Last Minute Advent Decoration That Looks Collected, Not Rushed

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Last minute Advent decoration that still looks collected, not thrown together. The 15-minute vintage vignette I put together with things I already owned.

Left it to the last minute? Looking for a quick and easy, simple Advent decoration? Let me show you how I made a piece of vintage-inspired Advent decor in less than 15 minutes.

Good evening my lovelies. How was your weekend? Filled with turkey, family, mad shopping, and lots of thankful feelings? I hope that all my American friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and of course, I hope that the rest of us had a nice time too.

I have carefully and quietly started the Christmas decorating.

Advent was the perfect excuse. I came up with a simple Advent decoration that I put together in minutes. It is the perfect little Advent display you can whip up in no time and keep around as part of your Christmas decorating.

 It is kind of not done in the Netherlands to start decorating for Christmas early. We will first celebrate the birthday of St Niklaas, and until then, you are not supposed to get the Christmas decor out.

I guess it is a good thing I am not a particularly obedient person because I am definitely going to continue to bring out some Christmas decorations, but just for the sake of it, let’s call them winter decorations. Okay!

Now, before you sigh and say you have nothing festive in the house: stick around to the end. I made a little list of everyday things you can grab from your own cupboards to build this exact last minute Advent decoration, no shopping trip required. And the vintage number tags? Those surprised even me.

How to Make a Last Minute Advent Decoration in 15 Minutes

For this little Advent display I combined some of my favorite elements. Real natural greens like moss and juniper branches from the garden. Industrial vintage, as in authentically old and used, crate numbers. Some sweet mercury silver ornaments. A baking tin from my mom that brings back so many memories of hot apple pie (sweet!). And of course candles.

That is the whole secret of a last minute Advent decoration, by the way. You don’t buy your way to it. You gather. One container, something green, something old, something that glows. Fifteen minutes, start to finish, and it looks like you planned it all along.

The tin sits in the middle of the side table and the greens are tucked in around the outside, a little loose on purpose. The crate numbers hang on the white candles with twine, and the mercury ornaments catch whatever light is left in the room at this dark time of year. Nothing is fussed over. That is the charm of it.

And because there is no wreath form, no foam, no glue gun, nothing to buy or build, you can keep this up through the whole Christmas season without it ever feeling like a half-finished project. It just quietly becomes part of the Christmas decorating.plan it

If you have a bit more time on your hand and you like to DIY an original Advent decoration you might like my Advent Centerpiece Idea. Or go totally original and different with my Rustic Advent Wreath that Floats in the Air. Or maybe you like my modern Advent Candle Holders. All my Advent projects are easy, relatively quick to make and don’t use fancy materials. I have collected all my easy Advent decorating ideas in one post for you.

A Word About Candles and Moss

Real greens and open flames are a lovely combination, but only with a little care. My candles stick out well above the moss and greenery. And I will remove the twine around the candles soon. I never leave them burning when I leave the room. The charm of a quick vignette is that it took no effort, but the candle rule is the one thing not to skip.

H3: Why a Baking Tin Works So Well

The tin does two jobs. It holds everything together so your display reads as one thing instead of five, and it brings the story. Mine is my mom’s, so every time I walk past I smell apple pie that isn’t there. Any shallow vintage-ish container does this. A bowl, a tray, an old drawer. If it makes you smile, it works.

H3: No Advent Candles? White Works

If you cannot find proper Advent candles where you live, plain white candles are perfectly fine. Mine are white and I have never once missed the traditional colors. The countdown feeling comes from lighting one more candle each Sunday, not from the color of the wax.

Really this was such an easy and quick vignette to do. Just what I needed to ease into the Christmas season.

So tell me, are you a December-first decorator or do you sneak the greens out early too? What is the one vintage thing you would grab from your own house for a display like this? I would love to hear it in the comments.

Pin this one for the Sunday you find yourself with fifteen minutes, a baking tin, and a craving for candlelight. Future you will be grateful.plan it

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