Ina Garten's Favorite Christmas Decorations and Ornaments

Ina Garten's Favorite Christmas Ornaments

The holiday season is Ina Garten's favorite time of year. The beloved Barefoot Contessa host and cookbook author thoroughly enjoys decorating her home in East Hampton for Christmas. Over the years, she has collected many special christmas ornaments that hold sentimental value and perfectly capture the spirit of the season.

Nostalgic Glass Ball Ornaments

No Christmas tree would be complete without classic glass ball ornaments. Ina chooses timeless decorations in red, green, gold, and silver hues. These bring back fond memories of Christmases past while looking elegant against the fresh pine tree in her living room. The light catches the shiny surfaces, making them sparkle beautifully. Friends and family members have gifted Ina rare antique glass ornaments over the years as well which hold special meaning for her.

Whimsical Handmade Ornaments

In addition to traditional glass balls, Ina's tree showcases fun handmade ornaments with unique shapes and designs. There is a sweet angel made from shells that was a gift from her niece one year. Her friend Dorothy handcrafted a beautiful red velvet heart with pearl accents. And fans have sent Ina homemade christmas decor inspired by recipes from her cookbooks over the years, including tiny fondant rolling pins and sparkly mixing bowls.

Nostalgic Wooden Ornaments

Simple wooden holiday decorations are another staple for Ina’s Christmas trees. She has collected vintage wooden carved ornaments like nutcrackers, rocking horses, and angels over many years of celebrating the season. The nostalgic designs are a nice complement to the more elegant glass balls and playful handmade ornaments. Ina especially loves finding unique German smoked wooden ornaments when she travels to add to her collection.

Personalized Ornaments

Some of Ina's most special christmas decor pieces are ornaments personalized with family names or photos. She has beautiful glass photo ornaments featuring her friends and loved ones. Other personalized ornaments include her dogs' names in whimsical fonts and shapes. And her 2018 ornament is an elegant glass disc engraved with “Ina & Jeffrey” to commemorate her husband. These personal, sentimental touches make the tree even more meaningful.

The Perfect Tree Topper

No Christmas ensemble is complete without a showstopping tree topper. Rather than an angel or star, Ina chooses unique food-inspired toppers. Previous years have featured a handmade christmas wreath made from delicate gumpaste fondant baking tools. She has also showcased gorgeous sugar flower arrangements. And her 2022 tree is topped with a sparkling crystal rendition of a perfectly glazed christmas ham surrounded by pine sprigs and red berries. This plays off her fame as the Barefoot Contessa cook while adding a mouthwatering culinary touch!

How Ina Decorates Her Home for the Holidays

In addition to a beautifully decorated tree, Ina Garten puts much thought into holiday decor throughout her home. She enjoys the process of transforming her house into a winter wonderland and coming up with creative, unique ways to showcase her style.

Festive Floral Arrangements

One of Ina’s signatures is large, lush floral centerpieces made from seasonal blooms and accents. Her massive dining room table will feature grand white hydrangea arrangements mixed with sparkling Christmas ornaments and pine sprigs. The neutral palette is warmed up with pops of tart cranberry and vibrant red amaryllis blossoms. Elegant white orchids and pale blue thistles add striking contrast next to rich green leaves and accents of gold or silver. Ina works with her favorite florist each year to design dazzling displays that make a statement while still feeling airy and fresh rather than too heavy or cluttered with decor.

Natural Accents

In addition to Christmas trees, Ina utilizes other natural elements like pinecones, cinnamon sticks, cranberries, and fresh greenery to provide organic texture throughout her home’s holiday decor. Simple touches like a wooden bowl filled with pinecones and glass vases overflowing with red winterberries make perfect countertop or console table vignettes. Garlands trimmed with tart cranberries and fuzzy green cedar adorn mantles and stair railings. The natural materials blend beautifully with Ina’s signature neutral color palette while infusing rooms with the essence of winter and the great outdoors.

Pops of Plaid and Tartan

While Ina is known for her elegant, everyday style of dressing, even she can’t resist incorporating some festive patterns into her christmas decor. Classic red and green buffalo check plaid make an appearance in table runners and pillows. Ina sets a beautiful holiday tablescape with vintage English Spode “Christmas Tree” China on white linen runners embroidered with red tartan plaid. Mini tartan pillows with red velvet backs provide extra festive flair when styling sofa and chair groupings. The joyful patterns provide lively contrast to Ina’s predominately neutral palette.

