• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • DIY Home Projects
  • Recipes
  • Christmas
  • About

Craving Some Creativity logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • DIY Home Projects
  • Recipes
  • Christmas
  • Home Tour
  • About
  • Free Email Series
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Home Decorating » Christmas Decorating

    Published: Nov 20, 2019 · Modified: Dec 19, 2022 by Rachel

    Scottish Christmas Decorations

    This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure.
    590 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Scottish Christmas Decorations inspired by my family’s tartan. Tour our holiday dining room decked out in traditional Scottish holiday motif. Oh what fun it is to celebrate the holiday spirit and our family heritage.

    Interesting Fact: In Scotland, Christmas did not become a public holiday until 1958.

    You probably didn’t expect a history lesson when visiting a DIY blog, but I’ve done my research into this year’s Christmas decorations. Welcome to my Tartan Scottish Christmas dining room! I’ve had a blast decorating this area with some heritage items, both new and old in new ways.

    Tartan themed Christmas dining room decor. Natural light dining room furniture with dark blue painted walls.

    Table of Contents

    • The Dining Room Christmas Makeover
    • Scottish Christmas Inspiration
    • Family Christmas Traditions
    • If you would like to mix in some Scottish flavor or just love the traditional Christmas vibe, you can find all of our inspired décor choices here:

    The truth is I’ve been looking forward to this year’s Scottish Christmas theme for a year! Yes, a full year!

    I was supposed to start the dining room makeover last February. I put a mood board together, decided colors, and was ready to go!

    And then…

    Life happened and priorities changed. Such is DIY life.

    The Dining Room Christmas Makeover

    So about 6 weeks ago, I finally started working on the dining room. Check out the “before” here. We painted the walls a dark denim blue color (Van Deusen Blue by Benjamin Moore). We also installed wainscoting because it used to oddly end in the middle of the wall. (Why did they do that?!)

    Christmas table centerpiece made with tartan plaid, red berries, bay leaf garland,  and reindeer.

    The dining room table is also the biggest change in the room. Originally a dark brown, I stripped it and created a raw wood finish, which you can see the tutorial in the link.

    Christmas table decoration centerpiece with gingerbread house., crystal goblets, and tartan plaid napkins tied with green ribbon and a jingle bell.

    Scottish Christmas Inspiration

    Beyond the makeover, I wanted to incorporate some of my heritage with a Scottish Christmas decor theme. The last few years my parents have renewed interest in researching our family history by attending Scottish Festivals, researching our family tree back centuries, and engaging in long conversations about the storied history of Scotland.

    It made perfect sense to me to imbue some of that history into our holiday celebrations. I love incorporating items that tell our stories in our homes. For this theme, I incorporated several elements that set the scene as both traditional and Scottish.

    Christmas plaid table settings with a Scottish Tartan theme including dress stewart clan napkins, hunter green ribbon, and jingle bell place holders.

    The napkins include our family tartan. I made these Dress Stewart Clan Napkins here. I love that you can adjust the printed size to as large or small as you like, although they are quite a splurge price wise.

    A hunter green satin ribbon (found here) adorns the napkins, while little bells are a bit of an ode to Hogmanay or Scottish New Year. Because Christmas was banned for nearly 400 years in Scotland, Hogmanay is the much bigger celebration, and it is unique to the lands.

    Close up of Christmas dinner table décor and place settings. Gingerbread house on pedestal in background.

    The centerpiece is a mix of artificial cedar garland, olive leaf garland, and red berry sprigs. While reindeer are known to inhabit much of northern Eurasia and Scandinavia, Scotland is known for its mighty and majestic Red Deer, so I added some to the garland.

    Traditional Tartan Plaid Christmas Table Decorations. Wrapped Christmas gifts and plaid wrappings and ribbon in front of dressed table.

    Food and drink are important to the merry celebrations. The goblets (these footed goblets are similar) are one of my favorite additions this year for dressing up our Christmas Punch.

    Family Christmas Traditions

    Modern traditional Christmas dining room with Christmas plaid, goblets, a gingerbread house, and a small lighted Christmas tree in a corner.

    Everything just feels so much more magical under the sparkle of Christmas lights, doesn’t it? I added our Christmas Tree Advent Calendar to this year’s dining room. It feels like the perfect home.

    Christmas gingerbread house centerpiece on a white pedestal. Red ribbon and red berry sprig for accent.

    This isn’t specifically Scottish, but we decorate a gingerbread house every year. Much like our gingerbread ornaments, the Christmas-ey smell gets me every time.

    Interestingly, no one ever eats the gingerbread house after it’s decorated. Never. Does anyone actually eat them?

    Christmas tiered tray on top of a small hutch in the din9ng room with boxwood wreath and paperwhites.

    We don’t have room for a full hutch in the dining room, so I just have a little cabinet in the corner.

