These Christmas-At-Home Trends Will Still Give You All the Holiday Feels

‘Tis the season to be joyful and jolly, and that spirit doesn’t have to change – even if you’re staying home for the holidays this year. With a little planning and plenty of cool Christmas activities, decorations and food, Christmas-at-home can still be a special time for togetherness and tradition while staying as warm, safe and as healthy as possible. From festive at-home holiday decor ideas to virtual Christmas party games to Christmas activities for kids (and kids at heart), these Christmas-at-home trends will gift you with a season full of yuletide fun and feels.

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sisters playing holiday party games in blue living room at home

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A Little (Virtual) Christmas Competition

Many of us have embraced the power of video conferencing for work and school this year, so why not channel that capability into holiday fun? Get together – virtually – by playing Christmas party games with people who can’t be physically with you at home. Choose games that can be played easily over video chat – like trivia, bingo or charades – and be sure to give the game a holiday spin or theme to turn up the festive feel. Christmas Charades Game, Indigo, $13.

white table set with christmas decorations for dinner

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Make Meal-Time Memories

For many of us, sharing food is at the heart of a lot of our most-loved Christmas traditions. While you may not be able to sit at the same table with your loved ones this holiday season, you can share the same flavours with a creative virtual potluck. It’s simple: have everyone participating send out a favourite holiday recipe to the group in advance. Then, on the date, people can make each of the shared recipes in their own home. Come dinnertime, everyone will have the same tastes on the table, no matter where they are.

Couple enjoying popcorn while watching tv in front of Christmas tree

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A Merry Movie Festival

Is there anything cozier than cuddling up for a movie on a chilly day? Start a merry new Christmas tradition by planning a holiday movie-watching festival at home: choose one Christmas movie that you know you love that you can watch every year, and another that you’ve never seen before to switch things up. Throw in some festive popcorn, and you’ve got a new holiday home-theatre tradition in the making.

white advent calendar on wall in cozy white living room with grey couch

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Create a Custom Christmas Countdown

An advent calendar is a fun way to build up excitement and anticipation for the season – and it can be a special way to hype up the holiday cheer at home. A reusable advent calendar is a more eco-friendly version, and it lets you customize the daily surprises. Here’s how to make your own, or you can start with a calendar base and fill it with your own treasures year after year. Advent Calendar with 24 Pockets, Amazon, $34.

people making their own green wreaths on wood table

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Wreath Work

When you’re spending the holidays at home, you want to show off your festive spirit right from your front door – so why not create your own holiday wreath? Making your own Christmas door decoration is a fun Christmas activity for kids, and it’s a great way to get creative and set the tone for your holiday decor theme. Here are a few wreath ideas you can make (or buy) for less than $75.

plate of colourful Christmas cookies on green and red surface

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Start a Sweet Treat Exchange

Let’s face it: one of the main draws to all those holiday parties is the chance to sample a smorgasbord of holiday treats. Keep your season sweet by having an at-home holiday baking night and cookie exchange. Have each member of your household choose a festive cookie recipe (or a few), and then trade. If you have a lot of extras, you can always drop off a Christmas cookie care package at your friends’ doorsteps, too! Christmas Cookie Cutter Set, Amazon, $16.

cozy bedroom with green bed, green garland and white lights

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Light it Up

Twinkling lights

are the perfect way to illuminate your festive spirit, and they don’t have to be limited to your living room. Start a new Christmas tradition and create some holiday magic in your home by creating an indoor light display in unexpected places. Think twinkle lights in the kitchen or merry garland and lights in the bedroom.

boy hanging decoration on Christmas tree with candy canes

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Create a Candy Cane Hunt

Don’t over-think fun Christmas activities for kids at home. Instead, see if you can make a festive spin on tried-and-tested ideas from other holidays. One sweet example: create a scavenger hunt around the house for candy canes (a la an Easter egg hunt). Once found, the kids can hang the canes on your Christmas tree for easy, inexpensive holiday decor, too! Sour Patch Kids Candy Canes, Amazon, $16.

inflatable Christmas corgi decoration on snow in front of house

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Dress Up Your Outdoor Decor

If you’ve always dreamt of a super-festive holiday home, this could be the year to go all out. From fun holiday rooftop displays to kid-friendly inflatable decorations for your front yard, you can turn up the yuletide curb appeal to show your merry spirit all season long. Christmas Corgi 6-Ft. Airblown Yard Decoration, Amazon, $95.

handmade Christmas cards and paintbrush on wood surface

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Craft Your Cards

Is there anyone who doesn’t love to receive a thoughtful card this time of year? For a creative Christmas activity, forego the boxed cards this year and get crafty with personalized holiday cards. Here’s a how-to for some colourful card options from Tiffany Pratt.

green Christmas tree with red and DIY decorations

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Trim the Tree With DIY Ornaments

Trimming the tree is a timeless holiday tradition – why not make it more personal and an even more merry Christmas activity for kids by creating your own DIY ornaments? These DIY clay ornaments are simple (and inexpensive) to make, or you can start with blank wooden ornaments and let kids get creative with paint and glitter. 60-Pc. Paintable Wood Ornaments, Amazon, $20.

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Wrap it Up

Whether you’re sending out special gifts or you want to dress up the space under your own tree, choosing – or even making – your wrapping paper in a coordinated colour or pattern scheme can be a great Christmas activity. Here are some creative DIY wrapping paper ideas (made from items you already have at home) to get you started.

red stockings hanging from wooden shelf beside green Christmas tree

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Make a Mantel

No fireplace? No problem. You can still capture festive feels with a little creativity. Hanging or repurposing a shelf with coat hooks will do the trick when it comes to hanging holiday stockings with care, and it can be styled with merry decorations on top. Want to DIY some special mantel decorations? Try these easy DIYs from Tiffany Pratt for a couple of bright ideas. 4-Hook Shelf Coat Rack, Amazon, $40.

gingerbread houses and christmas decorations with candy

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Bake Your (Gingerbread) Dream Home

Creating a sweet gingerbread house is a classic Christmas tradition, but why not take it to the next level? Create a gingerbread mansion, gingerbread beach house or even a gingerbread village. Start with a sweet-and-spicy gingerbread recipe, and then go wild.

Cropped hands making colourful sequinned Christmas decoration on wood table

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Dreaming of a Bright Christmas

The fastest way to bring festive feels home is to style your house with plenty of seasonal cheer. While red-and-green is always classic, vibrant colour palettes are trending this year. To brighten up your home this season, try DIYing some rainbow-hued decorations for your tree or holiday table. This colourful DIY hanging Christmas tree idea from Tiffany Pratt is a great place to start.