15 Christmas wall decor ideas to add a festive flourish to every space

Dressing your home for the holidays is something the whole Ideal Home team gets excited for, and it's safe to say research into Christmas decor ideas starts way earlier than December.

But it's not just decorating the Christmas tree that gets us all in a festive flurry, it's all the areas of our homes, including Christmas wall decor ideas, that give us an opportunity to get creative and show off our style.

From beautiful baubles, to festive foliage, there are so many ways you can transform a blank wall into a space to showcase all your festive fanfare. 

Christmas wall decor ideas

Cocoon the room with festive decor by incorporating imaginative displays and captivating lights – call it a festive takeover for walls.

Make more of your vertical space by introducing decorations to walls. Whether it be garlands draped over picture frames or a waterfall of baubles hung from colourful ribbons, with a little imagination a creative Christmas idea can make a festive feature wall to suit. 

Read on to explore our creative Christmas wall decor ideas to inspire your seasonal decorating this year.

1. Embellish embroidery hoops with foliage

Provide a warm welcome for guests as they enter your home and opt for this Christmas hallway decorating idea. Swirling fern fronds around wooden embroidery hoops are a fanciful twist on the traditional wreath. Apply metallic paint in rose-gold and copper tones for a pearlescent, shimmering finish. Hang in the hallway from cotton and velvet ribbon for an elegant look.

Wrap fresh green foliage or fairy lights around glam metallic sprayed hoops for a more luxe look.

2. Traipse lights for a twinkling display

A great way to add some Christmas decor to you wall, is with a simple set of fairy lights. Choose a waterfall set, like these Waterfall hanging lights, £15.99, Amazon and attach along the top of a picture rail, panelling or just where the ceiling meets the wall. Use clear Command hooks so that they don't damage the paint work and let them fall to the floor.

Fairy lights like these are a great way to fill a blank wall and act as the perfect backdrop for a hallway and make a wonderful Christmas stair decor idea.

3. Add some festive foliage to your wall

Christmas greenery doesn't just have to be displayed in vases, but can be hung from the walls too. Make an oversized swag of eucalyptus, adding in some sprigs of berries for colour, then tie with a length of red ribbon. 

Hang the swags from picture rails or hooks for a truly festive feel and an alternative Christmas wreath idea.

4. Make a feature of your cards

Not only is this a great Christmas wall decor idea but a fab Christmas card display idea too.

Create a focal point and pin cards along ribbon strung vertically across a gold hoop. Choose a ribbon that will stand out against your wall colour, or go for gold to match the hoop

For a finishing flourish, top with some fresh foliage tied in place with florist's wire, then hang the whole display on the wall from a picture hook or nail. 

5. Put on old frame to good use

Weave foliage through an empty frame to create a decorative detail perfect for a guest bedroom wall. If you have the space, a trio of frames would look wonderful hanging over a bed or a living room mantelpiece, with lengths of ivy or eucalyptus draped over them.

Pick up old frames from charity shops or car boots, or scour the loft for frames that you're not currently using, to recreate this lovely Christmas bedroom decorating idea.

6. Say it with lights

Create a fabulous floral display to sit behind a neon sign with a festive message. Neon lights are an amazing style statement to make in your home and if you don't already have one, opt for that that can be displayed all year round, like this 'Joy' one that even outside of Christmas, still conveys a merry message. 

To create the floral display, either use a large piece of florists foam, or a ball of chicken wire and weave in stems and blooms until you have a display you love. Sit your light on top for a showstopping way to decorate with Christmas lights.

7. Drape decorations from framed pictures

The easiest way to make more of existing wall decor, such as framed pictures and faux taxidermy, is to drape them with festive decorations. The frames and antlers in this living room provide the perfect angles to welcome hanging paper decorations and a string of tinsel dressed with colourful baubles.

This Christmas living room decorating idea could be adapted for shelves, bookcases and wall mirrors. Basically if there's a frame, you can drape with festive accessories. Just be sure not to use heavy decorations, so they pose no threat of weighing items off the wall.

8. Create a waterfall of baubles on pretty ribbons

Baubles and ornaments are not just for the tree! The Christmas staples can add a splash of colour, glamour and sparkle to any wall when suspended on delicate lengths of ribbon. Hang them from the top of door frames and picture rails to provide a plinth to secure the ribbons without being seen.

If using this Christmas bauble display idea in a busy family household, with young children and pets, be sure to hang them up high – to avoid any temptation to pull them down. Use acrylic baubles to avoid any possibility of breakages.

