Many moons ago my husband and I went into one of the first Christmas shops that sprang up in touristy places like York and the Cotswolds to cater for people who think a twelve day festive season is just 353 days too short. Dazzled by the selection, I bought just one thing and it’s become the very bone of Christmas contention every year since…
My Sherlock Holmes ornament.
In short, my dear reader, it would be elementary to say my husband finds the dangly detective – brown suit, gold embellished deerstalker hat (see below) – a veritable crime against Christmas. I adore it and will get on the case when I find he’s been moved to the back of the tree, again.
I can’t wait to tell my husband that his preference for pared-down Christmas tree decor – gold, red and silver baubles, white lights, silver beads with a star on top – is so last year. In 2023, we’re seeing some weird and wonderful decorations which are so wacky, they make Sherlock Holmes appear tame and tweedy.
Stylish foodies to Harry Styles, Baker St to French bakery…retailers catering for every taste this Christmas
Stockists; Weird and Wonderful box; top left (£30), Nutcracker Christmas Shop Harry Styles bauble (£22) and croissant (£14) both Rockett St George Pigs in Blankets (£6.50), Etsy Cafetiere (£8.95), Graham & Green Sherlock Holmes (£10), Scottishchristmas.com
Be of good cheer folks as 2023 sees the advent of ‘quirky Christmas’.
Rock star baubles (Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Harry Styles are in the ‘iconic’ line-up at Rockett St George) foodie-themed ornaments, Blue Planet-inspired creatures from the deep are just some of the eccentric yuletide themes for people who fancy going OTT on their unsuspecting Christmas tree.
Stockists; Cockerel (12.95) Graham and Green, Bourbon biscuit (8.75), Sass & Belle, burgundy headphones (£4.99) Ginger Ray, Sohni shell baubles (£26) Nkuku, Guinea pig with hat (£12) Fortnum & Mason, Dinosaur (£6), M&S, lobster and candy floss machine (both £3), Flying Tiger, Copenhagen, two felt mugs (£13.88) Cox & Cox, sausage dog (£6) Accessorize, Gin cocktail (£7.50) Oliver Bonas, Elton (£25), Rockett St George
Hanging bourbon biscuits and sea turtles ornaments amongst the Santa heads and candy canes might seem a bit ‘out there’ but – after some incredibly tough years (has anyone still got a Santa ornament wearing a face mask?) – putting the jolly back into Christmas makes perfect sense.
“Quirky Christmas décor is the perfect way to add a touch of fun to festive celebrations,” says Pippa Masson, digital content creator for Fizzbox.
“There’s a brilliant choice of non-traditional Christmas ornaments and decorations available in the shops these days, including festive dinosaurs, glittery fast food items, parrots, mushrooms, dachshunds and even mini coffee machines. Cheerful and playful pieces will always raise a smile.”
Hannah Bartlett and sister Jo Beker , who run the glorious Christmas-themed blog Jolly Festive , have been visiting Christmas trade fairs all year and they’ve identified 23 new decorating trends for ’23. The majority (20 of the 23 by my reckoning) are bigger, bolder and brighter.
“We’ve noticed that people are embracing more colour into their celebrations – and why not? it’s such a dark and dreary time of year,” Hannah says.
“With seemingly relentless doom and gloom in the press, we all need a bit of whimsical Christmas cheer and escapism in our lives.”
Jo agrees: “There will always be a whole heap of nostalgia in our Christmases but seeing people experiment and leaning into the fun of the season is just brilliant,”
“Decorating with bright, happy colours a fun and unashamedly youthful aesthetic and very ‘us’ – we’re definitely here for it!”
And Jo and Hannah’s tip for the most prolific of Christmas decorations this year – ‘fun’-gi of course (pun intended).
Stockists; Three purple mushrooms (£10), Argos, Mushroom bottle (£8), John Lewis, 4 mushroom clip-on lights (£14.95), Graham & Green, embellished mushroom (£8), Accessorize, hanging wooden mushrooms (£10.50), Folksy
Jolly Volley has visited a few (okay, a lot) of shops, markets and Instagram accounts in order to bring to you eight of my favourite 2023 Christmas themes from the quirky to the quintessentially stylish.
All the decorations will be served with a side-helping of cut-price alternatives sourced at my local TK Maxx in Derby. I’m calling the luxury decorations ‘Christmas’ and the cut-price alternatives ‘Crimbo’ although I’ve tried to steer away from anything too expensive in both categories.
Theme 1. Food & drink
Our national obsession with all things food (and drink) has spilled out onto our Christmas trees.
There really is something to cater for every taste (sorry about the puns – but it is Christmas) from fast food to broccoli florets but the trend also includes a plethora of kitchen gadgets ornaments including coffee makers, food mixers, pop-corn machines and scales.
I’m guessing these offerings are bought as zany gifts to reflect the culinary passions of the recipient. Just for the record, I’m definitely more ‘tin of caviar’ than ‘half-eaten burrito’ – yes, both are available as baubles (see caviar below).
