Every December I swear I’m going to “keep it simple,” and then… I open the ornament box. And suddenly I’m knee-deep in glitter, tangled in fairy lights, and holding a random gold Christmas ball thinking, “There must be a fun way to use this somewhere.”
Over the years, I’ve learned that Christmas balls are basically the Swiss Army knives of holiday décor. You can toss them in bowls, hang them from windows, pile them onto mantels… honestly, they’ll work anywhere if you play with colors, textures, and heights. And yes, I’ve made so many mistakes. Like the time I filled a giant glass vase with heavy ornaments and cracked the bottom. Lesson learned: shatterproof ornaments are a gift from the heavens.
Anyway, here’s everything I’ve figured out — the fun stuff, the shortcuts, the “oops, never do that again,” and all the little décor tricks that actually look expensive but take five minutes.
Christmas Ornament Centerpieces
Centerpieces used to intimidate me. I always thought they needed to look “professional,” like something from a wedding. But honestly, some of my best Christmas centerpieces happened five minutes before guests walked in. One time I dumped leftover ornaments into a shallow ceramic bowl, added a few pinecones, shoved a battery-operated fairy light strand underneath, and boom — everyone thought I planned it weeks in advance. I didn’t. Not even close.
What works really well is layering. Start with greenery or a tray, then add ornaments in 2–3 coordinating colors. Don’t overthink it — color palettes like gold + champagne + clear, or red + wood + greenery always look intentional. One year I tried mixing every color I owned… yeah, not my proudest moment. It looked like a kindergarten craft table exploded. Now I stick to simple palettes and let the ornaments shine, literally.
If you want a trick that always works: put ornaments around candles, not too close, obviously, but enough so the reflections bounce around. It gives this warm, glowy, festive vibe that feels expensive. My aunt still asks how I “learned to decorate like this,” and honestly, half of it was luck.
A bowl with a whole arrangement of metallic and pink ornaments and evergreens is a cool holiday centerpiece.
A glass bowl with red Christmas ornaments and a star light garland is a cool winter decoration.
A gold tray with silver and blue ornaments of various shapes, sizes but all done in one style.
A stand with silver and blue glitter Christmas ornaments is a nice centerpiece or some other decoration.
A white tray with white and silver Christmas ornaments and pillar candles plus faux snow is a gorgeous centerpiece.
Tall glass vases filled with red and red glitter ornaments and lights are amazing as holiday decor.
A silver bowl with silver, blue and turquoise ornaments can be used as a decoration or as a centerpiece.
A vintage silver bowl with matching Christmas ornaments and colorful beads is a nice and elegant Christmas centerpiece.
A silver tray with silver and gold ornaments is a chic decoration, you may add evergreens and candles for a more festive feel.
A bowl with gold and red Christmas ornaments is a cool decoration or centerpiece for winter holidays.
A silver bowl with red ornaments of various sizes and white ornaments around is a cool idea for festive table decor.
A bowl and a glass with blue snowflake Christmas ornaments are amazing for holiday decor.
A chic glass cloche with a large green Christmas ornament and a bloom is an elegant holiday centerpiece.
A red lantern filled with white, red and silver ornaments plus snowflakes for simple and cute Christmas decor.
A tray and a glass bowl all filled with various colorful Christmas ornaments and candles for decor.
Christmas Ornament Garlands And Wreaths
Ornament garlands are the project that looks complicated but truly isn’t. I once wired an entire garland using floral wire while watching a movie, and by the time the credits rolled, I had something that belonged in a holiday catalog. The trick is mixing sizes — small, medium, big — because uniform balls tend to look flat and kind of sad. When you mix textures too, it suddenly feels lush.
One of my favorite DIYs was adding ornaments to a plain greenery wreath. I started with just three colors (gold, copper, and white) and filled in the gaps with dried oranges. Oh man, that wreath smelled incredible for days. I didn’t expect that part. Just don’t overload your wreath unless you want it to slowly slide down your door like mine did one year. It was a heavy wreath… too heavy.
Garlands on staircases are another spot where ornaments shine. Lightweight shatterproof balls are best here — especially if you live in a home where someone inevitably runs up the stairs too fast and shakes the whole thing. Trust me, I’ve heard the rattle.
