With six months exactly until the Big Day, we thought we’d give you a sneak peek into the top Trends for Christmas 2021.  These are the colours and styles you can expect to see across the country this December. 

Trends for Christmas 2021 Cover Picture - selection of key trends

We’ve spent hours attending workshops and speaking with those in the know to gather together these 12 themes to freshen up your festive collection for 2021. 

Whether it’s a pop of pastel, upcycling your grandparents’ ornament collection or DIYing a fabulous dried grass Christmas wreath, there’s sure to be something to catch your festive eye.

Looking for more décor inspiration to enjoy?  Click here to discover more creative ideas.

Our top tip for Christmas 2021? Get ready early! 

Up and down the country, retailers are reporting concerns of supply shortages due to interruptions in production and shipping following events of the last two years. 

So start that festive fund, decide what pieces you’d like to add to your collection this year. 

And when you spot them, don’t wait, get shopping.

Remembering Our Childhood Christmas

1. Nostalgia & Tradition

Red and green are back!  All the uncertainties of the last two years have made us more nostalgic than ever for the festive traditions and Christmas colours we remember from our childhood.

Red & green decorations - one of the key trends for Christmas 2021

Time to hunt out your gold decorations too!  Pair with dark tones – midnight blue, black & grey – for timeless elegance or mix with cream and white for a warm modern twist.

One of the trends for Christmas 2021 - selection of gold, white and cream Christmas decorations and blankets

It’s not just the colours that are making us sentimental.  We’re all about retro this year!

Plaid and gingham patterns are very much in style.

And retro wooden and metal signs are still on point too.

Retro red Christmas sign saying "Believe In The Magic of Christmas"

If you didn’t get around to seeking out a vintage drinks trolley last year, don’t worry there’s still time – perfect for your Christmas tipples.

And remember those glass indented ornaments on your Gran’s tree?  They’re making a comeback as well.  So get up in the loft and dust off those old decoration boxes.

Selection of vintage indented glass baubles

Eco Conscious Celebrations

2. Natural Materials

Is your Christmas décor ready to earn its sustainability award? 

With ever greater awareness of our eco footprint, we’re being encouraged to buy less and buy thoughtfully.  Time to grow your heirloom Christmas collection and invest in reusable festive items for the future. 

4 rustic wooden ornaments hanging from twine

Designers are opting for more natural materials like wood, glass, stone & jute in their creations.  And there’s been a huge increase in the range of refillable Christmas products available – such as crackers and advent calendars that can be enjoyed for years to come.

Hide & Seek Textiles Fabric Advent Calendar

Christmas Rag Wreath

Turn your rags into riches with our gorgeous Christmas Rag Wreath Tutorial.

They’re Back!

3. Gonks

A selection of gonks in grey and beige

They’re back and more popular than ever.  Expect to see these mythical creatures spreading their Scandi-style cheer everywhere this year.

Woodland characters, real and imaginary, continue to be popular choices for Christmas 2021 but gonks are firmly centre stage.

9 Gonk-Tastic Decorations You Need This Year!

The best gonk finds for Christmas 2021!

Spread The Word!

Like what you’ve seen? Be sure to share with your friends.

Let’s sprinkle Christmas cheer far and wide!

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Sweet treats abound

4. Candy Themes

This playful theme has made quite the resurgence with those iconic red and white stripes set to be another of the key trends for Christmas 2021. 

Lots of candy cane patterned baubles

But it’s not just candy canes that will be satisfying our sweet tooth. 

Hot chocolate stations, gingerbread houses and home-baked cookies will be gracing more than just your kitchen this year as they spread their Christmas cheer across all festive décor.

Hot Chocolate Station with selection of sweets, toppings, mugs and hot chocolate dipping sticks

Candy Cane Pom Pom Wreaths!

Add a pop of festive cheer to your décor with this simple fun and colourful wreath!

Not Just Holly & Ivy!

5. Wreaths

With front doors as close as guests could visit in 2020, it’s no wonder wreath popularity reached new levels. 

Wreath made from dried Hydrangeas on a teal door

Use your newfound lockdown hobby to fashion a wreath out of anything – rags, pompoms, dried flowers and grasses, you name it! 

Why not grab items destinated for the recycle bin and see if you can make them into something fabulous as wreath trends extend far beyond the traditional holly and ivy.

Giving Christmas A Softer Makeover

6. Pastel Shades

Family-friendly, fun and cosy, why not add a splash of pastel to your celebrations this year?