Christmas; food mixer (£9.25) Sass & Belle, sausage and mash (£8), John Lewis, tin of caviar £14.99, Sous Chef, woven lemon (£12) Anthropology, fig ornament (£15), Fortnum & Mason
Crimbo; asparagus £3.39, pretzel wagon £3.99, Sass & Belle turkey £3.99 – all TK Maxx, Derby
Theme 2 – ‘Beyond’
According to John Lewis (who coined this phrase) the ‘beyond’ trend encompasses ‘things you’ve never seen before’.
As their Beyond range includes robot ornaments, I’m taking this to mean anything other-worldly/sci fi. Not to take issue with John Lewis but I’m 59 and I have seen it all before. There’s a kitsch 50s/60s retro ‘Forbidden Planet’ feel about the silver space rockets and little green men available in many of the shops; but they are all beyond cute.
Christmas; Martian in a spaceship (£15.06) Etsy, Sleigh No More Spaceship, (£4.95) Ohh Deer, Beyond Christmas robot snow globe (£8), and blue planet (£8) both John Lewis, Father Christmas in a rocket (£9.95), Nest.
Crimbo; robot snow globes £9.99 (available in blue and red), beaded astronaut (£3.49), Santa astronaut £3.99, by Sass & Belle…all TK Maxx. NB; the robots are actually more expensive than John Lewis (above) but they are almost twice the size…
Theme 3 – Metallic silver/winter wonderland
I know what you’re thinking, silver has always been a Christmas colour but this is so much more than the odd strip of angel hair on the tree.
This is all-out, heavy metallic; silver trees, silver reindeers, silver baubles, foil wreaths, over-sized stars, candle-holders etc.
‘Silver is a great option for a modern’ style (interior) where monochrome tones or colder colours (whites, grey) are dominant,’ says Sam Hood, co-founder and chief creative officer at Amara
‘Silver can add a touch of luxury to your home…it’s much less traditional in festive decor than gold so it can be used a bit more freely in your design.’
Jack D. March, interiors and lifestyle content creator from York, has fully embraced the ‘silver era’.
“I decided to go for an all silver theme to be sustainable – I got all the items last year, red and silver were on the mantle,” says Jack when I why he chose a silver theme for his door (see Jack’s Insta feed for images of his latest Christmas mantle).
“As the door is a summery colour, I thought the red wouldn’t work so I decided to use metallics to tone in with the gold and the yellow of the door.”
Jack spent more than two hours ‘tweaking’ the garland into position followed by two showers to remove the glitter, but it was worth it. The result isn’t just sustainable, it’s stunning.
Christmas; Light up brush trees forest (£75), Cox & C0x, galaxy silver star light (£65), Idyll Home , jewelled garland, (£38), Cox & Cox, 10ft tree (£305.99) We R Christmas, glitter ball (£24.95) Graham & Green
Crimbo; Eau de Parfum (£3.99), reindeer bauble (£2.99), acorn (£3.49), love (£3.49), fairy (£7.99), reindeer (£5.99), wreath (£19.99), cluster of trees/hearts (£6.99), string of bells – frosted and plain versions, both (£7.99), snowflake (£3.99), bottle brush trees (£12.99) all TK Maxx.
Theme 4 – Dopamine décor
We’re talking big, bold in-your-face colour; the more primary and cartoon-y the better.
Karen Thomas, head of design for M&S Home, told Ideal Home magazine that more of their customers want Christmas items which encapsulate, ‘A playful approach to the festive season, maximalist designs and eclectic styling.”
‘Dopamine décor’ is the perfect theme for people who think Christmas is the time to unleash your inner toddler.
And perhaps they’re right. If you think Christmas is all about polite restraint and paring-back – you’re probably not doing it right.
Christmas; Merry and Bright (£9.95) The Inkability Emporium, pom poms lights (£34.95), Not on the High St, rainbow time capsule baubles pack of 40 (£16), John Lewis, felt Christmas angel tree topper (£14.99) Ginger Ray, glitter dinosaur Accessorize, Sleigh No More Super Santa (£8.99) Sass & Belle from Decor et more
Crimbo: pom pom bauble (£3.49), ‘Joy’ cushion (£12.99), Yo Yo Santa £3.99) tiny bells bauble (£3.99) – sorry didn’t get a price for those massive red bauble-y things….they were about two ft long and weighed about the same as a small child so I’m guessing they’ll still be there if you want them – all from TK Maxx, Derby.
Theme 5 – Royal fairy-tail
This is not about those classic ornaments that hang from the grand tree at Balmoral (I’m guessing- oddly enough, I’ve never been invited).
This ‘fairy-tale’ theme is about story-book/panto royalty as symbolised by carriages, castles and crowns. Sorry kids, as much I’d love it if elephants, tigers, peacocks and swans were really strolling round the grounds of Buckingham Palace, it’s more likely to be security guards and aged gardeners in corduroy slacks.
