As the countdown to Christmas begins, the anticipation that comes with hunting out and dusting down the boxes marked 'Xmas' in storage is so exciting as it marks the start of festivities to come. As we move forward with new ways of living, Christmas is now, more than ever, time to be grateful for our families, friends and the beautiful planet we live on. With this in mind, we've selected some stylish holiday decorating ideas to bring joy to our homes year after year. 

Don't buy a Christmas door wreath that will need to be disposed of on the 12th day of Christmas, instead look for a faux wreath that can be packed away and brought down each year. If you can't bear to go without the welcoming fragrance of real greenery at the door, embellish a wicker crown with foliage and berries from your garden or local wood. Then strip it back when it's time to pack it away. 

Whether they are made of plastic or glass, fillable baubles are fun and quick to make. The best bit is they are a great sustainable decoration that can be updated with changing trends that come and go and be crammed with combinations of colour, theme or personalisation each holiday. 

Add candles to Christmas schemes to offer a warm traditional glow. The cosy ambience suits every Christmas decorating style and budget. Invest in good quality versions with long-lasting burn times or switch over to LED candles that look so real they even have poured wax and a flickering flame. 

What better way to count down to Christmas than with the same memory-making advent calendar that can be brought out and displayed every year. What's more, popping a tiny surprise in each box or pocket that's been carefully chosen for the recipient is so much more personal and heartfelt than a shop-bought throwaway version. 

Glittering strings of garlands are always handy to have as a go-to decoration that will transform your tree, mantel, banister and even table runner into a festive showstopper. Choose a gold tone, as it goes with any scheme and will instantly up the luxe factor. 

For back-to-basics, minimalist style, embrace the good old, paper decoration. From recycled paper chains to more elaborate honeycomb cut-outs these pretty ornaments are a sustainable choice that will always create a homespun feel. 

Inject the festive feeling into your bedroom with a novelty Christmas bedding set. Choose wisely by going for classic Christmas reds or neutrals such as grey and white in traditional patterns. You'll only get a month or so of use every season so shouldn't need to replace it for years to come. Always give it a machine wash as soon as it comes out of storage each year. 

 A faux pre-lit garland can be adorned with any piece of furniture to add natural colour and warmth. Use it to create a fabulous door frame, evoke a warm welcome on a hallway mirror, or even add atmosphere to a headboard in the bedroom. Add to the look by intertwining beautifully crafted decorations or colourful ribbons into the greenery. 

Okay, so gingerbread and spiced Christmas goodies probably won't last longer than a day during the holidays but hard-wearing cookware moulded into friendly festive characters can be used to bake up delicious treats for decades. Wrap them in greaseproof paper and store them with the Christmas decorations and they'll always be a cooking novelty too.

Pulling crackers at the Christmas table is a tradition that has been with us since the 17th Century. But nowadays we know that eco-friendly options will keep the jolly tradition and our planet alive. We love this idea of sewing a long-lasting fabric Christmas crown to wear during Christmas dinner. Take a look at Hobbycraft for the full pattern and video tutorial. Children will love festive-themed fabrics too. 

LED string lights AKA fairy lights create atmosphere and warmth whatever the season so don't even need to be packed away with the rest of the decorations. But mixing them up with other sparkling or rustic ornaments completes the magic – it just wouldn't be Christmas without them. 

Decorations with a personal touch or inscription can be used year after to bring back beautiful memories of Christmas' gone by. Whether it's a bauble that marks moving into a new home, a lantern burn for every year you've been together or a a cuddly ornament to celebrate someone's first Christmas on the planet, they will become decorations to cherish the older they become. 

Swapping out kitchenware come December starts the Christmas cheer and jazzes up the heart of the home. Novelty mugs, cake tins and linens matched to the colour of your kitchen should only need to be updated if you install new cabinetry and that doesn't happen often, does it? 

Put together a beautiful Christmas table setting that stays in style year after year. Choose traditional Christmas colours of red and green or snowy white and set a welcoming centrepiece with galvanised lanterns for a rustic glow that will never tire. 

One-of-a-kind, hand-painted baubles that cost a tad more than a run of the mill box set from a department store are worth investing in. Not only will they most likely act as a unique focal point, if looked after, can be handed down the generations and become priceless to your family. 

Just like the great outdoors, a Christmas decorating scheme inspired by a woodland winter landscape will never go out of fashion. Choose decorations with organic colour tones in natural materials and use them to adorn as much natural greenery as possible. 

Spell out a Christmas greeting for a fun way to spread the Christmas message. Unleash your artistic side; chalk up an attractive welcome with illustrative holly on a blackboard, switch on a glowing sign in the porch or get together at the kitchen table and cut out letters to hang over the mantel that you can display each year. 

Santa and his reindeer, winter creatures or more fairytale folk such as the Nutcracker soldier are classic characters that will always make children and adults alike feel warm inside. Whether they make appearances as tiny tree decorations or larger novelty statues by the door these seasonal celebrities will always be welcome stars of the Christmas show. 

Christmas pillows and cushion covers will give your living room a merry makeover and get your sofas and armchairs ready for the holidays. As long as you pick out the soft furnishings to match your decorating scheme they too can be used year after year. 

The Christmas Eve box is a fairly new festive tradition but we guess that it is here to stay. Goodies that go inside on 24th December will probably change as the year's pass but the box can be used over and over and will become as familiar as Christmas stockings and sacks on the mantel.

DIY tree decorations are given so much TLC that spots on the tree must be reserved for them forevermore. Due to their hand-made quality, they may be more delicate than other ornaments so always handle and package up with care to keep them for as long as possible.

Create beautiful wall art to switch up your gallery walls at Christmas. This traditional wood slice will give your backdrop a winter-wonderland twist that you'll always be proud to display. For a full how-to tutorial visit Rust-Oleum. 

Look out for Christmas trinkets that you can add to every year. It could be a flurry of snow globes, a host of heavenly angel ornaments or,  we love this idyllic row of Scandi-style, house-shaped lanterns that could grow into a whole festive ceramic village. 

Hanging stockings from the mantel on Christmas Eve for Santa to fill is probably one of the most iconic scenes of the festive season, so recreating the setting for tradition's sake is a must. Knitted Fair Isle patterns are ultra authentic and will never go out of style.

Red, green and gold are probably the most iconic Christmas colours and so will fill your home with traditional festive vibes from now until eternity. Think berry coloured fabrics and rich green foliage mixed with luxurious metallics and you can't go wrong. 

Loved this? Checkout these thrifty and amazing ideas to deck the halls on a budget