Best Christmas & Holiday Home Decorating Books

The jolliest time of the year is also one of the biggest times for decorating. And if you’re short on ideas then why not look to books for inspiration?

These designer-focused books offer the cutest Christmas holiday decorating ideas. Whether you’re looking for cute Christmas cookies or festive wall decorations you’re bound to find some very merry books in this list.

Country Living Christmas Joys: Decorating, Crafts & Recipes

With over 280 pages of beautiful photos and decorating ideas this book is one of the best for spreading Christmas cheer.

Christmas Joys: Decorating, Crafts & Recipes covers everything from Christmas feasts to home decor ideas and ornaments.

You’ll find cool decorating ideas for stockings, kitchen designs, advent calendars, and of course your Christmas tree. Each chapter has tons of photos but not many how-to guides. This is mostly an inspiration book over anything else.

But the hardcover design is beautiful and this can be a luxurious coffee table book you pull out every year.

The team at Country Living put together this assortment of content so this book was a huge undertaking. But it’s also one of the most detailed photo tours of Christmas decorating ideas you can find.

Christmas at Designers’ Homes Across America

Looking over 400 interiors can really get you into the Christmas spirit. And in Christmas at Designers’ Homes Across America you’ll get a sneak peek into well-designed interiors made for the holiday season.

Over 250 pages you’ll get a detailed look at trees, ornaments, centerpieces, and dozens of room styles from all over the US. These designs offer quality inspiration for anyone looking for ideas or trends to copy for their own home.

One thing to note is that many of these photos come from a variety of photographers. This can be off-putting but most photos are very high quality even with differing photographic styles.

And the print quality is glorious so you’l still find plenty of inspiration between these pages. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in decorating their home with new ideas this Christmas season.

Southern Living Christmas All Through The South

In many areas of southern America you’ll find spacious lawns with massive properties made for family living. This space brings a certain sense of cheer and love around the holiday season, all of which can be seen in this massive 400 page compilation.

Christmas All Through The South is a special publication by Southern Living that really pushes the boundaries on what you thought was possible. Decorating with large properties can spread out into lawns, backyards, and lots of festive ornaments for home exteriors.

With this massive coffee table book you’ll find some cool ideas you can replicate for your own home. From coastal towns to the warm spacious homes of Texas, this book has a little of everything and it’s full of Christmas cheer.

You won’t find too many instructional how-tos but a few are scattered throughout pages of brilliant xmas photographs.

Fa la la la Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations

You can build some neat stuff with felt and this book is proof of that. Fa la la la Felt: 45 Handmade Holiday Decorations covers a wide assortment of projects you can tack onto your to-do list with your kids.

The book is super easy to follow even for beginners with no craftsy side. You’ll learn to make little Christmas trees, ornaments, mistletoes, Russian matryoshka dolls and so much more.

It’s surprising how much you can do with felt and how little effort it requires. If you have the time and a small budget then you can make some gorgeous decorations without much effort. You’ll find non-sewing alternatives too if you don’t like the needle & thread approach.

Plus felt is super easy to use so these projects can be fun for your kids and make for some memorable holiday festivities.

The Farm Chicks Christmas

As an extension of the online blog The Farm Chicks Serena Thompson shares incredible decorating tips in her book The Farm Chicks Christmas.

Serena has authored many books about country living and getting by frugally. She knows what it’s like to decorate a big space on a tiny budget. Her tips in this book are actionable and many even have step-by-step instructions.

This guide is both an inspirational resource and a collection of ideas you can implement yourself. You’ll find ideas for everything from lights to Christmas ornaments, fragrances, and festive cookies to bake for the whole family.

Along with the 17 recipes in this book Serena also shares fun activities you can add into your Christmas season. This is the perfect resource for families who want some Christmas fun on a budget.

Decorating for the Holidays

Who better to offer decorating advice than Martha Stewart? In her book Decorating for the Holidays Martha talks about her secrets to success when designing her own home.

The Christmas season only comes around once a year and it seems to go by in a flash. That’s why it’s often a good idea to decorate early and create rooms that you’ll feel happy to be in for weeks to come.

A good portion of this book shares pictures to build inspiration and share ideas. But alongside all these inspirational photos you’ll get plenty of decorating advice you can apply to your own home during the holidays.

Since this book is a cheap buy it’s certainly a decent investment. It can work as a simple coffee table book or as a schematic for your entire seasonal decorating plan.

The New Christmas Tree

You can find so much design variety in the 21st century from minimalist trees to geeky trees and so much more. In The New Christmas Tree you’ll flip through 300 pages of cool ideas that you can replicate for gorgeous Christmas tree designs from scratch.

The art of decorating a Christmas tree goes beyond just simple ornaments.

You want it to represent your home and your stylistic take on Christmas. Whether this style is memories of years gone by, or a simple snowy theme to match the room, you’re in full control of the whole process.

Author Carrie Brown shares her experiences decorating one-of-a-kind trees with garlands, ribbons, bows, and hand-made ornaments for special occasions. You’ll find fullpage spreads of sample trees ranging from vintage designs to more recent full length Christmas trees and custom decorations.

Many chapters focus on custom ornaments you can make yourself with close-up photos showing the finished piece. If you love your Christmas tree this book can get you riled up with some amazing ideas you never dreamed possible.

A Very Vintage Christmas

Classic vintage designs have been around for decades as a fun look back on times long gone. A Very Vintage Christmas by designer Bob Richter catalogs hundreds of ideas for ornaments, decorating styles, and projects you can follow to give you home that vintage festive feeling.

Over 225 pages Bob shares what vintage design means to him and how it can liven up your Christmas decorating style. He shares photographs of classic Christmas trees along with historical remnants from the early 20th century.

