Weekly Edit: Coastal Christmas
Coastal Christmas Ornaments
Coastal Christmas Ornaments: Curating a Seaside-Inspired Holiday with Marie & Oakley
As the holiday season rolls around, many people picture cozy cabins adorned with snow and pine trees. But not us here at Marie & Oakley! For those who feel at home by the ocean, coastal Christmas decor offers the perfect blend of holiday spirit and seaside charm. A coastal-themed Christmas tree brings the tranquility of the beach to your home, no matter where you are. In this post, we’ll explore how to decorate with coastal Christmas ornaments and share a heartwarming tradition of gifting these ornaments before Christmas—a beautiful way to spread seaside joy during the holiday season.
My most frequently asked question on Instagram is, “Where do you find all your coastal Christmas ornaments?” Each year, my husband and I embark on a search for new treasures for our tree. Sometimes we discover them ourselves, and sometimes, it feels like they find us.
Whimsical Fish & Sea Creatures
Whimsical fish and ocean creatures are my go-to ornaments, bringing an element of fun and wonder to the tree. Some of my favorites are from Pottery Barn, which we found years ago and cherish every year. Though they’re harder to find now, I’ve discovered lovely similar options at Cailini Coastal, perfect for adding a playful, underwater feel to your tree.
Coastal Christmas Ornaments
Colors of the Sea
For my coastal Christmas palette, I lean towards the colors of the sea: turquoise, blues, and greens. These shades feel serene and fresh, like a perfect seaside escape. I add pops of pink and a little red to bring a holiday touch to the overall look, creating a balance that feels both festive and coastal.
Texture: Glass, Shiny Brite, and Glitter
My Grandmother’s Mini Ornaments
Texture is key in bringing a coastal tree to life! My favorite ornaments are glass—especially vintage Shiny Brite pieces. These ornaments have that beautiful, timeless glow that pairs so well with the coastal theme. And, of course, I can’t resist a little glitter to bring out the sparkle of the season. The shimmer and shine capture the light like ocean waves, adding a magical touch to our tree.
Seashells and My Collection of Seashell Christmas Trees
Coastal Dining Room Table
While I don’t typically decorate the tree with many seashells, my collection of Seashell Christmas Trees adds an elegant coastal touch to the overall decor. I pick up most of these charming pieces from Airlie Moon, a boutique I love in Wilmington, NC. And if you’re not local, Airlie Moon ships! Each seashell tree adds texture and natural beauty, reflecting the treasures found on sandy shores.
Fresh Greenery and Citrus Accents
Fresh greenery brings a wonderful fragrance and touch of natural beauty to coastal holiday decor. This year, I’m eyeing a live wreath with hints of blue and citrus accents to add to the mix. Fresh garlands also enhance the tree’s look, creating a lush and inviting feel that makes the whole room feel festive and alive. Adding a pop of citrus is my favorite trick to brighten things up and add a bit of whimsy.
Our Tradition: Gifting Coastal Ornaments Before Christmas
Christmas Seahorse Ornament
One of our most cherished traditions is exchanging coastal ornaments with family and friends before Christmas. It’s a simple but meaningful way to spread a bit of holiday anticipation and seaside charm. Whether it’s a new fish ornament, a tiny lighthouse, or a glittery shell, each ornament brings a personal touch and becomes a treasured piece of the tree. This tradition lets us celebrate both the joy of giving and the beauty of the ocean, and our collection grows with special memories each year.
Finding and Creating Your Own Coastal Tree
Coastal Christmas Tree
If you’re looking to create your own coastal Christmas tree, let your imagination and love for the sea guide you. Start with a color palette inspired by the ocean and add a mix of whimsical, natural, and vintage-inspired ornaments to make the tree truly your own. And if you’re ready to start your own tradition, consider a pre-Christmas ornament exchange to build a collection that’s filled with love, memories, and a touch of holiday magic. I love this Alpine Flocked Christmas tree from Balsam Hill. So much so, that I have the table-top Christmas tree in my cart and need to finalize my order. Plus, both trees are on sale!
A coastal Christmas tree brings together the best of both worlds—celebrating the holidays with a nod to the ocean’s beauty. This holiday season, we hope you find inspiration and joy in curating a seaside-inspired Christmas. Whether you live by the coast or simply love it, each ornament and every touch can bring a bit of the beach home for the holidays.
