12 Holiday Decor Items That Are Always Worth Splurging On

As the holiday season approaches, choosing a few high-quality decor pieces can make your home feel effortlessly elegant, year after year. While some seasonal decorations may fade or break, others can become cherished staples that bring festive magic to your home. If you're looking for decor that transcends trends, withstands years (hopefully even decades) of use, and that infuses your space with warmth and tradition, we've rounded up some products worth investing in.

When it comes to shopping for holiday decor, few customers want to splurge just for the sake of it. Decor that is worth spending extra on is high-quality, made to last years for season after season of joy and cheer. They can have characteristics that feel particularly enduring because they are personal and meaningful to you, so you want to pull them out every year regardless of changing holiday trends. Even if you're often decorating for Christmas on a budget, by prioritizing quality, core items over quantity, you can still have some higher-cost pieces that are part of your yearly traditions. 

There are a few factors to consider if you're deciding between a real or artificial Christmas tree. A good artificial Christmas tree should last you years, maybe even a couple of decades, costing less over time than buying a new real tree each year. Due to better materials and higher attention to detail and color, premium imitation trees look fuller and more realistic. Some of them might even be indistinguishable from real trees at a quick glance. Considering it's an item you're likely to put up every year as the centerpiece of a living room, it's worthwhile splurging on one that you really love and that looks realistic enough that you won't abandon it in a few seasons for real evergreens.

A few major brands have made a name for themselves, in part because of their reputation for creating highly-rated, realistic-looking fake trees. The Balsam Hill 7.5-foot Pre-Lit Classic Blue Spruce is one such example that's densely filled out with almost 3,000 tree branch tips. The Balsam Hill Fraser Fir is another very full, highly realistic-looking option. It is double the price of Balsam Hill's Blue Spruce, but you can cut costs by opting for a smaller size. Alternatively, if you yearn for a 12-foot beauty, devoting more of your budget to getting the tree you truly want can still be worth it, especially if you can curb costs in other areas that are less of a focal point. The National Tree Company 7.5-foot Douglas Fir Pre-lit Artificial Christmas Tree is another realistic option, and has dual color lights, so you can choose between white or colorful lights, depending on the year. If these don't catch your eye, check out options from the best retailers to buy artificial Christmas trees at.

Christmas ornaments can represent all sorts of holiday memories, so you can reminisce on special people and cherished moments when you decorate your tree — and you want to make sure to buy ornaments that can withstand several years of use. While you can feel nostalgic about cheap ornaments, there's a craftsmanship associated with heirloom ornaments that you don't often see in mass-produced products. While not all heirloom ornaments are handmade, the higher quality and detail can make them feel more artistic and irreplaceable. Those made of quality glass, metal, or wood shouldn't break or fade easily either. And there really is something special about the experience of unboxing a beautiful, handcrafted, or otherwise luxurious ornament every year.

It's about coming across those pieces that really speak to you, a feeling you can't really replicate with a bulk set of plastic ornaments from big box stores. With more wiggle room in your budget and an eye for something special, you can find some beautiful options. The Mark Roberts Kings Jewel Ball Ornament is perfect for the tree that needs some glitz and glam. If glam isn't your style, it's hard to go wrong with a highly collectible handmade ornament like the Christopher Radko Carousel Ride Gem Ornament. If you're going to buy glass, make sure you know how to clean and store heirloom glass ornaments so they last for years. 

In this day and age, most holiday decor is mass-manufactured and machine-made. This makes it all the more exciting when you find a handmade, one-of-a-kind gem that you love. It's worth paying more for these items: A level of work and expertise goes into them that can't be replicated in a factory. It feels nice too, to know that an ornament or figurine you intend to keep was crafted by artisans — it captures some of the magic of an old-fashioned, rustic Christmas, back in a time when everything was handmade. You can find hand-crafted ornaments online, but a good way to support even more locally is to visit Christmas markets. Not only is it a lovely seasonal experience, but you're more likely to find distinctive creations and help support small businesses and budding artists.

That doesn't mean you can't find beautiful handmade decor online, like the Thomas Kinkade Bradford Exchange Tabletop Christmas Tree and the Jessica O'Neill Painted Acrylic Christmas Trees. These two excessively charming handmade pieces are worth their higher price tag. Etsy is another marketplace to check, especially if you're looking for things like handmade felt ornaments. 

