Decorating your home with nautical-themed items is a great way to bring the colors and atmosphere of summer into your home. It's a splendid way to create a refreshing oasis where you can unwind and enjoy small moments of happiness, not just in summer!
If you've decided to decorate your home with coastal-themed accessories and elements, know that the rules to follow are roughly the same as those for nautical-themed furnishings. But on this occasion, we want to offer you some creative and DIY inspiration for decorating your home with seaside-themed items.
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In this guide, you'll find creative ideas for decorating your home in every season, perfect for completing the decor of a beach house for the holidays. Discover our inspirations!
How to choose nautical-themed items for your home: the three basic rules!
To decorate your home with nautical-themed items, you need to keep in mind a few essential basic rules to create a refreshingly restful summer atmosphere. Let's explore them together!
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1. Start with colors: blue and white are essential, although decorating in a nautical style doesn't mean excluding the various shades of the ocean (from green to gray, if you love a winter atmosphere) or warmer tones like beige.
2. Wood should be the main feature, especially in home accessories and nautical decorations, perhaps paired with glass.
3. Finally, don't overlook prints and fabrics. They should never be missing if you want to complete a nautical decor, as well as nautical objects or shell decorations. The latter are truly versatile and particularly suitable for DIY beach house decor (we'll explore this in depth in this guide!).
Discover our affordable ideas for decorating your home with nautical-style objects!
Light up your home with nautical-style lanterns
Well, if you're wondering how to decorate your home with nautical-style objects, we can't help but start with lanterns! Romantic candlelight is perfect for creating an even more intimate atmosphere, and paired with small starfish, shells, or nautical-themed objects, they'll add that extra touch that makes all the difference.
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Lanterns and candles are always a winning combination, but you can use these accessories as nautical decorations and add even more creative flair to your decor.
Here's some inspiration for decorating your home with coastal-inspired lanterns!
- Use white, blue, or elegant silver lanterns to create a nautical atmosphere.
- Try using lanterns as containers, too! Fill them with sand to bring the beach into your home.
- Alternatively, you can use lanterns filled with shells or a few starfish: a splendid example of nautical objects, also great for decorating a beach house on a budget!
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Lanterns are perfect accessories for creating a nautical atmosphere in your home or outdoors! You can use them on the floor, or to decorate a cabinet or create a focal point in your home or balcony.
How to decorate a nautical-themed fireplace: summer freshness in your home
Now let's look at the fireplace surround, a very trendy furnishing accessory that we tend to associate with winter. In fact, with a few carefully selected nautical decorations, you can also decorate a fireplace surround for summer and make it an integral part of a nautical-style decor!
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Thanks to nautical-themed objects, decorating your fake fireplace for summer is actually easier than you think.
Here's some inspiration for enhancing your fireplace with nautical-themed decorations!
- Add a collection of shells, starfish, and coral to the mantelpiece to decorate your fireplace surround!
- A mirror in the shape of a boat window to place above the fireplace is a great idea for creating a nautical-themed decoration.
- Hang paintings or prints with images of sailboats, lighthouses, or seascapes on the walls near the fireplace to transform your living room.
- Add a decorative lantern or a scented candle with a sea scent above the fireplace surround for an even more evocative atmosphere.
- Arrange a collection of old glass bottles filled with sand and small shells along the base of the fireplace to evoke memories of walks on the beach.
- Hang a decorative fishing net over the fireplace and place small marine decorations inside, such as ceramic fish or small nets with shells.
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Having a fireplace is a true blessing that not everyone has, but you can alternatively get a fake decorative fireplace (or make one yourself!). Get inspired by our ideas and create beautiful decorations with nautical-themed objects to enhance it even during the warmer months!
Make a DIY nautical-themed centerpiece for your kitchen
If you love decoupage, here's a truly chic and creative idea: a DIY nautical-themed centerpiece!
Easy to make, colorful, and imaginative. A coastal-inspired centerpiece is perfect for decorating a nautical-themed kitchen table or for placing on the porch or garden.
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Making a DIY nautical-inspired centerpiece is incredibly simple! If you're not sure how, we'll guide you with a short tutorial.
First, what do you need to create your centerpiece? Here are the materials you'll need:
- Wide, shallow tray or bowl- Fine sand or colored gravel- Shells, starfish, coral, or other decorative marine objects- Floating candles- Decorative tape or nautical ribbons (optional)- Hot glue gun (optional)- Flowers or a small plant (if you want to add a fresh touch!)
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Here's the process for making a DIY sea-themed centerpiece!
1) Prepare the tray - Choose a wide, shallow tray or bowl that's suitable for the size of your table. Clean it and make sure it's dry before starting.
2) Fill the tray with sand or gravel - Pour an even layer of fine sand or colored gravel into the tray, creating a stable base for the centerpiece. You can also alternate different colors of sand or gravel for a more vibrant effect!