Lit Garlands and Twinkling Lights

No Christmas is complete without plenty of cozy, ambient lighting. Ina decks exterior porches, doors, and landscaping with miles of little white lights. Flickering electric candles shine in each window frame as well. Inside, a garland entwined with warm white lights winds down the staircase. Ina wraps ribboned evergreen swags lit with tiny LED lights around arched doorways between rooms. Flowing garlands accented with cherry red bows and lights adorn fireplace mantles. The strategic lighting casts each room in a magical glow that feels especially enchanting at night.

Handcrafted Decor Touches

In addition to store-bought holiday accessories, Ina cherishes special handmade christmas touches from loved ones. Her friends will knit plush red stockings with the names of Ina, her husband, and their dogs appliquéd on the cuffs. The hand-knit stockings get hung with care above the living room fireplace. Friends also gift Ina with unique handmade tree skirts, glass glittered candle holders, and swags of fresh evergreen branches and winter holly berries. The personal, homemade accents make decorating even more meaningful for Ina.

Bringing the Outdoors In

Living in the Hamptons with a sprawling property overlooking the ocean, Ina Garten makes an effort to incorporate the natural beauty of the outdoors into her christmas interior décor. The cold snowy views outside her windows provide endless inspiration for creating a magical winter wonderland aesthetic inside as well.

Evergreen Trees and Seasonal Greenery

Ina uses fresh-cut evergreen trees, garlands, and wreaths made from noble fir, cedar, pine, juniper berries, magnolia leaves, winterberries and pinecones gathered from the woods surrounding her home. The organic textures and woodsy scents transport you straight into a peaceful forest setting. Accenting the greenery with natural elements like cinnamon sticks, dried fruit slices, and velvety red winterberries provides organic splashes of Christmas color.

Foraged Accents

Closer to the holidays Ina will send Jeffrey out with garden clippers in hand to forage for weather-resistant greenery around their property. The collected branches of cedar, winter jasmine, curly willow, red twig dogwood, and magnolia get used to create gorgeous natural wreaths, garlands, and arrangements. Ina also keeps an eye out for unique pinecones, acorns, seed pods, curly vines and lichen covered branches on her long beach walks with her dog. The foraged materials add organic texture and bring the essence of the magical outdoors into Ina’s christmas decor.

Coastal Touches

To play up the beach house location, Ina loves incorporating natural elements gathered along the seaside into her holiday aesthetics. She arranges votive candles inside weathered oyster shells collected from the beach down the road. Nets of shiny shells and sea glass become tree skirts or get draped along stair banisters. Ornaments featuring lighthouses, sailboats, sea creatures, and shells remind you that the ocean is just beyond the snow-covered sand outside.

Winter White and Silver

The wintery world outside Ina’s windows undoubtedly influences her color scheme each Christmas. She gravitates towards a winter white and icy silver palette pairing perfectly with her weathered wood furniture and coastal decor. Crisp white linens contrast beautifully with the fresh green fir trees and garlands dotted with pinecones and bright red winter berries. Accents of sparkling silver and crystal catch the glow from candlelight and fireplaces around her home. Ina sets the scene flawlessly, transporting you into a snow-globe world of holiday magic.

FAQs

What is Ina Garten's favorite holiday?

Christmas is Ina Garten's favorite holiday. She thoroughly enjoys decorating her East Hampton home and entertaining loved ones during the Christmas season.

Where does Ina Garten get inspiration for her Christmas decor?

Ina pulls inspiration from nostalgic, handmade, and natural decor elements. She also incorporates coastal accents and colors from the wintery outdoors surrounding her home.

What is Ina Garten's signature Christmas floral arrangement style?

Ina creates lush, grand floral centerpieces often featuring white hydrangeas, red berries, sparkling ornaments, and fresh pine mixed in elegant glass vases or bowls.

What handmade touches does Ina Garten incorporate?

Ina cherishes handmade stockings, knitted goods, glass candle holders, wreaths, and greenery arrangements gifted to her each Christmas by loved ones.