During the holidays, the wreath is the main focal point of your front door. It sets a first impression, so you want to make it look nice. Spending a bit more on a Christmas wreath can be well worth it for the aesthetic benefits. Whether they're real or artificial, higher-end wreaths tend to be fuller, better shaped, and contain more decorative details. You can also find them in more distinctive colors and materials too. Not to mention, compared to low-budget options, premium wreaths are also less likely to fall apart, an important factor for outdoor use. If you choose an artificial one, it's a decor piece you can pack away and use in future years.

The Afloral Large Spruce and Crabapple Winter Wreath is an example of a higher-cost traditional wreath that is just beautiful — it's artificial, but it doesn't look like it. The Windward Silks Holiday Hydrangea Wreath looks like a classic holiday wreath at first, but it's a bit more distinctive with its silk hydrangeas, which also look quite real. Lastly, Caryn Brown's Berry Wreath Glass Sculpture is actually a piece of art that you can use as a wreath, and is priced accordingly for a handmade sculpture. For more picks, read our ranking of these seven popular Christmas wreaths.

Coming down on Christmas morning and unpacking your stocking is wonderful regardless of what it looks like. But you can make the stocking feel personal and add even more to the holiday magic and living room decor with pretty, personalized Christmas stockings. Individualized stockings have an old-fashioned charm and can contribute to holiday traditions rather than just being a vessel for small gifts and treats. Cheap, thin, and flimsy dollar store polyester stockings don't capture the same spirit. Considering its eye-catching place on a mantel, you might as well choose nice designs that contribute to the seasonal decor too.

It's not terribly expensive to upgrade stockings, and given that it's possible to use one for years or even decades, it's quite worthwhile in the long run. This idea also doesn't mean you need to put a name on each stocking: it can also be personalized in the sense that everyone chooses their own design. This idea is much more exciting than divvying up a cheap, identical bulk pack. Two adorable options to shop include the L.L. Bean Christmas Needlepoint Stocking and Land's End Needlepoint Personalized Christmas Stocking, both of which come in various designs. Pair them with a festive Christmas stocking holder for extra seasonal charm. 

It's not a good idea to cheap out on lighting. Lights from reputable brands tend to be safer, which is especially important for outdoor lighting that's exposed to the elements. High-quality lights can also work better and look nicer. Even if you only use them for a few months of the year, good holiday lights are more likely to withstand wintery conditions for several years and can have more features to justify their cost. For example, if you choose to spend the money, consider looking for smart options which offer excellent color and lighting effect customizations. Some are also usable year-round, so you can use them as day-to-day, special event, and holiday lighting with a couple of updates in the app.

One such product is the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights Pro. These are considered permanent outdoor lights and have a minimalist design, so they can stay up in all seasons. Select festive colors or preset light scenes to transform them into holiday lighting. A more traditional-looking strand is the Twinkly Strings LED Light String. It has that classic string light design, but can be controlled from an app so you can change the colors and create lighting effects. With these smart lights, you can set schedules which is useful if you tend to forget to turn your lights on and off. 

A beautiful reusable advent calendar will be something you're excited to pull out each December. Reusable products are more expensive than the typical, disposable cardboard advent calendars from big box stores, but they also offer a lot more. Not only will you get a more stylish and well-made product, it also becomes a yearly tradition rather than a once-off. Whether for yourself or for others, one of these advent calendars lets you choose different gifts each year, whether that's chocolates, cosmetics, trinkets, or something else.

The L.L. Bean Holiday Log Cabin Advent Calendar and Balsam Hill Lit Wooden Christmas Advent Calendar are two reusable advent calendars that are made of wood. Not only are they absolutely charming, they'll withstand years of use. The Felted Wool Christmas Tree Advent Calendar from World Market is also charming, and it's made of fabric, so it's easier to pack away post-holidays if you're tight on space.

Nice tableware can turn an already-festive holiday dinner into a magical and elegant experience. It's far from a necessity, but it's worthwhile if you want an elevated dining setup, and even more so if you host often and will get good use out of your collection. Of course, you can buy nice dishes and cutlery, but think outside the box: It can even be more valuable to splurge on table linens and decorations. It's also possible to find plenty of items that work for the holidays, but that can be repurposed for other events. You can spend on a few favorite statement pieces, while keeping other items on the table more budget-friendly.

