Styling a Tealight Village for Fall & Christmas

In a recent post I asked readers if anyone was decorating their homes for Christmas yet? A reader from Canada wrote that she was full-on decorating for Christmas now that the Canadian Thanksgiving was over.

Of all the holidays, Christmas is the most “hands on”. For most of us the Christmas season starts right after Thanksgiving and that is when most of us begin to decorate.

This year, the American Thanksgiving is late, making the wait to go full-on Christmas in my house a little longer.

Even though I am excited to bring out the Christmas decor, I want to give Thanksgiving its due because it is my favorite holiday.

My mind is always on the lookout for ideas all year long for new decorating ideas or using what I already own, color combinations to use, pretty ribbons and creative ideas for decorating turkeys, trees, wreaths and more.

3 white ceramic houses displayed on open shelving in a kitchen.
Festive Christmas Shelf Decor Ideas

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This year I found one way I can get a start on Christmas without bypassing Thanksgiving. It is using my collection of white ceramic light-up houses. Last year I displayed the houses on my kitchen shelves.

white ceramic tea light houses lined up in a dough bowl on a living room console

This year I am using the houses on the sideboard in the living room.

Repurposed scrap wood becomes a Christmas card holder
Christmas Card Holder for a Mantel or Console Table

The decor I add to the top of the sideboard has to be on the short side since there is a wall mounted, swinging TV above it. Last year I made a Christmas card holder for the top.

Ceramic Christmas village used with colorful fall leaves to be used for autumn decor in a home.

Using colorful fall leaves in a long wood dough bowl with my small collection of houses reminds me of one line in the Christmas poem, The Night Before Christmas … As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly.

So in my mind knowing this allows me to mix fallen leaves with what is normally considered Christmas decor. :-)

How to Display a Christmas Village in a Dough Bowl

how to raise a set of white Christmas village houses in a dough bowl to create a holiday display.

My light-up houses are not very large. To make them level with the top of my 30″ long x 8″ wide dough bowl, I placed two long pieces of scrap wood into the bowl as a riser.

Light up ceramic village display ideas for a mantle or table for both fall and Christmas decor.

Then I added colorful leaves I found outside to fill the dough bowl and hide the scrap wood riser. Faux fall leaves would work just as well.

Light up ceramic village display ideas for both fall and Christmas decor.

At night the line up of houses becomes a village that looks so cozy and perfect for celebrating Thanksgiving at home.

Light up white ceramic village used for fall decoration on a table.

My collection is a mix of houses. I bought the smaller ones at HomeGoods. They are battery operated with an on/off switch on the bottom.

The larger houses I bought at Kohls this year. They require a real or battery-operated tealight candle to be inserted inside each house. Links to all at the end of the post.

When Thanksgiving is Over

Christmas tabletop display using white ceramic houses lined up in a dough bowl with greenery around them.

On the day after Thanksgiving, presto – chango…

Christmas tabletop display using white ceramic houses lined up in a dough bowl with greenery around them.

…I can change out the fall leaves with real or faux Christmas greenery.

White Tealight houses for Christmas decor.

Simple and classic for the Christmas season.

Christmas tabletop display using white ceramic houses lined up in a dough bowl with greenery around them.

You can even add some faux snow or glitter to the display. When I do make this change, I may even add a red velvet bow in front of the dough bowl.

Do you have a collection of light-up houses or a Christmas village you put out on display every year? If so, how do you display them in your house?

styling a tealight village in different ways for the holidays

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3 Comments

  1. Sue Bauman says:

    Beautiful results! Looks like I will be hitting up my Kohl’s store!

  2. I loved this post! I enjoy decorating my home for various occasions/holidays thru out the year. The houses are great because they offer so many options for various decorating options.

  3. I love this idea!! 🍁🎄. So simple and impactful!!!
    I do start Christmas decorating early. I usually have a tree up either the day after Thanksgiving or if it’s not at my house then before for sure!! Can’t help it 🎄🎄🎄. Thank you for a new idea to use.