This year, I decorated Summerhill for Christmas in a Little House on the Prairie-inspired style. That old classic has a way of pulling at the heart, with its handmade traditions, simple living, and cozy pioneer charm.
Using Little House on the Prairie inspired Christmas decor as my guide, I borrowed elements from the show and the pioneer period, then layered them with my own modern vintage twist. Natural greenery, homemade ornaments, warm patterns, and soft textures all came together in a way that feels both nostalgic and personal.
Little House on the Prairie Inspired Christmas Decor Ideas
This is a home tour, but it’s also an invitation to take what you love from the Little House look and make it your own. Let’s step inside and start in the living room.
Christmas Tree with Prairie-Inspired Christmas Decorations
The primitive Christmas tree sets the tone for my entire Little House on the Prairie-inspired Christmas. Instead of sparkle and shine, I leaned into texture, pattern, and homemade natural charm.
Small baskets hang all over the branches.
Torn fabric ticking bows in soft white and dusty blue.
The tree skirt looks like an old piece of wool, and the packages are wrapped in simple brown paper and tied with twine.
Popcorn garland winds through the branches.
Real candles are tucked on the branches with small candle clips that give that true period look.
Next are handmade gingerbread men made from air-dry clay, each smelling just like cinnamon. The modern prairie primitive tree feels layered, warm, and collected over time, just like the Ingalls family tree. For more tree ideas check out these decorated Christmas tree ideas.
Mantel Styling with Old-Fashioned Christmas Decor
The mantel repeats many of the same elements from the tree, so everything feels tied together. One long greenery garland stretches across the fireplace, dressed with cinnamon-colored air-dry clay gingerbread men, real popcorn garland, torn ticking fabric, and soft fairy lights.
Repeating details from space to space is a designer trick I use often. It creates flow and makes the room feel cohesive without feeling themed or staged.
Vintage Window and Hearth with Rustic Christmas Elements
Above the mantel sits an old window dressed with greenery and another ticking fabric bow. I always think of that Little House episode where Charles kept buying windows only to have them broken. That memory alone made this piece feel right at home here.
On one side of the fireplace are stacks of old books, chamber lamps, and mini crocks
On the other side is a larger crock filled with fresh greenery and one of my printable art botanicals from my Etsy shop. I spent a great deal of time deciding on art and finally went with a natural tree that could easily be a tree on the prairie by the creek.
To add the finishing touches to the mantel, I pulled out some stocking holders and added knit stockings, including this year's Hearth and Hand by Joanna Gaines stocking. They had Little House written all over them.
But the most fun element of the mantel is the paper chain. Just like the Ingalls family did for Christmas, we couldn't leave out a paper chain.
To bring my own twist, I thought about the dresses Caroline made for the girls Christmas and used prairie-style patterned paper found on Amazon for the paper chain. It was the icing on the cake.
To finish the hearth, I added my trunk filled with firewood, a small Christmas tree, and an old barn lantern. The more antique and handmade it feels, the better.
All the primitive prairie touches give it that cozy, warm Walnut Grove Christmas feeling.
Prairie Inspired Christmas Decor in the Informal Dining Area
Just beyond the fireplace, the informal dining space carries the same quiet charm. As we leave the living room to head that way under the television, a wooden dough bowl holds a simple garland of brass bells. The dough bowl stays here year-round, but somehow it always feels most at home during Christmas.
On the table sits another dough bowl, or maybe this is a wooden tray, with a small primitive Christmas tree tucked inside. Around it, I placed our Christmas cards. It feels just right to gather those little messages of love in one place during the season.
The bookcases became a place to layer in even more warmth. Old antique crocks and wooden bowls are filled with fresh greenery.
Lanterns glow softly in the evenings.
My hand-painted gingerbread houses sit alongside stacks of old books.
Drapped across the front, my air-dry clay gingerbread garland. It’s one of my favorite ways to bring that prairie baked cookie decor look into a space that will last for years.
Over the doorway that leads into the formal dining room, I hung another garland as a gentle invitation to step inside. I always imagine Laura racing from room to room, unable to sit still on Christmas morning.
Little House Christmas Decor in the Dining Room
The heart of the dining room is the table, and this year the centerpiece is one of my most treasured finds. This craftsman toolbox, like Charles Ingalls, sits right in the middle, filled with greenery and the same aged brass bells used throughout the house.
I found the toolbox years ago in a little vintage store in Locust Grove, and it feels especially meaningful in this space.
Above the table, the chandelier is dressed with tiny wreaths that are actually napkin rings. Soft off white cotton bows trail down from each one. It’s proof that the smallest details really can make a room feel special.
All throughout the space, I stayed true to natural materials. Plain fabrics. Simple ribbons. Calico patterns that remind me of the dresses worn by Caroline and the girls. Nothing shiny. Nothing fussy. Just honest, old-fashioned, primitive charm.
Pioneer Inspired Christmas Decor in the Sitting Room
Just off the dining room is the sitting room, where the color story gently shifts into warm browns and soft blues. The Johnson Brothers dishes always remind me of Currier and Ives scenes, and they feel right at home in this space during Christmas.
A garland lines the top of the shelf. A tiny wreath rests on the old scale. In one of the Santa mugs, I tucked greenery instead of candy into a tiny flower frog just like ones in my book Vintage Nest. Little surprises like that make the room feel playful and warm.