Shop the collection below or see the full collection here.
Weekly Edit: Coastal Favs
Weekly Edit: Coastal Favs
Sharing what caught my eye this week and it spans from home to fashion as well as some Marie & Oakley jewelry & paintings.
This chandelier is stunning and was pleasantly surprised it is by a designer, Louise Gaskill, just down the road in Raleigh, North Carolina. Looking for another coastal option, this chandelier still has my heart.
Did you see that Society Social went to Round Top? I’m obsessed with their set up as well as their new collection featuring my favorite hues of blue and green. I have my eye on a couple of items for our home, such as this minty green console.
I finally spent my birthday gift cards and treated myself to a couple of things from Anthropologie. This mushroom lamp is actually a candle and I want all the colors and sizes now. Plus I picked up this cookbook.
In case you didn’t know, I have been designing jewelry for a couple of decades now. Yes, I know! I’m old. But I am so grateful that my hands and eyes are still allowing me to create things I love. Go check out these lovely aquamarine lovelies!
This Oysters on the Half Shell is one of my first paintings and is one of my best selling prints. I am so humbled that some of you would want to hang one of my paintings in your home.I am a self taught artist and definitely have much to learn but am diving into painting by keeping a daily art journal.
Swooning over these rattan and wicker pieces from Society Social and again have my eye on a couple of pieces. Plus, I love they are just down the road in Hickory, North Carolina. I am on a mission to support local or small businesses, especially if they are in North Carolina.
Aren’t these whimsical ocean-inspired plates the cutest? Tablescaping is one of my favorite things to do but I don’t necessarily have the room or the funds to purchase all the dinnerware collections I love. So my trick is to purchase salad plates or bowls that will intermingle with my cream or white dinnerware collections. It’s a great trick and allows me to mix and match, as needed.
I have shared this little fish rug before but had to share again. I am eyeing this rug for our dining room and may make the commitment soon. Stay tuned!
Friday Favs: Making Lemonade Out Of Lemons
Friday Favs are back with a twist! We are making lemonade out of lemons. Or should I say limoncello. Plus, now you can shop everything below or via my Shop My link. Here’s where I need to let you know this post includes affiliate links. Hope that’s OK with you!
But enough about the business side of things.
I fell in love with this Morris & Co. Lemon Tree wallpaper. Isn’t it beautiful? Note the hints of turquoise. And it got me dreaming about a cute beach cottage with a sunny bright lemony kitchen. So I pulled together some sunny items that caught my eye this week. You can shop the limoncello collection or shop via the carousel below.
Friday Favs: Feeling Salty
Friday Favs: Feeling Salty
Feeling a little salty but not necessarily for the reasons you may think. Last week my husband started feeling poorly and on Friday tested positive for Covid. He’s find and recovering well but I succumbed to the virus earlier this week. It’s been a week of disappointments as we had to skip a weekend out of town that we had been looking forward to since September. My husband’s dream has been to see George Strait in concert before he retires so we were thrilled that Charlotte was one of his stops a very limited 2024 tour. Unfortunately he wasn’t well enough to go but we were blessed enough to sell the tickets and get a full refund.
I had to cancel some important meetings and put off some fun social events as well. And needless to say between caring for him and then getting sick, I haven’t had much time to create. But I have had quite.a bit of screen time so I did pull together some favs to kick off the summer. Leaning into blue and a coral-red to try to chase away my blues!
Cheers to the weekend, summer and hopefully good health! Thanks for taking a look around and drop a comment below and let me know what you think. Hopefully I will be feeling better next week as I have some new projects on the horizon.
Friday Favs: Green With Envy
The Butterfly Sandals from Anthropologie caught my eye and inspired this week’s Friday Favs. It’s a bit of a departure from my love of turquoise but still found a tee with a touch of my favorite color. Hope you will find something you like.
Friday Favs: Summer Mood
Summer is on my mind and I am dreaming of sunny skies and turquoise oceans. I definitely need some time in my happy place! In the meantime, I am sharing what caught my eye this week. Big news this week, I am feeling brave and adding my original artwork for sale. A couple of weeks ago, I took a leap of faith and featured my artwork alongside my jewelry. And much to my surprise I sold my paintings than jewelry.
XO ~ Marie & Oakley