‘90s-Inspired Christmas Decorations For That Warm, Cozy Feel

There was just something about the ‘90s and all of the talking, moving, animatronic holiday decorations. From elves holding candles to Santas checking names off their list, every ‘90s holiday home felt a little like Disney World. This year, there’s a brand new 4-foot animated Goofy that gives all those same vibes. Not only does he sing festive songs and recite a poem, but this Goofy is also motion-activated and will wave as people walk past his sensor. I’m obsessed.

Colored lights have been a Christmas trend for decades, but the ‘90s really showed up and out with all the bright colors. You can get some of that retro energy — after all, the colored lights we were using in the ‘90s were probably the lights our grandparents had in the ‘60s — with the Tru-Tone LED classic light set. Designed with the old-school C7 bulbs, these are bright, whimsical, and built to last. Even if you only have one strand on your tree, it’s such a good, warm, happy glow.

The ‘90s were full of red and green, even when it wasn’t Christmas, and these Holiday Time LED flickering red taper candles are absolute perfection. Pop them into some candlesticks and mix them in with some holly and greenery for a gorgeous, warm, classic Christmas table centerpiece or on your mantle.

As much red as there was in the ‘90s, there was also dark green, and that color is perfectly represented by these dark green velvet bows from Target. Use them on garland, to decorate your stair banisters, to hang on trees — they can literally go anywhere. I think they’d look gorgeous with ribbon on cabinet doors, too.

Paper chains are so whimsical and easy to whip up on your own, but I really love this Christmastide paper chain kit from Rifle Paper Co. The colors and patterns feel extremely ‘90s and remind me of the ‘90s Big Bow Girl push and aesthetic — think movies like A Little Princess and The Secret Garden coming out. With five patterns and 90 strips, this makes a full, very lush paper chain that will look gorgeous anywhere in the house.

Christmas dishes are always a great choice if you want a vintage vibe in your home, and I’m in love with this Rifle Paper Co. Nutcracker-themed serving platter. It’s huge without being too heavy, made to be an heirloom-quality dish, and so bright and fun. I feel like so many Christmas dishes forget to bring the childhood and whimsy in, and this one definitely has it.

I literally have this Union Products blow-mold Santa from my own ‘90s childhood, but now they come equipped with LED lights. Blow molds are just such a ‘90s treat — I feel like they were everywhere when I was a kid — and having them in the yard was so fun when we were playing. Do you know how great blow molds are for pretend and hide-and-seek? Might as well turn your yard into an actual wonderland for ‘90s outdoor play, too.

Not only does the phone look delightfully ‘90s with the red and green and a vintage rotary design, but the Mr. Christmas Santa’s Magical Telephone is so fun to play with. You can actually talk to “Santa” and get personalized responses back! It’s such a cool tech toy that feels very reminiscent of the ‘90s and all of the new talking toys that came out.

Red, green, and gold? Say less. These shatterproof ornaments are the exact color of all the best ‘90s Christmas trees (whether you use colored lights or white lights), and they are great for filling in any and all spots on your Christmas tree. You can also use them to make garlands, to put on wreaths, to hang from your stairs — because they’re shatterproof, they are great for holiday DIYs.

Every year, my husband talks about his own ‘90s childhood and how he specifically remembers a set of Christmas lights on their tree that played music. He always talks about hearing the music as he lay in his bed at night, and it’s just the sweetest memory. These Gilbin musical Christmas lights bring that ‘90s vibe back with 25 holiday song options and eight light functions to choose from. (They also come in color and white lights.)

It felt like poinsettias really had a moment in the ‘90s, and this embroidered cutout table runner from Brylane Home feels like it came right out of one of my childhood Christmases. The colors are perfectly ‘90s, and the intricate detail of the embroidery is just so good — and will last forever.

I feel like I did so many voice recordings as a kid in the ‘90s — on picture frames, video cameras, stuffed animals — so this sweet Mr. Christmas recordable picture frame wreath feels like a major blast from the past. Even for the littlest members of your family, you can record their tiny coos and baby noises, pair it with a picture of how they look right now, and you’ll always have that perfect memory hanging on your tree.

I love pink at Christmas, especially this vibey ‘90s pink color in the square pink gem ornaments from Walmart. In the ‘90s, pink mixed into all the other colors was such a whimsical choice, and I get irritated at how pink is left out of so much multicolored Christmas decor these days. (Seriously, put pink back into all the colored light strands, you cowards.) These bright, happy gems really give your tree some ‘90s glam.

Tinsel is a must for a ‘90s Christmas, and this 10’ tinsel garland from Wondershop is so easy and budget-friendly. Mix it into your tree, use it down your stairs, wrap it around door frames — you can do so much, and it adds a perfect retro touch.

I go nuts for seasonal hand towels, and Target really did the ‘90s right with their line of Wondershop hand towel sets this year. The small Christmas icon right in the center, the bright reds and greens, it’s all a win, and it looks exactly like a set of towels my mom had hanging from our oven all December long.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re Team Star or Team Angel for the top of the tree, this Kurt Adler gold and ivory angel tree topper feels quintessentially ‘90s. Not only does her little porcelain face look like so many porcelain dolls of the ‘90s, but she also has lights in her arms for that soft, childhood glow you remember from your own angel on the tree.

Needlepoint stockings make me think of Home Alone, and it doesn’t get much more ‘90s Christmas than that. Pottery Barn has a whole line of great needlepoint stockings, but this bear one might be my favorite. It feels so classic and lovely, and I feel like the ‘90s really pushed a lot more childhood into their designs than later decades did with Christmas decor. Plus, you know these stockings will last for generations.

We truly need to bring back felt in our holiday decor, starting with this wool felt tree skirt from The Company Store. It’s just so lovely and feels incredibly homey — I think it’s the DIY quality aspect to it. I feel like there were way more felt decorations to buy (or make yourself) in the ‘90s, and it’s a budget-friendly material we really need to make more use of.

Embroidery is always vintage, and this embroidered frame ornament from Rifle Paper Co. also features that gorgeous red-and-green ‘90s color scheme. I just love how classic this ornament looks, and it absolutely reminds me of the ornaments on my own childhood tree.