5 Smart Decorating Ideas to Steal from the Target Holiday Catalog

The folks at Target are a pretty stylish bunch, and their holiday photoshoots are jam-packed with inspirational and accessible ways to decorate. Even if you don’t shop at the store (or if your favorite items sell out fast), you can still steal tips and ideas from their latest catalog, and have a fun and festive home this season.

Organic greenery is an incredibly easy and affordable way to decorate simply. Stick a sprig of eucalyptus or pine in a jar, or drape some garland around an entryway, and you’ll capture the spirit of the season effortlessly. This look lasts a long time, and can take you beyond Christmas and into the rest of winter. Target sells these pine berries in clear vase and faux mistletoe from its Hearth & Hand collection, but Trader Joe’s is a fantastic source for real-deal seasonal buys. You can also usually pick up something green at the same place you buy your Christmas tree.

These very popular modern wreaths hit the ground running in recent years, and haven’t pulled back. Half-wreaths, or asymmetrical wreaths, are a deconstructed take on the traditional full, fluffy wreath, which appeals to minimalists and non-traditionalists alike. Start with a basic gold ring and add as much or as little stuff as you’d like: eucalyptus leaves and other greenery, pom poms, bulb ornaments, or anything else that strikes your fancy. This look is affordable and totally DIYable for all. Target’s Threshold version, at 45 inches, definitely takes the prize for size however.

Red and green may symbolize the season, but when it comes to decor, it’s not an easy color combo to oh-so-casually integrate into your living space for a couple of months. If you like purple and gold better, and think it works well with what you’ve already got, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t use those instead. One trick is to use a less saturated version of red and green—like pink and teal above—as a way to tweak the traditional color scheme. For more colorful ideas, Target’s Opalhouse collection is the source for all things merry and bright this holiday.

Christmas tree stands wind up looking clunky and unfinished. One way to cover them up is by using a tree collar or a basket. They take up less space than tree skirts, and they let you change up the look of your tree style pretty easily. This woven black one from Target’s current collection is very striking, but you can also use a modified planter, or something like a galvanized tub to mask the stump and/or the inner workings of any irrigation system set up.

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I always associate holiday dinners with traditional cut glass (shoutout to my mom’s collection) and especially cranberry glass. There’s something about that deep reddish purple color that makes me think of sitting down to eat a big festive meal. But I love the lighter, almost pastel, shades that Target features here from their Opalhouse collection— they are a little more versatile than the old-school shades, and can be used to make meals colorful and festive, long after the holidays are gone. If you want to try making some yourself, check out this old colored glass tutorial I did years ago using a couple of thrift store finds. Of course, if you don’t have time to DIY, you can just pick up a few candlesticks up on your next store run.

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