A Christmas wreath made of white and gild ornaments, snowy pinecones and snowy evergreens.
A colorful Christmas wreath of ornaments of green, pink, silver, blush balls and snowflakes.
Use Christmas Ornaments In Mantel And Shelf Styling
Mantel styling is where ornaments really show off. There was one Christmas where I layered greenery across the mantel, added fairy lights, and tucked ornaments in like little jewels. The whole room glowed. And I swear the glow distracted everyone from the fact that I hadn’t dusted the shelves properly — ornaments are multitaskers.
If you’re working with shelves, try clustering ornaments in bowls, lanterns, or even vintage glass jars. A tiny cluster on each shelf ties everything together without feeling cluttered. I once tried decorating every shelf individually, and it looked like a holiday flea market. Now I stick to simple vignettes. Small pops of metallic ornaments with wood accents always feel cozy.
Another fun trick: add mini Christmas balls to houseplants. It sounds silly but looks adorable. Just don’t overdo it or the plant starts looking like it’s auditioning for the role of “backup Christmas tree.”
A small cluster of red and gold ornaments sits on top of stacked vintage books, paired with a sprig of evergreen for a cozy, old-world holiday vignette. It’s simple, elegant, and the kind of décor that looks casually styled but instantly elevates any table or shelf. (@lovely.harbor).
Frosted glass jars and a bowl with silver ornaments are nice to decorate tables, shelves, a mantel and other places.
Incorporating Ornaments Into DIY Holiday Crafts
This is where things get addictive — and slightly dangerous for your free time. I’ve made ornament trees using foam cones, and they always end up looking fancier than the price of materials would suggest. The first time, though, I bought a glue that melted the foam. The cone shrank right in front of me like it was being microwaved. So yeah… use low-temperature glue.
Ornament chandeliers are another surprisingly doable project. I made one for the dining room by hanging ornaments from a metal hoop with ribbon. It took maybe an hour, and my guests still ask where I bought it. I love when things look expensive but aren’t.
Shadow boxes, mobiles, framed ornament art — ornaments are basically craft gold. If an ornament is scratched or dented, I use it for projects instead of tossing it. Crafting with ornaments turns “junk” into something genuinely pretty, and that always feels like a small win.
A branch with some Christmas ornaments hanging down is a cool overhead decoration for a holiday or festive space.
A green frame with colorful Christmas ornaments hanging inside is a cool and creative Christmas decorations.
Attach a branch and hang some Christmas ornaments on it to make your space more festive and bright.
Grab sheer glass ornaments and fill them with whatever you like - feathers, mini trees, faux snow and so on to create a cool combo.
Yarn-wrapped ornaments and glittering baubles hang from a natural rod, creating a playful wall display full of texture and color. It feels like a DIY art piece — handmade, warm, and perfect for adding holiday charm to a hallway or living room. (@juniorsartanddiy).
Decorate Outdoor Spaces Using Ornaments
Outdoor ornament décor is a whole different adventure because the weather likes to test your patience. I learned quickly that only shatterproof ornaments survive outside. One windy night taught me that lesson as I listened to my pretty glass ornaments smashing in the darkness. Now I only use big shatterproof ones and secure everything like it’s going through a hurricane test.
Porch railings look amazing with oversized ornaments tied in clusters. I use thick ribbon or zip ties depending on how fancy I’m feeling. Lanterns filled with ornaments are also great for porches — they glow at night if you pop in LED candles. Just avoid real candles unless you want melted plastic art. Been there. Didn’t love it.
Outdoor wreaths with ornaments are another favorite. They last longer than anything with fragile décor, and shatterproof ornaments hold up like champs even in cold snow or rain.
Oversized matte red ornaments hang from greenery clusters above a porch seating area, mixing with lantern-style lights for dramatic holiday impact. The space looks like a winter retreat — bold, elegant, and impossible to walk past without smiling. (@decoryourholiday).
An outdoor urn with evergreens, white branches, red blooms and a giant silver and red ornament.
Bright metallic ornaments in red, gold, and green float above the porch, hung at different lengths from a lush garland. Paired with twinkle lights and simple greenery, the setup gives the entryway a cheerful, classic Christmas feel.