On the hooks along the wall, baskets hang beside cutting boards, greenery, and a textured cotton blanket. I added the same aged brass bell garland here, too. Repeating those details helps every room feel like part of one story.
A small Christmas tree sits tied with a Little House-style fabric bow. Another little echo of the handmade feeling that runs through the whole house.
Now let's head into the kitchen, where the color scheme shifts to red and white in a cozy cottage vintage way.
Christmas Decor in the Kitchen
In the kitchen, I brought in a bit of red for a cheerful change of pace. I kept all the prairie elements I love, greenery, crocks, and cutting boards, but switched to red-striped ribbon for a festive twist.
Above the stove on the range hood, stems of greenery are tied with a red and white bow that trails down the range hood.
On the wall of copper pots, a small wreath and bow add just enough Christmas without taking over the space.
More of those tiny wreath napkin rings found their way onto cutting boards.
Crocks tied with ribbon and filled with old wooden spoons.
And even my homemade clipboard is adorned with a mini wreath. When you find something you love, it’s fun to let it travel from room to room.
On the small quant wall hutch that holds my Ranny’s Currier and Ives dishes, another tiny wreath rests in place. That little touch makes the whole corner look cute and cozy.
Entryway Decorated with Prairie Vibes
Now, let’s end where every guest begins, the front door. Or maybe where we should have started all along.
A simple greenery wreath tied with a dusty blue bow hangs on the door. Over the entry table is my favorite ’Twas the Night Before Christmas book page artwork, topped with greenery and soft cotton bows in blue and off-white.
On each candle holder beside it, I added those tiny wreath napkin rings again with long trailing bows. On the table, a basket tray holds old books, brass candlesticks, and fresh greenery.
A small stack of books lifts my white lamp just high enough, and yes, another little wreath found its way there, too. Repeating patterns and textures is what quietly ties everything together without it ever feeling planned.
My Top Five Elements for Creating a Little House on the Prairie-Inspired Christmas
When I step back and look at the house as a whole, there are five simple elements that truly shaped the heart of this Little House on the Prairie-inspired Christmas. These are the details that brought everything together and made it feel nostalgic, handmade, and personal.
1. Natural Greenery Everywhere
Greenery became the thread that runs through every room. From the tree to the mantel, doorways, shelves, kitchen, and bedrooms, it softened every space and brought in that quiet, wintery cabin feeling that always feels true to the Ingalls home at Christmas.
2. Handmade Ornaments and Garlands
The more handmade, the better. Popcorn garlands, air-dry clay gingerbread men, paper chains, and hand-painted gingerbread houses added that imperfect, homemade beauty that makes everything feel warm and real instead of store-bought.
I even added a few other elements, like a couple of old French horns.
3. Warm, Humble Textiles
Torn ticking bows, cotton fabrics, wool-like textures, knit-crochet stockings, and soft blankets, layered in that simple pioneer comfort. Nothing fancy. Just cozy, honest materials that look like they could have been made by hand long ago.
4. Vintage and Repurposed Pieces
Old books, crocks, lanterns, baskets, windows, trunks, chamber lamps, toolboxes, and secretaries all played a role. These pieces carry stories of their own, which feels so fitting for a Christmas inspired by a family whose story we all grew up loving.
5. Repeating Simple Details
Bell garlands, tiny wreaths, greenery, bows, and handmade touches were repeated from room to room. Repeating these small details is what quietly tied the entire house together and made the holiday decorating feel intentional and cohesive instead of busy.
Cozy Guest Bedrooms Christmas Decor
Before we end the tour, there are a few quiet Christmas touches in the bedrooms too.
Vintage Paint by Number Christmas Guest Bedroom
In Hannah’s old room, after years of collecting just the right paint-by-number art, I finally finished the gallery wall. My vintage tole lamp wears a tiny wreath napkin ring, and the candles beside the bed wear them too. A needlepoint pillow rests at the center of the bed like the final stitch in the story.
Guest Bedroom Christmas Decorating Vintage Secretary
In the other guest room sits my newest family treasure—a secretary that once belonged to my cousin, Catherine's mother. I had been searching for one for years when she told me I had called the right place. I still can’t believe it.
Inside, my ribbons are neatly stored and displayed like little works of art. Above it hangs another garland, and my small collection of Marks & Spencer tins glows softly at night. That gentle light feels magical after dark.
Final Thoughts
Creating this Little House on the Prairie-inspired Christmas at Summerhill has felt a bit like walking through my own story while revisiting the Ingalls’ at the same time. There’s something special about blending handmade touches with old-fashioned charm, letting simple things like greenery, paper chains, and vintage pieces fill a home with warmth.
I played the Little House Christmas movies the entire time I decorated, and it truly set the stage. The music, the voices, and those familiar scenes created the coziest, most nostalgic mood. It felt like decorating alongside the Ingalls all over again.
I hope this tour gives you ideas for how to take the parts you love from the Little House world and weave them into your own Christmas decorating. You don’t need a cabin in the woods or a pioneer homestead, just a few thoughtful touches, a nod to the past, and the joy of creating something meaningful.
If you try any of these ideas or add your own twist, I’d love to hear how you brought a little prairie magic into your Christmas this year.
Christmas blessings from Summerhill!