Each chapter covers a different decorating phase like ornaments, lights, gift wrapping, and yard decor. Bob’s love of vintage design shines through in every chapter where he shares tips for yard sales, eBay shopping, and finding the cheapest bargains on retro Christmas decorations.

This is one of the most unique books in this entire post and it’s certainly an authority on the topic of vintage Christmas decorating.

Midcentury Christmas: Holiday Fads, Fancies, and Fun

Here’s another book series that looks back on older times. Midcentury Christmas: Holiday Fads, Fancies, and Fun written by culturist Sarah Archer covers the classic eras of American Christmas traditions during the 19th century.

This particular book looks at the post-war era & growth times from 1945 to 1970. This period saw a lot of growth for American culture including major improvements in television and movies. Charlie Brown, shopping malls, and large Christmas feasts were staples especially for large families.

Every photo, catalog clipping, and vintage toy in this book can take you back to this classic period in American history. Sarah doesn’t treat this like a decorating book. However you can find a ton of cool decorating ideas and knick-knacks to search for.

But this feels more like an inspirational coffee table book as a time capsule into a bygone era.

And you can find dozens of similar books covering other eras of Christmas culture. One book that goes well alongside Midecentury Christmas is A Century of Christmas Memories which spans the entire century from 1900 up to the 1999 new years’ eve.

Decorating Christmas Cakes

No Christmas is complete with some fattening desserts and a delicious home-cooked meal. Decorating Christmas Cakes takes baking to a whole new level looking into the design and style of the sweets you make.

Author Paul Bradford runs his own cake decorating business and has designed hundreds of treats over the years. In this book he shares all the trade secrets he’s picked up in baking and decorating.

With only 144 pages this can seem rather small. But the cake designs are beyond exquisite and they’re bound to grab attention from anyone who visits your home during the holidays.

The early chapters cover techniques and materials required to make these extravagant cakes. But later chapters get into the details for individual cake designs like santa’s face, penguin igloos, and a towering gingerbread house loaded with candy sweets.

This book is the perfect companion for baking fanatics and it can make a sweet gift for the holidays.

Glitterville’s Handmade Christmas

The team from Glitterville Studios offers tons of ideas in Glitterville’s Handmade Christmas. It compiles a bunch of advice, tips, trends, materials, and walkthroughs teaching you how to make your own decorations from scratch.

Inside you’ll find 20 awesome projects you can follow for designing a winter wonderland in your own home. Every project lists the materials you need, approximate time to complete, and a step-by-step process that anyone can finish.

Sample projects range from a custom glittery wreath to a small santa’s village display.

All of these projects do involve a good amount of glitter so they’re probably not for everyone.

But if you want to prettify your home with glittery Christmas cheer then this book can help you get there.

Christmas at America’s Landmark Houses

Christmas at America’s Landmark Houses is yet another gorgeous hardcover coffee table book with some of the most inspiring interiors you’ll ever see. This book spans the gamut of American homes from wealthy business tycoons to the honeymoon house of Bill & Hillary Clinton(politics aside, the house is gorgeous).

Each chapter overflows with full page spreads of home interior photographs from all over the US. These houses push the lines of luxury and offer some incredible ideas for those who have the space.

But even if you live in a small apartment this book can still make a welcome addition on your coffee table. It’s a truly inspiring piece of work and it shows how the right decorating touch can bring affluence to any dwelling.

And this book is pretty lengthy offering 256 pages measuring almost a foot tall. Amazingly inspirational and a welcome book for any Christmas lover.

An Old-Fashioned Christmas: Sweet Traditions for Hearth and Home

Homemaker Ellen Stimson shares her decorating tips in An Old-Fashioned Christmas offering a look at how Christmas was festooned in years past.

She talks about sleigh rides and classic activities found in New England towns. Many of these activities can be replicated in your home for the love of the holiday season.

Each chapter has tons of original photographs showcasing winter from New England and other snowy areas of the US. Throughout each chapter you’ll find decorating tips and recipes you can replicate for your own seasonal dishes.

This is one part cookbook, one part decorating book, and one part seasonal inspiration.

Merry & Bright: 301 Festive Ideas for Celebrating Christmas

From custom tree toppers to ornaments and everything else you love, Merry & Bright is a gorgeous book packed with inspiring photos and lovely yuletide cheer.

Each chapter goes into detail on different decorating styles with tips for wreaths, garlands, end table pieces and even decorations you can hang outside. These 300+ ideas can help you find the right style for your home without trying to invent all new ideas.

And you’ll find a bit of everything from custom ornaments to classic Christmas decor styles and even a few seasonal recipes.

Every project is easy enough to complete and many of these you can even do with your kids.

Absolutely a gorgeous look into Christmas from many points of view. You’re guaranteed to walk away from this book inspired to decorate, even in the middle of July!

Creatively Christmas: Inspired Yuletide Décor

Perhaps the best project-oriented book in the bunch is Creatively Christmas: Inspired Yuletide Décor. It’s designed as an easy-to-follow guide with tips and projects for the crafty homemaker.

Over a total of 270 pages you’ll find a ton of incredible ideas from designer Jennifer Rizzo. She has years of experience working as a professional designer and her tips go so well with any home.

The first few chapters cover vintage Christmas decor with Jennifer sharing a bit about her history. From there she covers how Christmas has changed and the many different styles we’ve seen across recent decades.

Each project in this book is tactical and full of detail. You’ll get the exact materials and tools you need including large photos and even a free CD with extras. Whether you’re a passionate crafts maker or a complete novice, these projects are super fun regardless of age or skill level.

All the books in this post cover the holidays from different points of view. Some people want to design their own Christmas cakes while others want to create ornaments from scratch.

But no matter what you’re looking for these books have it all. They’re sure to get you cheery and contemplative about the true meanings of the holiday season: happiness and family.