Christmas; Kitsch frog prince (£15) Posh Totty Designs, peacock (£19.95) Graham & Green, Royal fairy tale Santa’s castle (£30) and golden lion (£8), both John Lewis, St Edward’s Crown 24 carat gold finish (£55), The London Christmas Company
Crimbo; royal phone box (£3.99) king (£1.99), leopard (£3.99), swan (£3.99), goose (£3.49) – all TK Maxx
Theme 6 – Nutcracker ballet
They are not new but – in 2023 – Nutcracker soldiers have conquered Christmas.
Searches for ‘Nutcracker’ have risen 376% on Pinterest over the last three month (Sept-Nov), according to online discounts platform, Wethrift.
According to interiors magazine ‘Your Home Style’ this ‘whimsical but traditional style is definitely one of the top Christmas trends for 2023’.
You can also fill your dance card with other members of the cast; the shops are full of sugarplum fairies and I’ve even seen some snazzy Mouse Kings. Moreover, if you or your daughter has ever danced the lead in the Nutcracker, talented Etsy ceramist Lauren McHale can immortalise your very own ‘Clara’ by making a bespoke figurine wearing your costume (see below – they are gorgeous).
Almost makes me wish I’d kept up the classes.
Christmas; Customised Clara ornament (£140.63), Etsy, Nutcracker table decorations (£12.50), Bunting & Barrow, Dancing Nutcracker mouse (£14.99), Decor et more, Nutcracker soldier (£9.99) Sugarplum fairies (£12.99) large Nutcracker soldiers £29.99, all Dobbies.
Crimbo; Nutcracker snow globe £12.99, glittery Nutcracker soldier (£6.99), and Nutcracker soldiers from £7.99 depending on size…all TK Maxx.
Theme 7 – Blue Christmas
Hannah and Jo (Jolly Festive) predict ‘blue’ Christmas will be one of the biggest holidays trends this year. It certainly everywhere in the shops; shades ranging from cool ‘ice’ blues through to cobalt blue and white Chinois ornaments.
But how do you style it?
“My favourite way to use blue in our holiday decor is to pair royal blue, with shades of turquoise, silver, and white,” writes Megan Duesterhaus (see picture below) on her blog The Homes I Have Made.
“Not only can blue stand on its own when complimented with neutrals and metallics but it also pairs with a variety of bright colours such as green, red, and pink.”
Top left: Megan @thehomesihavemade
Top right; Stacy @thehollyandivyhome
Bottom left; Courtney @tuftandtrim
Bottom right; Angie @southvintage51
Christmas; Beyond blue baubles (£24), for 20, John Lewis, Spode bauble (£11.20) Spode, 6 mini baubles £12, Arthur Cameron, dark blue glitter ball with stars (£2.25), Notrunofthemill.com, frozen blueberry garland (£12.99) Charlies, Merry Christmas garland (£19.99) Ginger Ray
Crimbo; blue bauble (top left – £2.99) shiny blue bauble (£2.49), blue heart (£3.99), doll £3.99, peacock bauble (£2.99) all TK Maxx
Theme 8 – All creatures great & small
For the last few years we’ve all become used to woodland creatures creeping into our Christmas scenes. This Christmas, you’ll be able to home a veritable Noah’s Ark cast of creatures on your tree.
Hamsters in crowns, beaded snails and blue felt octopi are all very well but I can’t help imagining your face when ask the shop assistant if they have any ‘festive crabs’.
Of course, ‘animal’ decorations aren’t new. In 2018, journalist Chelsea Ritschel noted millennials were turning their backs on reindeers and Santa ornaments in favour of ‘unicorns and mermaids’.
But, back then, Chelsea noted a tension between the ‘festive llama’ brigade and the baby boomers clutching onto their glitter frosted fairies for dear life and moaning about the younger generation ‘ruining Christmas’.
What’s new in 2023 is that the ‘anything goes’ Christmas – putting up a tree covered in seahorses on November 1st – is completely okay. If sticking some some grinning felt badgers on a fluffy pink tree helps to distract you from all the awfulness of the past few years (Covid/cost of living crisis etc) – we’re behind you.
From felt mice to monsters of the sea – all forms of life can be on your tree this Christmas
Christmas; zebra (£13,) Amara, blue whale (£8), M&S, dapper felt woodland creatures (£3.95) West Elm, pink pig (£12.99) Etsy, Octopus (£9.95), Not on the High St, kingfisher (£11.95), Graham & Green, crocodile on a bike (£7.99) It’s all about Christmas, llama (£34.99) Decor et more, prawn (£13.10), Etsy, unicorn (£10), John Lewis, turtle (£11), Sass & Belle, dancing mice (£22), Cox & Cox
Crimbo; turtle (£3.99) Octopus (£3.99), pig (£4.99), cow (£3.99), mouse (£4.49), elephant (£3.49) – all TK Maxx
All that remains – whether you’ve opted for white candles in an ever-green garland simplicity or full space-age. glitter ball splendour – is to wish you a very Happy Christmas xxx
