16 True Blue Christmas Decorating Ideas to Try This Year

Christmas's traditional red + green not your thing? No worries! Your Christmas decor can feature any hue you choose, from rocking the rainbow to wowing with white or making it pretty in pink. Associated with feelings of calmness and creativity and reminiscent of the sea and sky, it's no wonder that people, the world over, choose blue as their favorite color; why not make it your main holiday decorating hue, too? Bonus: Blue works with any decorating style, whether your seasonal aesthetic leans cottage and cozy, minimally mod or coastal-chic. While Elvis's famous ditty may be an ode to missing a loved one during the holidays, having a blue Christmas has been gaining in popularity as a design trend, especially among designers who rely on the universally loved shade to create eye-catching holiday displays.

Antique collector, Leben Riebe, displays his collection of blue Delft pottery year-round, but at Christmas he gives the handpainted pieces a playful nod to the season by topping each with another of his vintage collectibles: midcentury Santa mugs. A mix of new and old bottle brush trees and a dusting of faux snow complete his dining room buffet's holiday display. Keep reading for more inspiring ways to decorate with blue this Christmas.

Especially in spaces where blue features prominently, mixing a bit of the cool hue into your holiday decorations is a smart choice. Here, designer Brian Patrick Flynn selected colorful Christmas decor — like wee, multicolor bottle brush trees and a bauble-bedecked evergreen wreath — to complement this foyer's existing blue color palette.

Available year-round, blue gift wrap is easy to stock up on anytime you stumble across it on sale, like after Father's Day. And, thanks to the color's versatility, leftover blue gift wrap used during the holidays can be repurposed to dress up gifts for any occasion, so none of this pretty paper will go to waste.

Head to your local craft or fabric store for spools of fabric ribbon with a handy, hidden secret: thin wire tucked into each of the ribbon's sides. The wire adds stiffness that allows you to create three-dimensional bows for a pro-wrapped look. Complete the effect by tying on a sleighbell or sliding in a bit of fresh-clipped greenery.

Whether you prefer to display them indoors or out, handmade wreaths are synonymous with decking the halls. And, they're budget-friendly, to boot — especially if you start with a faux evergreen or grapevine base that you can customize to match your decorations' color or theme. Just rely on hot glue and faux or dried greenery and berry branches to create a wintry wreath you can display all season long.

Pale blue glass ornaments and loops of wide, wired powder blue ribbon add a festive, frosty touch to this flocked tree.

Pro tip: Tucking loops of wired ribbon between branches, instead of vertically wrapping the tree with a standard garland, reinforces your chosen color palette, while also lending a fuller look to the tree.

While many homeowners prefer a fresh-cut Christmas tree, artificial trees have their fans, too. Thanks mainly to faux trees' ability to be displayed year after year with zero maintenance — no need to keep the tree watered or clean up shed needles. And, as this bold, blue tree illustrates: Artificial trees can be any color you want.

Fresh greenery adorned with simple blue bows is all it takes to make this dining room feel festive — without interfering with its inherent rustic charm. A pair of aqua glass trees top the table to tie in with the existing turquoise decor that lives on the open shelves year-round.

In this cheery foyer, designer Veronica Solomon takes a maximalist approach with a petite, powder blue tree taking center stage. Tissue paper ornaments, a ribbon-embellished garland, stacked gifts and a pair of adorable pups complete the scene.

Make a covered patio, deck or balcony more welcoming for Christmas gatherings with friends and family by cozying them up. Toss in a few blue throws to wrap up in when temps dip and make outdoor furniture extra cushy with plump pillows. Add a small fresh or faux evergreen tree or drape a flocked garland for a little extra holiday sparkle.

Highly collectible and easy to thrift at estate sales, antique stores and flea markets, salt-glazed Santas rely on a 600-year-old German technique, where table salt is thrown into the kiln, to create a mottled pottery surface. While the process itself is centuries old, the colorful Santas are a more recent invention and take their cobalt-blue hue from Dutch potters. While the oldest figurines are most valuable, salt-glazed Santas are still in production today and can be purchased online. Collectible makers to look for are Eldreth Pottery Works, Rowe Pottery and Beaumont Brothers.

If, like us, you enjoy a good Christmas craft session, this easy project is one you can complete while watching your favorite holiday flick and enjoying a hot bevvy (boozy or not, your call!). Start with foam topiary forms from the craft store, then top with layers of felt in shades of blue, teal and white for a trendy ombré effect, or use a solid color for a more traditional look. Either way, these eye-catching trees will add a cheery pop of color and handmade touch to your holiday decor.

Easy to source secondhand, Royal Copenhagen annual Christmas plates are a favorite among holiday collectors. In production since 1908, the blue-and-white beauties are collected by many purely for decoration, but these bas-relief porcelain plates are, in fact, intended to be used as regular dinnerware. Their sturdy construction and high-fired glaze mean that even inherited or thrifted, decades-old plates can go in the dishwasher and are perfectly usable as a salad or dessert plate.

Follow our tips to craft this colorful garland — with pops of blue — that's sure to boost your foyer's cheer factor. And, bonus, we'll show you how to securely attach the ornaments so you can display this gorgeous garland year after year.

If you love the idea of incorporating vintage and antique items into your Christmas displays, you'll appreciate this clever idea from stylist Matthew Mead that transforms his collection of blue glass vases, urns, bottles and goblets into an eye-catching Christmas tree. A few silver ornaments scattered amongst the glassware completes the look.