St. Patrick’s Day Decor for Holiday Haters: Embracing Green with Minimal Effort

Every March the Irish – and Irish at heart – celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with festive parades, boiled dinners, and plenty of beer to keep the mood celebratory well into the evening. While the dress code is simple (green, green, and more green) and the menu equally so, St. Patrick’s Day home décor can stump even the most creative interior designer. How does one make leprechauns and shamrocks . . . chic?

If you’re struggling to find classy St. Patrick’s Day decorations, you’ll love the holiday design tips we’ve collected in the article below. With just a small bit of effort – and a dose of that fabled Irish luck – you’ll have your home decked out for a sophisticated St. Pat’s in no time.  

Keep it Simple with Green Accents

The key to modern St. Patrick’s Day décor is to keep it simple by only using kelly green as an accent color. Consider how to add pops of greens in unexpected ways throughout your home. Florals, plaids, and other patterns are a refreshing alternative to solids and can be of use well past the holiday.

Green Throw Pillows and Blankets

Our favorite quick and cheap option to add an elegant flair to your St Patrick’s Day home décor is with high-quality throw pillows and blankets. These pieces are easy to find and easy to securely store when not in use. They can also be very cheap, especially if you take advantage of the spring home sales that generally kick into gear in February.

Green Table Runners

Another way to add some quick flair to your home is with your table runner or tablecloth. Look for pieces made of high-quality natural fabrics (like cotton or linen) with a spring floral or traditional plaid that features green but doesn’t use it as the main color. When it comes time to sit down for corned beef and cabbage, you can use green or gold napkins, candles or napkin rings to play up the festive tones. 

Green Quilts and Duvet Covers

Don’t forget about the “less public” rooms in the house when you’re decorating for St. Pat’s. In addition to changing hand towels, you’ll want to swap out your traditional bedcovers for green options this year. The color works equally well with both modern and traditional looks, though many prefer the latter to better celebrate the Irish heritage of handmade items. To get the look for cheap, keep your eyes peeled the next time you’re at a thrift store for quilts or pillow covers with green elements.

Potted Plants for a Natural Touch

Potted plants are a delightful and eco-friendly addition to any modern St. Patrick’s Day décor scheme. Call to mind the rolling green hills and old-growth forests of Ireland with a few new plants or moss balls on your horizontal surfaces or hung from the ceiling.  

Succulents or Hanging Vines in Brass Planters

Gold really plays up the vibrancy of greens while giving a nod to the traditionally Irish color pairing. We love both succulents and hanging vines for a dramatic look, but be sure to follow the lighting and watering instructions for best results.

Miniature Potted Shamrocks

Nothing symbolizes St. Patrick’s Day like a shamrock (also known as an oxalis). Add a few small potted varieties around your home for a quick, low-effort nod to the holiday. Shamrocks come in a number of colors (including dark purple) so be sure to consider which hues suit your décor over the long-term.

Unusual Displays

It’s fun to display your houseplants in new and unexpected ways. Try arranging your plants on the floor in front of a large window, stringing a vine across a bookshelf or horizontal ledge, or arranging all of your plants in similar pots on a single table. 

Greenery Without Commitment

If your vision of St. Patrick’s Day home décor includes being able to take it down on March 18th, you’re going to want to aim for pieces that are easy to remove and reuse. Aim for low-impact, quality pieces that you can donate for reuse or store away for next year.

Green Plate Display

Take your St Patrick’s Day wall décor up a notch with a display of green plates on a dining area wall. Start your search now in thrift stores or shop your storage for either a full set of or a few mismatched individual plates. Purchase plate hangers online or at a local hardware store, lay them out in a pattern and then attach to the wall.

Green Glassware

Add a little spring to your routine by switching over to green glassware for the month. Vintage green depression glass is a great, reasonably priced, and interesting choice. There are also plenty of well-reviewed, modern options online to bring your beverage game up a notch for St. Pat’s – no green food dye necessary.

Spruced Up Wreath

One of our favorite St. Patrick’s Day door decorating ideas is to add a few festive gold pieces to a reusable spring wreath for the month of March. These accents should set off the spring colors while giving a nod to the holiday and be easy to remove and store for next year. Interested in more St. Patrick’s DIY tips? Check out these fun projects. 

Edible Décor for the Win

And now for everybody’s favorite part: figuring out the eats and drinks for a St. Patrick’s day shindig! Whether it’s Bloody Marys before the parade or a traditional dinner, you can always count on St. Patrick’s Day for some of the best parties of the year. No matter which type of gathering you’re planning to host, you’ll want to aim for foods and beverages that are filling, fun, and flavorful – not gimmicky.      

Green Veggie Snack Display

A great way to incorporate some natural foods into the day is to set up an all green veggie tray. Snap peas, green beans, broccoli, cucumbers…you get the drift. Your guests will appreciate the healthy options on what is typically known as a day of debauchery.

Green Beverage Station

Skip the green beer and serve a selection of green cocktails and mocktails instead. If you’re more the canned cocktail type, provide your guests with a selection of green Buzzballz. Be sure to have plenty of water on-hand and whatever you do, don’t forget the Guinness!

St. Patrick’s Day Accents

If you’re aiming for modern St. Patrick’s Day décor, you’ll need to limit items with overly garish colors or designs. When it comes to desserts, this means need to dump a bunch of green food dye into your dessert batter. Instead, buy or make cupcakes or sugar cookies and add a few St. Patrick’s Day edible accents that people can either eat or easily remove.

Anything you can do to “embrace green” by focusing on heritage, celebration, and the fresh beginnings of spring, the more sophisticated your St. Patrick’s Day get-together will be. One last tip is to try to coordinate your holiday décor projects (like repotting plants) with the rest of your spring sprucing up for maximum impact. It’s easy to elevate St. Patrick’s Day home décor with only a small bit of effort. Even better? The positive effects of adding new houseplants or swapping out daily items for more festive choices will last much longer than the holiday. As the Irish would say in a toast, “Slánte!”