Christmas Kitchen Decorating Ideas — 9 Fun Ways to Make Your Cooking Space Feel Festive

If you're anything like me, everything revolves around your kitchen at Christmas time, so isn't it strange it's a space we often don't decorate? You don't have to go huge with Christmas kitchen decorating ideas to make an impact in this space, just a few simple changes can be transformative.

"A touch of holiday charm in the kitchen makes everything feel festive, even while cooking," says interior designer Alykhan Velji, and I can't help but agree.

So, which Christmas decorating ideas work best in a kitchen? Here are 9 tips for making your space fit for the holidays.

1. Add a wreath on the cooker hood

Just like your front door, there's a perfect spot in the kitchen to hang a Christmas wreath. "For the kitchen, I keep things simple but impactful," interior designer Alykhan Velji says. "I love placing a lush wreath on the hood fan to tie the space into the rest of the home."

If you can, go real, Aly suggests. "Greenery, especially real pine, is my go-to—it’s so effective and the smell is unbeatable."

2. Introduce extra brass accents

Doesn't a flash of gold just make you feel more festive? Well it's a clever way to make your kitchen more Christmassy, too.

"When it comes to decorating your countertops, try to swap a few pieces with ones that feel more reminiscent of the holiday season," interior designer Audrey Scheck says. "For example, perhaps you swap your wooden or ceramic utensil canister with one that is made of glass or metal. Pops of brass and chrome in a space instantly make it feel more festive, so don't be afraid to lean into metallics."

3. Place a mini Christmas tree on the countertop

If the latest Christmas tree trends have taught us anything, it's that trees are no longer just for the living room. Your kitchen deserves as much festive love as the lounging areas.

'No matter what your intentions are for hosting the perfect party, guests always end up milling around the kitchen. The delicious smells and the sound of cooking is almost hypnotic. We spend so much time decorating the rest of our homes at Christmas that your kitchen can feel, comparatively, a little unloved. f you want to create a really cozy vibe, place a small Christmas tree on your kitchen countertop for extra wow factor.

4. Channel a chic Scandi theme

Scandinavian design is clean and minimalistic but it doesn't scrimp on style. If you opt for a Scandi-style Christmas kitchen, the key tones to consider are white, light shades of wood, gray, and blue. To ensure this look remains warm, I recommend adding lots of fairy lights and candles that help to make the atmosphere cozy with warm light.

The trick is to layer up. 'Adding textures such as faux fur rugs or linen napkins will make your kitchen a perfectly welcoming place for Christmas dinner. When it comes to Christmas table decor ideas, dried flowers are perfect for a Scandi-style feel - choose light, neutral tones and for crockery opt for white or white with specs of color in gray or blue tones.'

The finishing touches can also make a difference. Add a napkin in blue, grey or hessian to bring some color. For the finishing touch, place transparent Christmas baubles or wooden Christmas ornaments at the center of the table.

A mini pared-back wooden tree and string of festoon lights across the ceiling finish the look perfectly.

5. Give your open shelving a festive makeover

Open shelves are perfect for showcasing your beautiful ceramics and pots and, when it comes to Christmas time, they're equally ideal for adding a festive display.

You can add some Christmas flower arrangement ideas like garlands around your crockery and vases, and intersperse the greenery with candles, ornaments or string lights. If you want to include some additional decoration in the kitchen, you could hang some foliage or mistletoe with long trailing ribbons from cabinet handles, or even hang some decorations with ribbon over the top of the cabinet doors.

6. Hang decorations from the ceiling

If you have space for a kitchen table, suspending Christmas decorations above it is a unique way to add a festive ambiance to the room.

Paper honeycombs and stars are an on-trend look, but you can also go all-out with added Christmas candle ideas and sparkly and colorful ornaments. Using brass hooks is a simple way to do it, but another option is to hang decorations from a branch suspended above the table.

7. Decorate your kitchen island stools

If you have chairs or stools in your kitchen, adding simple decoration to the back of them will give your room a festive makeover and makes a lovely kitchen island idea.

We love the chic look by Home Bunch above, where sprigs of fir have been enhanced with pretty bows for a subtle nod to the holiday season. The pared-back garland and mini Christmas tree ornaments on the shelving are also a stylish addition for Christmas

8. Stay minimal for an elegant party feel

Minimalism in interior design has changed over the past few years - it's now about selection of a few key pieces rather than having nothing at all. Which fits in perfectly with Christmas kitchen decorating ideas as it means you can still use the space, unhampered by piles of ornaments, and instead just add a little festive touch.

"I like to add a nod to Christmas in my kitchen," says Livingetc's executive editor Pip Rich. "While keeping it clear so I can still cook up a feast. This means a display of tall and sprawling foliage that is held together neatly in a jug or vase, a couple of candles, and that's about it. It's amazing how festive this bare display can feel — especially when coupled with the scents emanating from the oven."

9. Suspend bunched foliage for a natural look

Hand-tied foliage is always aesthetically pleasing, and is a wonderful way of bringing an organic, natural touch of Christmas to your kitchen.

You can hang them anywhere for a festive touch, including from a curtain pole for a lovely Christmas window decor idea, cabinet handles or wooden ceiling beams.

Can you really go wrong with a simple sprig of mistletoe? It does everything you need — Christmas kitchen decorating ideas at their simplest and finest.

How to create a garland on a kitchen island

If you have a kitchen island and you want to make it look festive, a garland can be just the thing. You’ll likely need more than one garland for this look and to make sure the decoration looks full with no gaps in the décor.

Measure your kitchen island and ensure you have around three times the length, ideally in multiple garlands as opposed to one long piece. To fix them in place, you can use over the door hooks if your kitchen island has doors or you can use transparent hooks or even suction cup hooks so they leave no mark.

Depending on the weight of your garland and the size of your kitchen island, you may need a fair few hooks. Hang the hooks equal width apart around the entire island, then begin hanging your first garland, threading it through the hooks. If you have slightly bare parts or gaps in the garland, use shorter pieces to fill in these gaps and make it look as full as possible.

Keep layering until you are satisfied with how full the garlands are and that they are distributed equally around the island. Make sure that your garlands are thick so that they look substantial hanging from your kitchen island; you could always bolster them with small fairy lights, or you could plant small pine cones within the greenery for extra texture and depth.