How to Make Christmas 2026 Magic, Nostalgic, and Memorable
By Sophie Lindley - 29th October 2026
There is an undeniable magic to Christmas childhood nostalgia. Whether you're scouring grainy recorded footage or poring over glossy disposable camera photos, reliving the memories of those bright, beautiful Christmases never gets old. Somewhere along the line, the way we do Christmas has changed in society. While it's not necessarily for the better or the worst, Christmases now look remarkably different to those we celebrated in the 80s and 90s. If you're looking to bring back that magic but in a more modern, 2026 way, we've created the ultimate guide to decorating, gifting, and celebrating the season, to ensure your future Christmases look just as wonderful as those gone by.
What was a 90s Christmas like and why do we miss it so much?
While every family celebrated differently, 80s and 90s Christmases shared an undeniable, distraction-free energy. Without modern technology, the focus was entirely on gathering to play board games, watch festive videos, and feast. If you want to trade today's minimalism for the nostalgic, jewel-toned magic of a 90s Christmas in 2026, here is how to bring that era back to life:
What were the most common interior design choices in the 90s?
Plain simply wasn't an option. Homes were vibrant and maximalist, packed with patterned wallpapers, carpets, and sofas, alongside plush rugs and gilded frames. The ultimate festive palette looked straight out of the Home Alone set: rich forest greens, cherry reds, and sumptuous burgundies, finished with heavy dashes of gold and silver.
What were Christmas decorations like in the 90s?
When it came to decor, the rule was simple: the bigger, bolder, and more garish, the better. Branches practically groaned under the weight of shiny baubles, character ornaments, tinsel, and angel hair. Trees were usually always topped with a homemade school craft like a funny-looking angel or a wonky tin-foil star. Metallic ceiling hangings, cartoonish Santas, and heavily adorned mantels ensured absolutely no surface was left bare.
What was fashion like during a retro Christmas?
Without the pressure of instant digital photos, holiday outfits were blissfully uncurated. You either dressed up in a velvet dress and sparkly tights or stayed low-key in a chunky patterned jumper and leggings. Christmas wasn't about looking polished or cohesive; it was purely about comfort, togetherness, and authentic joy.
Please enjoy this selection of Christmas photos straight from the past of our Lisa Angel staff…
How can I bring 90s magic to my Christmas decorations?
To truly capture that brightly-toned magic of a 90s Christmas, the answer is pretty simple. Push aside the neutral, Scandi decorations and bring in colour. Injecting nostalgia into your decorations is about embracing a spirit of joyful excess where more is unequivocally more.
Start by swapping out white LED lights for heavy strings of bright-coloured lights that cast a playful, kaleidoscopic glow across the room. Weave thick, traditional garlands up the staircase and along every shelf to create the perfect foundation for unapologetically over-decorated mantels and trees. Instead of sticking to a rigid, minimalist theme, consider filling your space with a chaotic but comforting mix of colourful accessories and nostalgic details. If you're not ready to switch out all your warm white lights but you want to add a dash of coloured glass, a bauble garland is ideal. Our Multi Bright Glass Bauble Garland is perfect for achieving this look.
Alpine-style decorations like tiny light-up houses, ski-slope characters, and wooden ornaments were ten-a-penny in the 90s, so bringing that vibe back is a great way to feel connected to the warm nostalgia of the past. Our Battery Powered Wooden Pink House Light Decoration is a great place to start. Whether you collect the range or just have the one, the cosy glow and bright palette is sure to bring joy to your mantel or shelf.
Character baubles or tree toppers were also popular in Christmases past, so adding some cute creatures to your very standard range of blown glass baubles is a cute way to create a wintry haven in your living room. We love this Golden Angel Christmas Tree Topper for her sweet smile and shimmery outfit. Pop her on your tree and you'll immediately liven up the standard star situation with a tiny character full of festive joy.
How can I bring joy back to the Christmas countdown?
It is surprisingly easy to reignite the eager anticipation of your childhood Decembers. Adulthood often gets in the way of whimsy, so whether you want to reclaim that magical feeling for yourself or recreate those cherished traditions for your own children, there is no better time to start than now.
The magic of a 90s Christmas countdown was rooted in tangible, hands-on rituals that built daily excitement without a screen in sight. By bringing just one of these joyful countdown traditions into your future holidays, you are guaranteed to build thrilling new memories that bring just as much joy as the ones from your past.