The Emmett Antique Brass Taper Candle Holders are a great example of a worthy splurge for the table that isn't dishware — and they're actually more versatile than something like holiday-themed serveware. You can use them for any special dinner, but the traditional shape and brass material makes them a perfect fit for the holidays. The green Filomena Jacquard Tablecloth is another example of a luxurious product that's beautiful for the holidays, but also suits other more formal events. Lastly, an example of traditional high-quality dinnerware that you can also repurpose year-round is the Monique Lhuillier Nell Porcelain Salad Plates, which has festive bows that can also look quaint for birthdays or girly get-togethers.

A high-quality tree skirt can tie together a lovingly-decorated Christmas tree. Spending a little extra on the skirt can get you better materials and intricate decorative details. Cheap tree skirts tend to be thin, prone to wrinkles and getting mussed up easily, cheapening the look of your tree overall. If you're going to go to the trouble of placing each ornament, why not finish off the look with a nice skirt? A better-quality tree skirt will come at a higher price, but it will be thicker and have more body, so it stays in place and lays nicely.

With its adorable embroidered designs, the Rifle Paper Co. Embroidered Tree Skirt is an example of a premium product: It would be hard to find this level of well-done artwork and detail on a cheap skirt. The Balsam Hill Lancaster Quilted Tree Skirts have a more minimalist aesthetic, but you can still see quality in aspects like its thicker fabric, reversible design, and intricate ornamental stitching. If it feels more justifiable to pay for a tree skirt you can customize, consider the Pottery Barn Channel Quilted Velvet Tree Skirt, which can be personalized with embroidered lettering.

They aren't as important as the main tree, but the garlands around your home can really contribute to the festive atmosphere. They tend to wrap around big focal points in the house, like the staircase and mantel. Splurging on a nicer garland offers a more upscale look. There's often a stark difference in realism and fullness between cheap and expensive garlands: For the most part, pricier ones just look better. When a garland is the base for other decorations, it can pay to give yourself a high-quality canvas. If you're splurging on a nice real garland, it's really just about aesthetics, since it will only last one season. But if you're opting for an artificial garland, premium products also tend to have better materials and sturdier construction. With yearly use over time, you can make them feel well worth the higher upfront cost.

Afloral has a great reputation for realistic artificial garlands, and the Real Touch Norfolk Pine Garland is a highly-rated pick from the brand. The difference in appearance is night and day when you compare this premium product to something you might pick up at your local Walmart or big box store. Having more room in your budget also opens the door to more decorated garlands, which have accessories like berries, pine cones, and bows already built in. The Frontgate Christmas Cheer Cordless Garland with Bow is one of these more embellished products.

Wool is one of those traditional materials that is prized for its beauty and durability. Despite so many newer, cheaper materials, there's something about a real wool blanket that stands the test of time: They feel and look so luxurious. Considering a 100% wool blanket can stay in good condition for decades, it can be an excellent investment, even if it's expensive at first. You can find wool blankets in holiday patterns, but if you want to keep it on display longer, you can choose more subtle styles, like plaid or tartan. When you buy plain options in red, cream, or green, these patterns look festive, but also can be displayed year-round.

Something like the L.L. Bean Washable Wool Blanket has a moderately festive appearance with the plaid pattern, especially in a room decorated for the holidays, but it will still look appropriate after the season is over. The same can be said of the Boll and Branch Aran Knit Throw Blanket, which has a cabled design that feels very wintery. If you want to go all-out, the Aran Cable Christmas Throw is not shy about its Christmas theming.

A Christmas tree topper holds a special place right at the top of the tree, so you want to make sure it looks beautiful. If you're investing in an heirloom topper, choose a style that will still work most years, even if your Christmas decor theme changes. For example, it's pretty much always possible to make a classic star, angel, or snowflake topper work — they're traditional holiday motifs. Spending a little more means you can get better materials too, so it's more likely to look nicer and last longer.

The Kurt Adler Bethlehem Tree Topper is a lovely choice: It's made of shell, has a metal base, and is illuminated for that extra finishing touch. The star shape is classy and timeless. If you're in search of a traditional look, the Balsam Hill Angel Christmas Tree Topper has a level of detail that you don't find in very cheap toppers. Lastly, if you want a truly luxurious splurge, the Swarovski Crystal Holiday Magic Classics Tree Topper is sure to glitter brightly thanks to the hundreds of crystal rocks dotting it's surface.