Australian Christmas inspiration: Aussie festive styling ideas

Supported by Canberra Outlet

Are you ready to start decorating your home for the holiday season? Busy menu planning and prepping for your big celebration? With ‘Australian Christmas’ trending as a search term this year, it’s clear many of you are looking for inspiration and ideas to give your festivities an Australian vibe.  

I’ll take any excuse to get into the Christmas spirit so today I’m sharing all my favourite ideas to sprinkle some Aussie ambience over your Christmas home decorating and celebrations. From easy Christmas décor swaps to full-blown festive table styling, get ready to ramp up the Australiana festive meter to 10 thanks to Canberra Outlet!

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Adorn your Christmas tree in Australian ornaments

The hero of Christmas styling in most homes is the Christmas tree. So why not ditch traditional Christmas ornaments in favour of Australiana decorations?

From native animals, like the fun platypus wearing Christmas sweaters at Adairs, to the quirky farmer Santa with beer decorations at Bed Bath N’ Table, there are plenty of Australian Christmas tree ornaments in stores. And no, they’re not all gimmicky.

If you prefer your tree to have a traditional look and feel but still want to channel the local surrounds, you could incorporate chic tree picks of native berries and flowers instead. These are also a great way to add volume to your Christmas tree and maximise impact. 

Top tips to decorate an Australian Christmas tree:

• Choose the right tree: if you know you want to commit to Australian styling long term, why not invest in a Christmas tree that fits the style? Instead of a traditional pine Christmas tree, I’ve spied some great alternatives that incorporate native berries and foliage
• Go for Australian style ornaments: as I mentioned above, consider incorporating some Christmas hanging decorations with an Australian vibe
• Use native tree picks: eucalyptus, kangaroo paw or white wattle are just a few native tree stems or picks you can use to fill in the void spaces of your Christmas tree and give it an authentic Australian look
• Wrap Christmas gifts in an Australiana aesthetic: as Christmas approaches, gifts under the Christmas tree pile up. Continue your Australian look and feel beyond the tree and wrap your gifts in a way that speaks to your Australian style. This could be as simple as using plain paper in colours that are seen in nature, such as eucalyptus green or burnt orange, or more festive prints like native birds 
• Finish with native scent: finally, play to your sense of smell by spritzing a little pure essential oil around your tree in an Australian bush fragrance oil.

Dress an Australian Christmas table

Surely after the Christmas tree the next main attraction must be the Christmas table, no?

There are endless ways you can interpret Australian style to create your own Aussie-inspired table setting. Personally, I look to nature for inspiration to create an elegant Christmas table setting. But there’s no one formula to follow. 

Why not have fun and play around with pop-culture references, like from an iconic Australian TV show or band? Or show your local pride by decking your table in decor that draws from your city or natural surrounds? Have fun and you do you!

Australian Christmas table setting ideas:

• Earthy colour palette: unless you’re going down the pop-culture route, an easy way to channel Australian style is to embrace a colour palette that draws on colours from the land, sea or sky. For a native-inspired table think shades of green and rich browns, or for a coastal aesthetic opt for lighter blues and sand tones
• Natural centrepiece: for an effortlessly chic Australian Christmas centrepiece, you can’t go past some foraged (or faux!) items from nature. I placed eucalyptus stems down the table and added in pops of colour with native flowers. You could easily recreate this look using artificial branches and reuse them year after year
• Australian inspired tablecloth or table runner: not everyone likes to have a centrepiece taking up precious table real estate where food could be placed! If that’s you, consider using an Australian style tablecloth or table runner instead
• Christmas tableware: another idea is to use plates and tableware that draw on Australian references. Tip: find a range that doesn’t scream ‘Christmas’ so you can use them all year round
• Coloured glassware: alternatively, add a few pops of colour with your glassware. These green champagne coupes from Bed Bath N’ Table tie the colour palette of my Christmas table together
• Personalised place setting: you can add a personalised touch to your Christmas table with the smallest details. I placed a large eucalyptus leaf on top of each napkin and love the idea of writing guest names on the leaf (before you ask, those fab natural linen napkins are from Freedom)
• Australian Christmas bon bons: ditch traditional and pick up some native bird or fauna prints, like these ones I bought from Bed Bath N’ Table. I also found great options at Adairs and Freedom.

