Rustic Coastal Christmas Style

Christine from Cottage by the Coast shares her tips on styling a beautiful rustic, coastal Christmas theme at home.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…and I’ve been dreaming of a rustic Christmas at my little abode, Cottage by the Coast. For those who read my previous article, you will know I am all about coastal and boho and Christmas time is no exception! If you haven’t read my article talking all things interiors, you can check it out here.

Christmas time is an opportunity for interior enthusiasts alike to express their creativity through their own unique festive style. This year marks our second Christmas spent in our first home. Two years ago, just a couple of weeks shy of moving into our home, we were lucky enough to be submerged in the magical festivities of a white Christmas in NYC.

When purchasing our first Christmas tree, I chose a flocked tree, reminding me of the stunning scenes of a snow-covered Central Park. So, the tree is ticked off the list… time for the fun part, DECORATING!

Now, you know how you always seem to create a bigger mess mid-way through a clear out? Well my Christmas decorating technique isn’t much different. Once everything is sprawled across the table and rug, it’s time to begin! But not without the help of our cocker spaniel puppies, Lilo and Stitch, who are intrigued by all these new ‘toys’ they can see. Ahh, two puppies experiencing their first Christmas!

Part way through, I’m starting to think that tree decorating may in fact be one of those things that becomes more fun the older you get. Is anyone else with me? 

To establish my rustic theme, I stuck to a neutral colour palette with lots of white, wood, hessian and a splash of gold for a little BLING! The only additional ornaments I purchased for our tree this year was the hessian bow topper and some hessian and gold flowers.

When comparing last years look to this year, it doesn’t take much to tweak the overall colour palette and style. 2018 was a little more chocka-block, with lots of silver added in. Removing the silver, simplifying the tree and adding half a dozen warmer toned ornaments has amped up the rustic theme I was hoping for.

It wouldn’t be a Cottage by the Coast Christmas without a little DIY now would it? My first little creation was a driftwood Christmas tree. It involved a lot more trial and error than I anticipated, but the final result was super cute! I collected pieces of driftwood and placed them in order from shortest to longest.

Once I was happy with the look, I used a marker to pinpoint where I would be drilling the holes. After attempting and failing with wooden dowel, I used a threaded metal rod to support the weight and structure of each piece. I created a cross base using left over pieces, but plan to upgrade this to a piece of sliced log for next year. Keep it plain or add a few decorations, and you have the ultimate rustic pint-sized festive tree!

If you’re not ambitious enough to pull out the power tools, a fun afternoon activity you can do with the children, or by yourself if you’re like me and find getting your craft on therapeutic, is to create your own Christmas wreath. I purchased a wire wreath for a few dollars and used bits of pieces lying around the house (and the front yards of a few neighbours) and got to work! I cut strips of burlap I had used as a table runner previously and wrapped it around half of the wire wreath, using the left-over burlap to make a decorative bow. I had some wiry faux greenery that was perfect for securing the dried foliage. I simply wrapped it around the other half of the wreath and wove the dried foliage into the leafy wire, effectively securing it. Too easy right?! Pinterest is a great tool if you want to try one for yourself but are looking for some design inspo.

A coastal, rustic Christmas wouldn’t be complete without mixing some of your everyday décor with your fun, festive pieces. Our home is small, so I am conscious of keeping it relaxing and calm with lots of neutrals. I try to make all things Christmassy blend with our existing textures and tones to create a harmonious place that I look forwarded to retreating to in the evenings.

So, what Christmas style are you? Will you try something different next year? My goal is that by next year my cheeky pups will be behaved enough for me to take the tree off the stool!

For more coastal styling, light and airy spaces and puppy antics, follow my adventures over at @cottagebythecoast. May you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Want more interiors? Click here for Christine’s tips on Creating a Beautiful Coastal Inspired Home and here for the coastal chic interiors of The Manor in Byron Bay.

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