Christmas Decorating for the Dining Room by Erin of House of Earnest

In our Style Challenge series, we ask some of our favorite bloggers from around the web to surprise us with their ideas for creating a stylish and functional space using Home Depot products as a starting point.

Erin Souder, the founder and editor-in-chief of House of Earnest, is constantly burning up the blogosphere with her creative DIY projects. Her limitless creativity and fantastic taste never ceases to amaze us! We thought she’d be a natural fit for the Holiday Edition of the Style Challenge series. We sent her Christmas decorations from The Home Depot, which she used to create a beautiful dining room ready for the holidays. Take a look at the beautiful photos, and pick up some stylish DIY Christmas decorating ideas for your home.

One of my favorite parts about getting older has always been that I become more and more in tune with my own style, and this is especially true around the holidays. I’ve always been one to make things my own by using unconventional materials, and heading to The Home Depot for decorating supplies is one of my secret weapons! From contractors paper to twine and hooks, there is so much that can be done to turn a home into a festive Christmas retreat.

Home Depot boxes arrived at my doorstep filled with wintry, snowy, woodsy flair and I couldn’t have been more excited. I love adding natural, neutral elements to my home decor, and Christmas is no different.

A black and white stitched table runner with a little Scandinavian flair works as a foundation for the reds, golds, and greens that I had to work with for the challenge. I used packages of Martha Stewart ornaments with manila shipping tags to tie together bundles of gold flatware and name tags for each dinner guest. The table was set with clean, white plates to really let the details shine — and do I mean shine. A few packages of flameless LED candles make an impactful sprawling centerpiece when wrapped in birch bark and twine. A few small tabletop trees added to the woodland theme.

Carrying reoccurring themes throughout a room or your home always helps to make a decor idea more cohesive. The birch bark, ornaments, and twine not only adorned the tabletop, but also topped presents wrapped in white contractors paper. I love the idea of topping gifts with an ornament as a sweet keepsake that the recipient can hang on their own tree for years to come.

The woodland touches didn’t stop there, red berry wreaths were hung using wool plaid ribbon from each dining room window. I just hung a Command wire hook above each windowsill and poked it right through the loose weave ribbon to keep a low profile above the window molding.

My kitchen is a little tight on space, so I wanted to create a bar area in the dining room so that folks could circulate and chat without creating a bottleneck in the kitchen. A strand of wintry garland is all that’s needed to create a pop-up bar on any blank wall. Two Command hooks hung about three feet apart were draped with a length of garland above a console table brought in from another room. A sweet handmade banner serves as a bit of a focal point, further defining the space. I topped the “bar” with our favorite holiday sweet treats and drinks.

When decorating for the holidays, I look high and low, paying attention to spaces that would otherwise be overlooked. The pop-up bar or even the top of the armoire that holds my serve-ware and fancy china. Remote control candles make out of reach areas new candidates for a little holiday flair of their own.

All in all, little touches here and there are what makes holiday decorating so fun and special. Creating a warm, inviting environment with a natural, down-to-earth vibe keeps the decor flowing with the rest of the house and keeps the calm through a hectic season. I hope there are some details that stand out to you and that you’re excited to get started adding a little Christmas to your own home!

Erin Souder is the founder and editor-in-chief of House of Earnest. She is a Columbus, Ohio-based creative who specializes in creating memorable events, including floral design and event styling. Her projects have been featured in Canada’s Chantelaine, and on Design*Sponge. Erin spends her spare time renovating an old farm house with her husband, Matt, and schnoodle puppy, Perry. Thank you, Erin, for your fabulous Christmas decorating ideas. 

In her dining area, Erin used the following Home Depot items:

•  24 in. Red Berry Vine Wreath
• Martha Stewart Living 9 ft. Pre-Lit Sparkling Pine Garland
• Martha Stewart Living Arctic 6 in. Icicle Ornaments
• Martha Stewart Living Owl Ornaments
• Home Accents Holiday Flameless Timer Pillar Bisque Color Candles with Wavy Edge

Style Challenge is a series of posts from guest contributors who aim to bring you fresh inspiration and ideas for your home and garden using a single Home Depot product as a starting point. Erin received a selection of Christmas decorations from The Home Depot, but The Home Depot provided no other compensation. The opinions and ideas Erin expressed are her own.