Essentially, you only need 3-5 references to your Australian theme or colour palette across the table to achieve a cohesive Australian Christmas table. If you’re working with a limited budget, look for simple décor swaps rather than more costly tableware. And don’t forget to take advantage of what’s freely available outside your doorstep that you can forage.

Ditch a Christmas wreath for a festive swag

Have you noticed that Christmas swags are trending this year? It’s a rustic alternative to the traditional Christmas wreath and can be used on your front door or as an elegant backdrop in your home.

You can find loads of different styles in store but to really channel Australian vibes, why not make your own using either artificial or natural branches of native flora? Or a combination of both! 

Making your own Christmas swag is as simple as laying your branches in a way you like on a flat surface and securing them all together using twine or rubber bands. Trim the ends so they’re even. Then cover the fastening with ribbon or fabric and hang it up!

You can also decorate your swag using a few Christmas ornaments, like bells or this adorable pink cockatoo I bought from Adairs.

Items you can use in your DIY Christmas swag:

• Eucalyptus branches
• Gum leaves
• Native flowers or berries
• Cotton stems
• Natural pinecones
• Burlap ribbon
• Bells or ornaments.

Make bushcraft decorations

Continuing with the DIY theme, another way you can add an Australian vibe to your festive styling is to make your own bushcraft decorations. You may recall these simple baubles I made using paper daises which just happen to be native to Australia.

This year, I also gave a plain wreath a little Australian touch by simply adding in a few gum leaves.

Depending on your crafting abilities — or more to the point, patience! — you’ll be able to find plenty of Christmas craft ideas on Pinterest to inspire you. Make an afternoon of it and get the kids involved. Or better yet, invite your girlfriends over and mix up some festive drinks (more on that next!).

Give the drinks menu an Aussie shake up

With your home styled in an Australian Christmas vibe, it’s time to think festivities. Christmas and party season go hand in hand, wouldn’t you agree?

Whether you’re serving up mocktails, cocktails, beer or something else, it’s easy to add a little Australian flavour (literally!) to your drinks menu! Your farmer’s market will have a fabulous selection of summer fruits and even bush herbs you could incorporate. And liquor stores now have a fabulous range of locally made spirits, craft beers and more.

Here’s an easy summer cocktail recipe you may like to try:

1. Marinate your summer fruits in vodka. I used strawberries and blueberries but raspberries and blackberries are also great.
2. Then fill a tumbler glass with ice. You can be a bit fancy with your ice and use a special mould. For example, I used an extra-large sphere ice mould to create round ice baubles.
3. Next, pour soda or tonic water until the glass is 2/3 full.
4. Finish with a dash of passionfruit pulp and extra vodka if you like.

Switch up the menu for Aussie faves

As well as giving your drinks an Australian flavour, naturally your Christmas menu should include iconic Australian dishes. Popular options include seafood, anything-BBQ, fresh salads, and pavlova.

Of course, if you prefer the classics, there are still ways you can Australia-fy them. Pineapple glazed turkey, anyone? Lemon myrtle-infused trifle? 

Tell me your favourite Australian Christmas recipe in the comments below. I’d love to try something new this year and we can all share our best kept secret recipes 😉

Other ways you can create a Christmas ambience with an Australian feel

These are plenty more ways you can give your Christmas celebration and home decorating an Australian vibe. Here are a few more ideas you may like to consider.

Australian Santa sacks or Christmas stockings

From festive Australian prints to solid colours inspired by nature, the classic Santa sack or Christmas stocking is another easy swap.

Festive fur friends

If you love any excuse to dress up your pets or treat them to new pet accessories, this is another area where you can add a little Australian Christmas aesthetic.

Play Aussie Christmas tunes

Get into the Australian Christmas spirit by playing tunes from our own artists. If you’re super organised, you can create a playlist ahead of time. Or with a home pod, like this Apple one I bought from JB Hi-Fi, you can simply ask Siri to do it for you. 

Outdoor Christmas display

Finally, you don’t need me to tell you that outdoor Christmas lights are an Australian tradition. There are 2 schools of thought when it comes to Christmas lights — the ultra-serious who want their houses to look incredible, and the light-hearted who aren’t afraid to embrace some giant inflatables and flashing lights galore. 

I hope this article has given you plenty of ideas on how you can capture your own essence of an Australian Christmas. Do you have more ideas to share? I’d love you to post a comment below.

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