffrey Court Renovation Challenge.

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