Big red and gold Christmas balls nestle into green garlands inside rope baskets, glowing softly with warm fairy lights. The red ribbon bows make the porch feel welcoming and festive before you even reach the front door. (@sustainability.success).
Other Christmas Ornament Decor
Sometimes the best ornament ideas are the ones you do in five minutes, with whatever you already have on hand. Last year I tucked a handful of mismatched ornaments into a ceramic bowl with some faux berries, and the effect was so charming that guests kept asking where I bought the arrangement. Spoiler: it was the “junk drawer of holiday décor,” as my family lovingly calls it. Try slipping a few metallic baubles into glass lanterns or old jars — the reflections make everything look intentional, even when it’s absolutely not.
Another one I love: ornaments tied to cabinet pulls or drawer knobs. It sounds silly until you see how it turns boring furniture into something festive and cozy, like the kitchen suddenly put on a sweater. I’ve also used ornaments to decorate houseplants — just two or three mini balls in a pothos or monstera can add a surprising amount of seasonal cheer. And if you’re wrapping gifts, tie one ornament to the ribbon. It makes even a basic box feel special, and the person gets a tiny keepsake they’ll hang on their tree the next year. Those are the little touches that end up being remembered, long after the tree comes down.
Place some colorful Christmas ornaments into bowls and cloches to make your tablescape bolder and whimsier.
A lush evergreen and colorful Christmas ornament garland with red bows is a cool railing decor idea.
A green, white and blue Christmas ornament garland over the fireplace for cool holiday decor.
A holiday garland of colorful ornaments and foliage is a cool decoration for Christmas spaces - from kitchens to living rooms.
A striped red and white Christmas ornament with greenery and a white ribbon bow is a traditional idea you can realize.
A Christmas ball ornament covered with red and white knit is an easy DIY and a cozy decoration.
Colorful Christmas ornament topiaries and a sparkling green sequin Christmas tree cone.
An arrangement of white and silver ornaments for Christmas is a chic and stylish idea to accent even a small nook.
A cracked silver Christmas ornament with white lace is a stylish vintage-inspired option for holidays.
A silver and a shiny rhinestone Christmas ornament duo is amazing for winter and holiday decor.
Mini silver bells with stars and red ribbon bows are cute as ornaments for Christmas and holidays on the whole.
Colorful Christmas ornaments hanging over the space and in a bowl are amazing for holiday spaces.
A jar with mini colorful Christmas ornaments and bells plus colorful snowflakes for festive decor.
Cover a usual Christmas ornament with a coral crochet cover with beads for a cool decoration.
A ladder with various Christmas ornaments is a cute and very mobile Christmas decoration to go for.
Chalkboard Christmas ornaments are cute and chic, you can chalk any wishes and leave any meassages.
Colorful Christmas ornaments used as mini vases for blooms and berries is a cool idea for any holiday table.
A sheer glass ornament filled with note paper will show your love to music at once.
A frosted glass Christmas ornament with beads is a cool idea for winter wonderland home decor.
A beautiful Christmas chandelier with white and frosted shiny white Christmas ornaments and ribbons.
A creative Christmas tree of jar lids, green and red Christmas ornamerns and a plaid bow.
A holiday chandelier of a white wreath, evergreens and small copper and white ornaments for Christmas.
A snowy Christmas branch with lights and white ornaments hanging down overhead is a modern feel.
Chic railing Christmas decor with lights, evergreens, metallic nd white ornaments is a stylish farmhouse idea.
Hang some pastel Christmas ornaments on yoru chandelier to make it cute and chic.
Plywood stars filled with white and silver ornaments and lights are cute and chic festive decor options.
Red Christmas ball and snowflake ornaments and beaded garlands to decorate a window.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, Christmas décor doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive to be meaningful. You can scatter ornaments on bookshelves, hang them from a doorway, or pile them into a basket — and suddenly the room feels like the holidays moved in. What I’ve learned over the years is that decorating isn’t about “rules,” it’s about feelings. If something makes you pause and smile, it’s doing its job.
So go ahead and experiment this season. Use the giant ornaments outside, the delicate ones near the mantle, and the funny mismatched ones in the kids’ room. Some ideas will flop (trust me, we all have those moments), but others will be absolute magic — the kind that gives your home its own holiday personality. And honestly, that’s what makes the season worth decorating for in the first place.