5 Holiday Shelf Styling Tips

Since getting these art shelves a few months ago, I’ve been looking forward to styling them for the holidays. While it can be so fun, it can also be so overwhelming! To get you going, I’ve rounded up a few tips, as well as the ability to shop my shelves at the end of the post! More holiday decor to come 🙂

1. Gather All Decor

It helps to get a comprehensive view of everything you may have to work with. This may sound overwhelming, but I promise it actually helps with each phase of styling! 

I really focused on getting items that can last beyond the holidays. General winter photos – trees, deer, snow, etc. all accomplish this. Make the most of what you’re spending! At the same time, I still kept a lot of objects I have year-round.

2. Choose a Color Palette

These days, any color goes for holiday decor! This makes it harder to reign it in and create a cohesive look. For example, this year, I am weighing heavily on greens paired with leather and gold tones. So, an overall neutral shelf with pops of green and gold tie the whole room together. No matter what colors you go with – from bright, moody, to neutral – a base color and a metallic accent color is a good approach but don’t be afraid to explore!

3. Place Your Larger Items First

These items tend to be wall art, prints, or frames. A common mistake when styling a shelf is styling with too many objects. The more you have, the less of an impact each item makes. Placing the large items first allow you to have anchor pieces, to then fill in with accents. More on this.

4. Create Balance

Now that you’ve got your larger pieces up, focus on balance and visual weight. Because shelves offer a lot of space to fill, balance and visual weight play a big part in getting it right.

Think about symmetry. Not everything has to be perfect, but the ends of your shelves should be somewhat consistent in height and shape. For example, my shelves end in taller frames mixed with candle holders for height. You can layer items as well to accomplish depth and height.

With that in mind, place your smaller items in groupings based on color, material, and height. It may seem obvious, but having two gold items or two reindeer in one spot will make it feel heavy. Step back and take a look at placement to play with everything and don’t be afraid to mix groupings to not feel so placed.

Filling in the gaps with greenery stems is the easiest way to add some festive elements, and the stems make it so easy to place & adapt to your objects.

5. Display What You Love

The easiest way to fall in love with your shelves & feel accomplished is to display pieces that are important to you. This even applies to the holiday season. For example, I love the golden retriever drawing that looks just like Hudson, and it still emulates the holidays as the sleeping pup is so cozy. Mixing in past holiday photos is another nice touch. This will make your shelves truly your own!

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