9. Hang an alternative tree

Perfect for small living room ideas this Christmas wall decor idea is just the thing to add a tree without having to actually make room for a tree. Quirky wall hung tree designs are becoming a popular trend for those who want to avoid putting up a tree, you simply hang this alternative Wall hanging Christmas tree with lights, £15.99, Ginger Ray, on the wall, year in year out.

The structure is already dressed with LED lights and gives you a place to hang decorations, with the floorspace below providing the perfect spot to place present 'under the tree'. This minimalist approach is ideal for a minimalist household, and best of all it can be used in any room.

10. Replace a photo frame with a festive wreath

Swap out household staples, such as picture frames and mirrors, to hang festive decor on walls in hallways and living rooms. This simple idea allows for a changing of decor without too much effort, without any lasting impact on beautifully painted walls.

This simple light up wreath is enough to give this hallway a magical touch of festive charm. White poinsettias in rustic baskets below add another simple seasonal finishing touch.

11. Introduce illuminations

What better way to make a wow statement with walls than with neon lights? The trend for characterful neon lights and signs is a hot one right now, meaning a Christmas design is a winning idea for 2022. 

This year the collection at John Lewis & Partners has something for every decorating scheme, but we're loving their neon reindeer light, £45 and their cute neon Holly light, £35.  

12. Hang a branch to fill a wall with decorations

No space for a full-sized tree this year? Don’t let your prized baubles miss their moment, but instead make a budget-friendly wall display so they can still dazzle and delight.

Repurposed tree branches are the new must-have for stylist's looking to add impact to a dining or living room decor for a seasonal celebration. The sculptural shape adds instant interest when hung above a dining table or projecting from a wall, and gives a great space to display beautiful baubles. 

13. Adorn the walls with paper decorations

Ideal to fill a wall with festive cheer and seasonal celebration, paper decorations are a great choice. From paper pompoms to large fans, paper decorations fill a large area with ease – to make more of a bold statement.

Best of all you can make your own decorations, that can be used for years to come – you could even have a family day of crafting to make them!

Gold foil and white paper fans, £9 for a set of 6, Rockett St George are the perfect way to dress a wall ready for the new year celebrations.

14. Add a decorative hoop above a mantel

The wall above a fireplace is the perfect place to add a hearty wreath or on-trend hoop of foliage. Tying together a Christmas living room decorating idea, by coordinating colour and decorations with the tree.

Replace an over-mantel mirror with the seasonal decoration to change up the decor especially for Christmas. The hanging tool, be it nail or hook, will already be in place – so you're not damaging walls in order to hang decorations.

15. Create a wall of family photos

The simple Scandi-inspired alternative tree is a wall decoration. The hanging structure is familiar to the silhouette of a tree, to act in place of a real one. The beauty of this one is that it can be hung on the wall and offers a personalised element.

Try dressing it with photos of loved ones. Whether styled to perfection with polaroids or dressed with old snapshots of festive family fun from the photo albums, this is a great way to welcome all to Christmas in your home.

How do I decorate my walls for Christmas?

You can decorate walls for Christmas in a number of creative ways. Firstly there's the classic Christmas wall decor idea of hanging a seasonal wreath. Hanging a wreath in place of wall art is an easy solution, because the fixtures are already in place to dress the wall.

Baubles gently cascading down walls on lengths of colourful ribbon is a stylist's trick for filling a bare walls with interest and colour.

Wall stickers are a popular way of decorating walls for the festive season. Reusable designs allow for decoration to be added year after year in any room, without damaging the paint work.

Alternative wall-mounted hanging Christmas trees are another fabulous way to dress walls for the holidays. Great for small spaces this stylish alternative provides a place to hang lights and baubles, without having to make space for a tree.

How can I make my home look Christmassy?

There are lots of ways to make your home look Christmassy, aside from rigging up a full 6ft tree. Swapping out plain cushions for more festive alternatives is a quick and easy way to give living rooms and bedrooms a seasonal refresh, winding twinkling fairy lights around stair bannisters and even displaying and light festively fragrant candles, will all add up to a festive home.

There's no denying that baubles and decorations make the most festive of scenes, but they don't have to be hung from a tree. Hanging them from hooks, door knobs, drawer pulls or even chair backs brings their presence into your scheme and you don't have to spend loads on them either. 

We've got plenty of budget Christmas decorating ideas to inspire you, so you don't have to spend a fortune to ensure a happy home for the holidays.