Some of our favourite ways to count down to Christmas include:
- Putting out a ‘Santa: Stop Here!’ sign - something you saw in almost every garden in the 90s but rarely spy now, a fun, colourful wooden sign that tells the big man where to go creates a fun experience for little ones
- Filling your own advent calendar - whether you choose a ready-to-fill calendar or make your own from scratch, giving a loved one or little one a gift-filled countdown is a great way to build excitement for December as a whole. We love this Personalised Gingerbread Express Wooden Advent Train for excited children
- Making your own decorations from scratch - homemade decorations adorned most homes in the 90s, partly due to their affordability, and partly due to the amount of school crafts we came home with. Reignite that magic by sitting down and crafting your own, whether with a kid or just by yourself!
How can I create or build-on special Christmas traditions?
Building meaningful Christmas traditions is about balancing cherished heritage rituals with thoughtful, modern updates that grow with your family. Start by leaning into the nostalgic routines you've loved for years, then build on that comforting familiarity by introducing new ideas that will seamlessly carry into future Christmases, no matter how much your family grows or changes.
Some of our favourite Christmas traditions include:
- Leaving a plate of treats out for Santa and his reindeer - this is an age-old night-before routine that you'll doubtlessly remember from your childhood. Giving it a newer spin by finding a new, fun-filled plate ideal for filling with a mince pie, a carrot, and a glass of milk is perfect for carrying that tradition into years to come. We love this Set of 2 Ceramic Santa and Reindeer Treat Plates
- Watching a Christmas movie each day before Christmas Day - another old favourite but one easily replicated today. Choose a selection of your favourite festive films and snuggle up for however many evenings before the big day to get you in the true Christmas spirit
- Baking festive treats ready for Christmas Day - whether it's mince pies for friends and neighbours, or nibbly bits for the post-Christmas-Day-dinner slump, using the days before Christmas or Christmas Eve itself to prepare some tasty goodies can be just the perfect family activity you ensure to do year upon year
- Filling a Christmas Eve box with festive fun - a much newer tradition, but one that is hard to stop once you start, popping tasty treats, festive accessories, or even a cute decoration to a box for a loved one is ideal for helping them get in the full Christmas spirit the night before the big day. Our favourite is this Personalised Festive Wooden Christmas Eve Box, full of festive magic
How can I create nostalgia with Christmas gifting?
To evoke a true sense of nostalgia with your Christmas gifting, look back to the 90s approach, which was less focused on hitting a specific milestone number of expensive gifts, and more about the joyful, thoughtful act of giving. The magic of Christmas morning always came from the visual excitement of seeing a sprawling pile of gifts uniformly wrapped in cheap but cheerful brightly-coloured paper, reminding us that the season was truly about getting together and sharing love, rather than simply accumulating more stuff.
You can capture that same abundant, heartfelt feeling today by shifting away from endless individual items and opting for curated, meaningful bundles. We love gift hampers for giving that sentimental ‘I thought of you’ vibe, and for their ability to shower a loved one with gifts without feeling as though you might have gone overboard. Select a few sweet treats, trinkets, and thoughtful gifts to pack into this Build Your Own Christmas Hamper and you can guarantee you're gifting a box full of memories and meaningful pieces.
Christmas cards were also a really popular way of sharing the love during the festive season in the 90s. After all, text messages were non-existent, phone calls were charged by the minute, and you wouldn't always have the time to pop over to every loved one's home before the big day arrived. Sending a sweet card, either by mail or through their letterbox, was a great way to say ‘Happy Christmas’ without going to any trouble. If you're looking to bring back that hand-written magic, next time you're about to send a generic ‘have a great Christmas’ text, root through your card drawer and hand-write them a message, and you'll relive that warm, heartfelt magic that evokes so much nostalgia today.
However you choose to recreate the magic of a Christmas memory, ensuring you put the spotlight on those who mean most while you're re-hashing old traditions or creating new ones is the best way to enjoy every second of the festive period. Whether you're searching for sweet, uplifting decorations or you're on the hunt for the ultimate Christmas gift, we've got you covered for creating the ultimate merriment and magic. So here’s to trading modern minimalism for retro maximalism, and making this Christmas your most colourful, joyful, and memorable one yet.
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