Selection of pastel colours Christmas decorations including mini trees and reindeer

Not traditionally a colour palette we associate with the festive season, pastel tones are set to be another of the big trends for Christmas 2021. 

 Expect to see classic Christmas icons receive a softer makeover, and trees adorned with baubles of pale pink, green and turquoise. 

These gentle shades pair perfectly with pom-poms, feathers and snuggly blankets – what could be better?! 

Wreath made of pastel peach coloured baubles

More Like This?

Looking for other Christmas decoration ideas?  Check out our inspiration, trends, finds and tips, ready to help you turn your home into a Winter Wonderland!

Bright Lights For Dark Nights

7. LED Lighting

No longer do you have to limit your Christmas light displays to just one hour a day or risk bankruptcy and major fire hazards! 

Pair of LED Christmas trees behind an LED reindeer in a garden

With festive characters brought to life in LED designs for use both inside and out, there are countless ways to add extra cheer to your festivities and help spread the Christmas spirit in your local community.

LED Christmas Tree Light on a Christmas Tree with Soft Teddy tucked in behind

But a word of warning: Get shopping early.  Last year many companies reported unprecedented sales of home-use Christmas lights and stocks ran very low.  Expect this theme to continue for 2021 so get in quick! 

Front Door Décor!

Learn the golden rule to decorating your front door this Christmas.

Chestnuts Roasting By An Open Fire

8. Outdoor Celebrations

Young boy prodding firepit with a stick

Speaking of Christmas celebrations outside, was your household one of the thousands to have a garden facelift or buy a firepit during lockdown? 

We’ve all spent two years adapting to socialising outside, whatever the weather or time of year.  Surely Christmas is the perfect excuse to show off your new outdoor haven?

Group of people toasting marshmallows around a firepit

Snuggle up on soft blankets around the fire, sip mulled wine, toast marshmallows and harness your inner Bing Crosby with a heart-warming round of Christmas carols!

Christmas Chocolate S'mores

Does life get any more delicious?!  Bring the outside in this Christmas and use up leftover chocolates with our deliciously easy s’mores.

The Possibilities Are Endless!

9. Paper Stars (& More)

Ticking the sustainable box, available to suit every colour palette and style and easy to create at home, it’s no wonder that paper decorations are on the rise in popularity. 

Paper Stars are one of the trends for Christmas 2021

Add oversized elegant stars to your tree, create a colourful garland with the kids, or scatter honeycomb balls down your festive table.

The possibilities are endless!

Honeycomb ball decorations

Create Your Own Happy

10. Bright Colours

Add a burst of vibrant colour to your festivities for 2021 and celebrate the artistic flair we’ve all been missing these past two years. 

Selection of brightly coloured baubles in a bowl

Create your own happy with bright pinks, purples, lime green and turquoise. 

Why not go the whole hog and add a glitter ball for an instant kitchen disco? 

Trio of glitter balls

And brighten up your Christmas tree with some fabulously quirky ornaments – the more ridiculous the better! 

We’ve had enough doom and gloom for a lifetime – time to let our hair down and have some festive fun.

Unusual Christmas Ornaments - from The Queen to Christmas Sandwich and Yoga Mat

Furoshiki-style

11. Innovative Wrapping

Pair of Furoshiki-wrapped gifts with a hessian bag

Do you know how to wrap furoshiki-style?  Japanese culture has long maintained that gift wrap should be reusable, or even better, part of the gift itself.  

Selection of natural wrapping materials and wrapped gift

With eco-conscience forefront in mind, there’s no time like the present (boom boom) to start thinking more creatively about how you wrap your gifts.  Get inspired with our suggestions here.

Alternatives To Wrapping Paper

Check out our simple alternative eco-conscious ways to wrap your gifts this year!

You’ve Heard Of Fomo …

12. JOMO

Sometimes you just need a little moment for yourself.  With so much pressure to not miss out, sometimes the pleasure comes from consciously doing nothing. 

Enter the emerging trend of JOMO – joy of missing out.

Woman relaxing at Christmas time with book, wine & candles

Take the time to read that book by the fire on a Sunday afternoon, run yourself that bath with the fancy bubbles and candle you’ve been saving, write that card to an old friend you keep promising you’ll contact.

Remember you deserve to be looked after too – in fact, we insist on it!

Lime green candle in dish with loafer and towels out of focus in background

Which of the trends for Christmas 2021 will you be embracing?  Share your favourite ideas in the comments below.

Share Your Creations!

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @jollyfestive.

And be sure to tag #jollyfestive in your photos.  We love to see which Christmas activities you’ve been enjoying!

More Décor Inspiration