Even the biggest Christmas Scrooge can't help but be a teeny bit excited once the Christmas decorations start going up. Love them or hate them, there is no denying that a little bit of glitz and sparkle can transform your home and enhance that all important Christmas spirit.
You don't have to restrict the magic and sparkle to the tree, take inspiration from the big American blockbusters and give your staircase the festive treatment. Unless you are aiming to transform your home into a National Lampoon scale winter wonderland, it is possible to deck your halls tastefully, and the less is more approach to Christmas can often be just as impactful.
Here we look at 12 stylish ways to add a little festive flair to your staircase.
1. It's all about tradition
If you are going traditional with your décor at Christmas, red and green is likely to feature heavily, along with the obligatory holly, spruce and sprigs of mistletoe.
Tartans, candy stripes and polka dot ribbons also mix in well with this theme, as do gold and silver details. Karolyn R. Spagnolo, owner of SpagnoloDesign.com. suggests the following materials to create a traditional Christmas look:
“The Christmas décor was created with a traditional nod, using Candied Fruit, White Pine Mixed Greens, Feathers and Gemstone embellishments.”
2. Winter whites
In contrast to the rich and vibrant colours that are usually associated with Christmas, simple whites and clear glass can create a stunning effect, especially against a white banister. A simple yet effective way to add a magical touch to your staircase is to weave white fairy lights around the spindles and up the banister.
3. Get stuck into Christmas
Stickers are a great way to decorate uncarpeted stairs, especially for Christmas. As they are non-permanent, you can have fun with different styles and designs to suit your theme, with festive images and fun seasonal greetings that can be read as you walk up the stairs.
4. Light the way with candles
Illuminate your staircase by placing tea light holders containing flameless candles on each step. Sarah Salter from lathaminteriors.co.uk shares the following design tips:
“Candles on the stairs are a beautiful way of adding soft lighting and a trail of twinkling stars up to bed. Obviously not advisable with children and animals in the house but a great way to dress stairs for a party where the hallway is to be used but no-one needs to go up the stairs.”
“You can buy ready made garlands to tie to the banister, real and false, and if you have a source of electricity nearby you can weave in fairy lights too. Paired with a beautiful foliage arrangement along the banister topped with fairy lights and bows and you have a stunning arrangement.”
5. Bring the outside in
Why restrict festive wreaths to the outside of your home when you can make a feature of them inside? Hang them in line with your staircase for maximum impact.
6. It's all in the hanging
A quick and simple way to give your bannisters a Christmas make-over is to thread baubles onto thick ribbon and suspend them from the spindles. Experiment with colours, different sized baubles and lengths of ribbon to create different effects on the wall below.
7. Scandinavian style
The Nordic look is very popular at Christmas, and Scandinavian style decorations combine cute with cool. Hand made baubles, felt stars and bold statement snowflakes can make a great addition to minimal or rustic interiors.
8. Less is more
If your staircase is sleek and modern, it makes sense to select Christmas decorations that reflect this style.
Less is most definitely more when it comes to decorating minimal spaces, as it is easy to overwhelm a space. Stylish glass baubles and single colour schemes can effectively add a touch of Christmas, whilst remaining in-keeping with the overall style of your interior.
9. Pretty perfect
Just because it is Christmas it doesn't mean that you have to stick to the traditional colours, especially if you already have a distinctive colour scheme in your home.
Avoid colour overkill by working with your existing pallet. Pastels and pop brights can be fun and cheery and can make a refreshing change to reds and greens. Enhance the look by displaying prettily wrapped presents on each stair.
10. Count down to Christmas
Most staircases lend themselves perfectly to bunting style decorations. A cute spin on the traditional advent calendar is to attach a ribbon down the length of the bannister and peg on 24 small envelopes or mini stockings containing festive treats.
11. DIY décor
Forget naff doily snowflakes, and cotton wool snowmen, get crafty with Origami to create stylish DIY decorations that look as good as those for sale on the high street.
12. Festive fairytale
If there is one time of year that you can give your home the fairytale treatment, it is at Christmas. Create a truly magical feel with glitter, foil and muted golds, then add in some fairy lights for some essential Christmas twinkle and sparkle.
Even the biggest Scrooge can’t help but be a teeny bit excited once festive decorations start going up. Love them or hate them, there is no denying that a little bit of glitz and sparkle can transform your home into a Christmas wonderland.
But who says you have to restrict the magic to the tree? Take inspiration from your favourite seasonal blockbusters and go all out with Christmas staircase decorations. It’s entirely possible to deck your halls tastefully, and every approach is just as impactful as the next. So, how do you decorate your staircase for Christmas?
Decorating your staircase for Christmas is a very personal task. It will depend on your budget, space, and your overall aesthetic tastes. Ideas to jazz up your staircase include:
- Traditional colour schemes
- Winter whites
- Festive stickers
- Candles
- Indoor wreaths
- Baubles
- Scandinavian-style decor
- Minimalism
- Introducing colour
- Christmas countdown
- DIY decor
- Soft lighting
In this blog, we’ll run through 12 of our favourite ways to dress up your staircase during the festive season.