    The holidays are my favorite time of year to see the house aglow, but this year seems extra special because of the nostalgia behind many of our decorations.

    It’s finally feeling like it’s all coming together. Which, makes sense, because that’s one of the best parts about the holidays.

    If you would like to mix in some Scottish flavor or just love the traditional Christmas vibe, you can find all of our inspired décor choices here:

    • Stewart Dress Tartan Napkins (I custom designed my own)
    • Black Watch Ribbon
    • Hunter Green Satin Ribbon
    • Crystal Goblets (not real crystal)
    • Pre-made Gingerbread House
    • Small Christmas Tree
    • Cedar Garland and Olive Garland
    • Faux Paperwhite flowers on Cabinet
    • Small Boxwood Wreath
    Weekend DIY project. A pegboard organizer in the craft room above the desk workspace.

    Grab our free series "Weekend Home Projects that will Transform Your Life"

    Sign up below to receive updates including free printables, organization tips, home improvement projects, recipes and more!

    More Christmas Tutorials

    • Neutral Christmas decor - coffee table styling with paperwhites
      Christmas Mantel Decorating
    • Dining table place cards for a Christmas party made out of ornament balls and name tags.
      Winter Woodland Christmas Decorating Ideas
    • Two nutcracker princes standing in front of a Christmas tree.
      70 Free or Cheap Christmas Decoration Ideas
    • Mom and daughter building a large smowman with buttons, scarf, and a hat.
      Ultimate Christmas Bucket List Ideas

    PS I love seeing your creations! Be sure to take a photo and tag #cravingcreative on Instagram! You can also stay in touch with me through following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and subscribing to the newsletter!

    « Best Gift Ideas for Tween Boys
    Best Gifts for Tween Girls – Age 10 & 11 »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Dale says

      January 03, 2022 at 9:30 am

      I love a touch of plaid in décor…especially during the holidays…and not relegated to napkins.
      I included an interpretation of plaid in my thistle lantern, which was quite challenging actually. I did this design for myself initially, Robbie Burns was approaching but it is becoming one of my strongest sellers. Maybe it’s the popularity of Outlander?

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Headshot of Rachel Beach, the author of Craving Some Creativity.

    Hi, I'm Rachel!

    Creativity makes me energized and fearless. My husband and I have been renovating homes for over a decade and love to share our passion for all things home. Follow along for remodeling tutorials, recipes, and entertaining ideas sure to inspire!

    More about me →


    Popular Projects

    • Midnight blue vanity with brass handles in a grey and white bathroom.
      How to Paint a Bathroom Cabinet the Easy Way
    • Man holding up baseboards for a corner.
      How To Caulk Baseboards like a Pro
    • Behr Midnight blue painted cabinets in a classic old world kitchen with modern white accents and backsplash. Wicker chairs, copper light fixtures, and wood floors add warmth.
      The Best Blue and Navy Kitchen Cabinet Paint Colors
    • Blue front door on red brick house with planters on either side.
      Small Front Porch Decorating Ideas
    • Garage accessories and tools on a wall rack organizer.
      25 Garage Wall Storage Ideas to Get Organized
    • Completed oak painted stair railing with black handrail and white balusters.
      How to Paint Stair Railings that Last

    Featured On

    Collection of Expert Features including Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Apartment Therapy, Angie's List, This Old House Magazine, The Huffington Post, Delish, Wayfair, and Real Simple Magazine.

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Sausage makes an easy italian meal for the whole family!
      The BEST Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe
    • Side view of three glasses of caramel apple sangria on a rustic wood board. Cinnamon sticks lay around the glasses with slices of apple and herbs as garnish.
      Caramel Apple Sangria
    • Squash casserole with ritz cracker toping as a side dish served on a stack of plates.
      Squash Casserole with Ritz Crackers
    • Shrimp etouffee in a bowl on a table.
      Authentic Shrimp Étouffée Recipe
    • Coconut pecan cookies stacked and scattered on parchment paper.
      Coconut Pecan Cookies
    • Two glasses of blackberry bourbon smash cocktail garnished with mint and blackberries on a wood table.
      Blackberry Bourbon Smash

    Fall Flavor Recipes

    • Closeup of Apple Crumb Cake slice with caramel drizzle.
      Apple Crumb Cake
    • Pumpkin muffins with crumb topping on a cooling rack.
      Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
    • Closeup of a fall layer cake with orange frosting and a fork in front of the cake.
      Autumn Spice Cake
    • Slice of homemade carrot cake on a plate with walnuts sprinkled on top
      The Best Carrot Cake with Pineapple
    • Sliced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread on a wood platter with mini pumpkins in the background.
      Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
    • Pumpkin spice white Russian with whipped cream on top and a cinnamon stick.
      Pumpkin Spice White Russian

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Policy

    Favorites

    • Blog
    • Shop
    • Our Home

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Craving Some Creativity