Decorating for the holidays is one of my favorite activities. I love how warm and inviting my home looks after I have put up all my decorations. I love to add festive joy to each and every part of my home. By far, my favorite thing to do each year is my Christmas bookshelf decorations.
In my room, my bookshelves are the biggest feature. They sit across one wall and are the first things you see when you enter. So as the seasons change, so do my bookshelf decor. I have a whole box of Halloween/fall decorations, spring decorations, and winter decorations. I don’t really do anything for summer.
Even though I already have way more than enough Christmas bookshelf decorations, I am always on the lookout for something new each year. What can I say, I like shopping.
I get most of my inspiration for Christmas bookshelf decorations on bookstagram. Some creators have the coolest bookshelves and it gives me so many ideas for what I can do with my own. I also love looking at Pinterest.
I have gotten so many ideas this year, and I wanted to share them with everyone. So we can all enjoy some beautifully decorated holiday bookshelves.
At the time of writing this post, each option on this list is under 10 dollars on Amazon. This might fluctuate.
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Questions to Ask Yourself Before Decorating Your Bookshelves
Listen, bookshelf decoration should not be taken lightly, it is a very serious topic…
Nah, I’m just kidding. But if you want to have beautiful Christmas bookshelf decorations, there are a couple of things you should think of before starting.
- What color scheme am I going for?
- There are so many different color options you can use while decorating for Christmas.
- Red & green, silver & gold, or my personal favorite, the pastel Christmas aesthetic
- Think about what you want so you can create a cohesive look with your bookshelves.
- What do I need?
- I am guilty of not doing this… but look at the Christmas bookshelf decorations you already have in your collection.
- This is important so you can avoid overbuying.
- How much do I want to spend?
- It is definitely a luxury and a privlage getting to spend time and money decorating bookshelves, or having bookshelves at all.
- But if you are privilaged enough to be able to, figure out a budget before hand.
- It is so easy to click add to cart, so make sure you come up with a budget and stick to that number.
Holiday Decoration Ideas for Bookshelves
1. Lights!
My #1 favorite of all the Christmas bookshelf decorations out there are lights! Nothing screams the holidays more than lights. When I think of Christmas, I think of a huge tangled ball of lights that always has one bulb that doesn’t work.
So, I make sure to add some festive lights to my bookshelf each year.
You can go basic, like these fairy lights. These can be up all year round, and add some twinkle to your books. They even come in different colors or multi-colors. You can choose which one will go with your home decor more.
Or you can be a little fancier with string lights in different shapes. These lights from Amazon are shaped like snowflakes, but there are many other different shapes as well.
2. Garland or Tinsel!
Another great thing to hang around your bookshelf is tinsel or garland. Hanging this up with some lights creates such a festive holiday look for your bookshelves.
I love the look of this eucalyptus garland that could totally be hung year-round.
Add some red berries to it to add some Christmas cheer. And then after the new year, you can take the red berries out and leave the garland! Easy clean-up and a new decor piece for your bookshelves!
Or, add Christmas pom pom garland around your bookcases to add some color.
Another option is tinsel. If you like the shiner look during the holidays, hanging tinsel garland is perfect!
3. Mini Christmas Trees!
Another thing that screams the holidays for me is Christmas trees. But you can’t exactly put an entire Christmas tree on your bookshelf. Lucky for us, they make miny ones.
Personally, I am a huge fan of bottle brush Christmas trees. I love that they come in a huge variety of colors to match any home decor and Christmas decoration aesthetic. I even have some that are pink and white, to match my pastel holiday decorations.
But I also love these green bottle brush trees that look like they have been dusted in snow. Perfect for any color scheme you are going for this year.
4. Holiday figures!
You could create an entire winter wonderland on the shelves of your bookcases! Getting little holiday figurines like snowmen, reindeer, and more creates such an adorable and cozy vibe.
Of course, I am drawn to this duo of gnome shelf decorations. I adore that their feet can dangle over the side of the bookshelf. How cute are these!
But if you aren’t as obsessed with gnomes as I am you have a lot of options. I love this set of reindeer tea-light holders that fit perfectly with the farmhouse aesthetic of Christmas decorations.
Grab some fake tea lights, so you don’t burn all your books, and you have easily added some glow and festive cheer to your Christmas bookshelf decorations.
5. Wrapped Presents!
The best part about this idea is that it is completely free. Do you have some presents already wrapped and ready to go? Instead of putting them under the Christmas tree, where kids and pets have easy access, put them up on your bookshelf! Adding them in between books is a great way to add some holiday color.
Or, if you aren’t already prepared with gifts, because same, grab some of those old boxes from online shopping you have lying around and wrap them. This is a great way to recycle while also decorating your home.
6. Fake Snow!
Do you know those Christmas villages people set up? I have one in my home full of tiny holiday buildings and tiny Christmas trees. Well, to create the illusion of snow, people add fluff or blankets of white underneath. This would work just as well in bookshelves.
You can add it to the top of your shelves or on each shelf under the books, It will create the illusion of snow and it will make your bookcases a winter wonderland.
Bonus Tips for Decorating Your Bookshelves for Christmas
- Turn all your books backwards! With all the pages facing out, you have a clean slate to create whatever bookish Christmas aesthetic you want! Although it just might be more difficult to find what book you are looking for!
- Clear off one shelf and dedicate it to holiday decorations!
- Create a shelf of alternating red and white books to create candy cane stripes! Or Red and green! Or all three, red, white, and green!
I find so much joy in decorating for the holidays. It took me a while to figure out what I liked about home decor, but now that I have, I can feel my home coming together in a cohesive cozy space all for me.
I still have to restrain myself from buying every holiday thing I find in stores. Everything is so cute I want to buy out the Christmas section from every store I enter!
Hopefully, this list gave you some inspiration on how to decorate your bookshelves for Christmas!
If you do end up decorating, send me a picture over on Twitter or Instagram! I would love to see your Christmas bookshelf decorations!