We don’t want to brag *too* much, but we think your Christmas is about to get a whole lot brighter. This fun guide is all about how to have the most English major-inspired holiday season EVER, from fun book-inspired Christmas decoration ideas to reading recommendations that are sure to put you in the holiday spirit.
We hope your holiday season is filled with good times, loved ones, and some cozy downtime to read and write! Without further ado, here are 11 ways to infuse your holiday with English major cheer:
1. Make a Christmas tree out of books.
There are a few different ways to create a Christmas tree out of books, and below we’ve shared a few of our favorite ideas to help you get inspired! (If you run out of green books but still want a green “tree,” you can wrap books in green-colored wrapping paper!)
2. Spread the English major love to organizations doing great work in our communities.
Searching for a gift idea for that person who seems to have everything? Consider making a donation to a nonprofit in their name! There are so many great organizations out there that English majors, writers, and bookworms can easily get behind. We asked our Instagram followers for their favorite organizations to support, and here’s a few that they shared with us:
Your local library!
Check out Bustle’s “11 Organizations That Promote Literacy You Can Donate To Or Volunteer At This Summer” article for more ideas, and you can also search for keywords (like “literacy”) on Charity Navigator to find organizations that are doing great work.
3. Decorate your home with Christmas decor made from recycled books.
Some people freak out at the idea of cutting up a book, but some books are wayyy past their prime and are ready for a second life.
Here are a couple of Youtube videos that show you exactly how to repurpose your old books into wreaths and trees:
And here are some of our favorite recycled book decor ideas from Instagram:
4. Mail your friends bookish Christmas cards.
Isn’t it fun to receive snail mail that’s not an ad or someone asking for money?! Give someone special the gift of opening their mailbox to find a lovely handwritten card this holiday season!
For even more neat letter writing supplies, check out our snail mail-themed gift guide here.
5. Read your favorite holiday stories and poems, and discover a few new ones.
We asked our followers on Instagram what their favorite holiday books and poems are, and here are a few of their favorite Christmas reads:
Click here for a selection of Christmas poems chosen by the Poetry Foundation.
6. Decorate your Christmas tree with bookish ornaments.
The only thing that rivals a Christmas tree made out of books is a Christmas tree covered in book ornaments!
7. Follow book-themed Instagram accounts that will fill your feed with festive bookish photos.
If your Instagram feed could use some holiday cheer, follow @elizabeth_sagan, @juanitasreadingcafe, @thereaderandthechef, and @darkfaerietales_ for festive, elaborate scenes that show off their favorite books, their latest reads, and pretty pictures of books… because why not?! Below, we’ve selected some Christmas-inspired pics from just a few of our favorite bookish Instagram accounts. Enjoy!
(If you’re totally into this, check out our blog post titled “38 Beautiful Instagram Accounts for Book Lovers.”)
8. Watch (or just listen!) to Penguin authors read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.
9. Give Christmas-themed bookish gifts.
We have several themed gift guides here, but the gift ideas we’ve chosen to highlight below are Christmas-themed and perfect for the book lover in your life.
10. Nerd out on Christmas-related style guides, and get familiar with grammar and punctuation mistakes that pop up frequently this time of year.
Here are a few of our favorite guides and posts on this topic:
“Are Your Holiday Cards Grammatically Correct?” by Grammar Girl
“Greeting Card Grammar” by Grammar Girl
“9 style tips for Christmas” by Dragonfly Editorial
“‘Wassail', 'Yule', and More: The Stories Behind 8 Holiday Words” by Merriam-Webster
11. Enjoy wonderfully nerdy holiday book displays.
Whether you work at a library and need some inspiration for your next display or you just want to decorate your home using what you have (hint: it’s books!), these holiday book displays are easy to whip up in just a few minutes:
Full disclosure: This blog post includes affiliate links, and Dear English Major will receive a small percentage of any sales at no extra cost to you. Thank you very much for helping us fund Dear English Major!