3) Add the marine elements! - Place the shells, starfish, or coral on the sand or gravel. Create a creative arrangement!
4) Insert the candles - If you'd like to use floating candles, fill the tray halfway with water. Place the floating candles on the water, distributing them evenly among the nautical objects.
5) Add more decorative details! - Want an extra decorative touch? Use a colorful ribbon, rope, or fresh flowers.
Your centerpiece is ready! A perfect decorative element to pair with other nautical-themed objects to create a unique atmosphere in the kitchen, dining room, or outdoor spaces.
Rope as nautical decorations: try it out!
Sailor-themed objects are certainly a classic for decorating a beach house. You can have fun creating truly original and versatile decorations with a truly surprising material: rope!
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Rope decorations are a variation closer to the coastal style and shabby chic look, but they also add a stunning touch to a nautical-themed home. The versatility of rope will amaze you: you can really let your imagination run wild and create accessories that are perfect for decorating a beach house!
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How can you use rope to create nautical-inspired decorations? Here are some simple and impressive ideas!
- Use thick, durable ropes to create a rustic, dramatic mirror frame! You can secure the rope with glue or small nails to create a nautical-inspired decoration.
- Replace traditional bathroom towel handles with braided ropes! Tie the ropes to the wall using hooks or suitable brackets and use this accessory to add a touch of nautical flair to your home.
- Have fun creating nautical knots to use as decorative items! If you love the nautical world, you can create a bow knot, a tackle knot, or a figure-eight knot: they'll be perfect as ornaments or for placing inside small glass containers.
If you love the atmosphere of fishermen's cottages, weave ropes together to create a decorative fishing net to hang on the wall or as a decorative element on shelves and tables. A simple idea with a truly evocative effect!
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Have you seen how many possibilities simple ropes offer? With your creative touch, you can transform them into authentic nautical-inspired decorations and DIY nautical objects for your home.
Create nautical-style objects with old driftwood!
Want to create more nautical-themed decorations without spending a fortune? Well, even old driftwood is perfect for transforming into accessories to add a coastal touch to your home!
Get some old twigs or small logs and get ready to transform them into sea-inspired decorative objects! Not sure what to make? Here are some DIY inspirations:
- Make little boats! Arrange the sticks to form the hull and glue them together. Add a small fabric triangle to create a small sail, and use these stylized little boats as nautical-themed decorations or as original candle holders!
- Use thinner sticks or old twigs to create original place cards. Glue the sticks together to form a stable base and wrap a ribbon around them. Add a small card with the guest's name to complete the idea. These nautical-themed place cards will be perfect for a seafood dinner or a nautical-themed party.
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- Make a frame for your summer photos using sticks! Cut the sticks into pieces of the desired length and glue them together to form a rectangular or square frame. Add a string or ribbon to hang it on the wall or place it on a piece of furniture. A perfect photo holder, especially for your vacation memories!
- Make a rustic coat rack using sticks of different sizes! Glue them together and screw hooks onto the bottom to hang jackets, hats, or towels. This DIY coat rack is perfect for creating a seaside atmosphere in your entryway or bathroom.
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These are just a few of the ideas you can create using old pieces of wood and your imagination. Have fun making these simple nautical-inspired decorations and impress your guests!
Marine decorations with shells: bring the essence of the ocean into your home with DIY!
We'll end with a great nautical-style classic: shell decorations! Here, you can unleash your imagination and create nautical-style objects with creative recycling.
If you love decoupage, now is the perfect time to unleash your creativity and create nautical-themed settings!
Here are some ideas for creating nautical-style decorations with shells:
- Use shells to fill a glass bottle! Choose different sizes and shapes for an even more creative effect. You can arrange the shells randomly or create a more organized design. Seal the bottle with a decorative lid and place it on a shelf or table as a nautical decor.
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- Make a seashell garland! Use clear fishing line and shells to create a garland of alternating sizes and colors. It would be perfect as a nautical decoration to hang on walls, above a fireplace, or to adorn windows.
- Illuminate the shells with fairy lights! Place small LED lights inside the shells, creating small nautical lanterns. These luminous shells can be used as table decorations or as nightlights to create a charming atmosphere on a balcony, garden, or bedroom.
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- Decorate a frame with seashells! Use shells of different sizes and shapes to decorate the frame of a mirror or a painting. Glue them randomly around the edge of the frame, overlapping them to create a truly personal design.
- Make a sea-themed wind chime! A super creative idea that will make your entryway beautiful. Attach some seashells to a sturdy string, leaving enough space between each shell. Hang the wind chime on the doorknob or window and be lulled by the tinkling of the seashells dancing in the wind!
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Seashells are truly versatile objects and help you bring the essence of the ocean into your home. They're perfect for adding a unique nautical touch to your home and (most importantly) allow you to create decorations at no cost.
Get inspired by our ideas for decorating with nautical items and get ready to bring a breath of refreshing sea breeze into your home!
