In past years, minimalist Christmas arose as a holiday decorating trend. The neutrally colored ornaments and garlands led some to label the trend “beige Christmas.” This year, a new trend has stepped up as a response. This recently viral aesthetic is anything but minimalistic. We’re talking bold colors, excessive decorations, and Christmas spirit all around. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ralph Lauren Christmas.
So what is the Ralph Lauren Christmas aesthetic? It’s all about tradition, bringing back the classic Christmas look from movies like Home Alone. The color palette? Velvet, burgundy, forest green, and gold. The decorations? Tartan patterns, holly berries, and pine needle garlands. This viral Christmas aesthetic is bringing back a warm, cozy, and nostalgic Christmas feeling.
The issue: Ralph Lauren items are expensive and out of budget for most Christmas enthusiasts. That’s why creators on TikTok are turning to more affordable brands like Amazon and Walmart, and even doing DIY projects to achieve the Ralph Lauren Christmas look without the Ralph Lauren prices. Here are some items that can turn your kitchen into a scene straight out of a Hallmark movie.
Hand Towels
Small kitchen hand towels are a great way to add some holiday cheer to the kitchen. Look for towels covered in plaid patterns or decorated with pine and holly. For example, this simple set from Amazon features a forest green background and white pine needles. This set from Walmart has intricately drawn holly berries on a white towel.
Dishware
Imagine the delight of your guests when they finish their Christmas dinner to reveal a beautifully decorated holiday plate underneath. What could possibly be cuter than eating off of holiday-themed china? Check out this $40 Amazon set, featuring holly leaves and pine needles and a deep red rim. Or try this $60 set of velvet-colored dishes decorated with beautifully intricate snowflake designs from Walmart.
Hand Soaps
Not only do you want your kitchen to look like Christmas, you also want it to smell like Christmas. Look for scents such as gingerbread, cinnamon, and peppermint when buying your next hand soap refills. Ms. Meyer’s offers an inexpensive lineup of various holiday scents.
Tablecloths
The Ralph Lauren dining table is perhaps the most iconic and recognizable piece of the aesthetic. Achieve this look with a red and green tartan tablecloth, which you can find on Amazon for under $20. Or, try out a table runner covered in mini white Christmas trees from Hobby Lobby.
Candle Holders
No Christmas dining table is complete without a few candles for some mood lighting. But when Ralph Lauren released a glass hurricane candle holder for nearly $600, TikTok users decided it was time for some classic DIY. User @erinelizmartin recreated the candle holder for under $10 with items from the dollar store. She superglued a large candle holder to a glass vase, then glued a smaller candle holder to the inside of the vase and placed short candles inside.
Mugs
Eggnog and hot chocolate taste so much better when you sip them out of a holiday-themed mug. This set from Amazon features an adorable Jingle Bell Rock-type winter scene in a rich cranberry color. Or try out Walmart’s set of forest green and holly red mugs with tiny Christmas doodles.
Ribbons
A cheap and easy way to add Christmas spirit to your kitchen is to use red ribbons to decorate items you already have. You could tie bows around vases or even to cabinet handles. TikTok user @ale_mendoza1530 provides a tutorial on how to tie the classic Ralph Lauren bow from velvet ribbon.