1. It’s all about tradition
If you choose to go down the traditional route with your Christmas staircase decorations, it’s likely that red and green are going to feature heavily, alongside the typical holly, spruce, and sprigs of mistletoe. Tartans, candy stripes and polka dot ribbons also mix well with this colour scheme, as do gold and silver details.
If your stair parts are made of a warmer-toned material, such as oak or brass, following a traditional festive colour scheme will work particularly well, bringing the room together and taking advantage of what’s already in place.
2. Winter whites
In contrast to the rich and vibrant colours of the traditional Christmas colour scheme, simple white tones and clear glass ornaments can create a stunning visual, especially against a white bannister.
Add a touch of warmth and magic, all while maintaining the clean aesthetic, by weaving white fairy lights around your spindles and up your bannister.
3. Get stuck into Christmas
If your staircase tread and riser are uncarpeted, stickers are also a great way to decorate your staircase for Christmas. They’re not permanent, so you can have fun with different styles and designs until you find something that suits your theme, with festive images and fun seasonal greetings as you walk up your stairs.
If you can’t place fun stickers on your treads or risers, utilise the blank walls next to your staircase to create bigger scenes. You could even tie these decorations into your existing decor and highlight the colour scheme of your staircase, choosing warm or cool-toned colours depending on your stair parts.
4. Light the way with candles
If you’re looking to add warmth and light to a closed-in staircase, illuminate your staircase by placing tea light holders containing flameless candles on each step. You could also feature larger candles with some tinsel or natural garland by perching them on top of your newel end caps all the way up your staircase.
5. Bring the outside in
Why restrict festive wreaths to the outside of your home? Bring them indoors and make them a feature of your staircase. Break up a large area of balustrade with a wreath, or hang a few following the gradient of your staircase.
You could also hang your wreath on the back of your front door, and wrap similar greenery around the handrail going up your staircase. No matter how you choose to bring the outside in, you can customise your Christmas staircase decorations with baubles and tinsel in your chosen colour scheme.
6. It’s all in the hanging
A quick and simple way to give your bannisters a Christmas makeover is to thread baubles onto thick ribbons and suspend them from the spindles or handrail.
Experiment with colours, different-sized baubles and lengths of ribbon to create different looks in your spindle spaces or the wall below your staircase.
7. Scandinavian style
The Nordic look is becoming very popular when it comes to Christmas staircase decor, combining cute and quirky elements with a cool and neutral vibe. Handmade baubles, felt stars, and bold statement snowflakes will make great additions to minimal or rustic interiors.
This style may also be the perfect option for staircases with simple neutral tones and made of materials such as:
8. Less is more
If your staircase is sleek and modern, containing glass balustrades or white primed wood, for example, it makes sense to select Christmas decorations that reflect this style.
Less is most definitely more when it comes to decorating minimalist or tighter, more enclosed spaces, as it’s easy to overwhelm the area and make it look too cluttered. Stylish glass baubles and single colour schemes can still effectively add a touch of Christmas, whilst remaining in-keeping with the overall style of your interior.
9. Introducing colour
Just because it’s Christmas, you don’t have to stick to the traditional red, gold, and green of the festive season. This is especially true if you already have a distinctive colour scheme in your home, avoiding overkill by working within your existing palette.
If your home is decorated with neutral colours, but you’d like to step out of your comfort zone with your Christmas staircase decorations, pastels and brights can make a refreshing change to reds and greens. Take your touch of colour up the entire staircase with wrapped presents in the same colour scheme on each step.
10. Countdown to Christmas
Most staircases, whether they have exposed balustrades or the staircase is enclosed by walls, lend themselves perfectly to bunting-style decorations. You can hang them on walls, spindles, or handrails, following the gradient of your staircase to really create a focal point.
A cute spin on the traditional Advent calendar is to attach a ribbon down the length of the bannister and use pegs to attach 24 small envelopes or mini stockings containing festive treats.
11. DIY decor
If you’re low on budget, DIY Christmas staircase decorations are the perfect choice to bring the festivities to the front door. You can choose exactly which colours and styles you put up in your home.
Some ideas include:
- Origami
- Hand-drawn scenes
- Handpainted baubles
- Paper bunting
12. A festive fairytale
If there’s one time of year that you can give your home the fairytale treatment, it’s at Christmas! Even if you’re starting with a neutral base, you can create a truly magical feel with glitter, foil, and muted golds. You can then add in some fairy lights for some essential Christmas twinkle and sparkle.
Give your seasonal staircase the right base with Jackson Woodturners
No matter how you choose to decorate your staircase for Christmas, a beautiful base can make all the difference in that all-important first impression. This is why, here at Jackson Woodturners, we offer a range of quality stair parts, with colours, materials, and styles to suit any aesthetic.
Whether you’re simply looking to update tired elements or completely revamp your staircase, our team is on hand to guide you through the process. We’ll work with you to create the staircase of your dreams and make your house a home, so get in touch with the Jackson Woodturners experts today!
