Chelsea and Cole DeBoer Shared Their Ultimate Holiday Traditions with HGTV, and We're Ready to Copy Them All
Treats, magical decor, family fun — the Down Home Fab hosts know how to celebrate the holidays. Take a look into their rituals, then try them for yourself.
It’s no surprise the experts of edgy-farmhouse style, Down Home Fab co-hosts Chelsea and Cole DeBoer, are also seasoned pros at celebrating the holidays. When December hits, their beautiful Sioux Falls, South Dakota, home transforms into a winter wonderland complete with curated themes, fun celebrations and plenty of yummy treats. Luckily, the husband-and-wife duo is sharing all of their festive must-dos, so can have an equally fab holiday season.
Chelsea and Cole's Annual Rituals
The DeBoer's traditions go beyond matching pajamas. (Chelsea always picks them out.) “I’m big into Christmas because I love being Santa. I grew up with my parents who were very traditional and they did all of the Santa stuff,” Cole shared with HGTV. “My dad’s best friend and all of their buddies, they used to travel around town. One dressed up as Santa and the others were elves, and you’d hear a pounding on your door at night and they’d all pile into your house. Any cool tradition — I want to do that for our kids, too, because kids always remember Christmas.”
One practice the DeBoer family has taken up is an annual gingerbread house competition. This year, the host was none other than their 14-year-old daughter Aubree. Chelsea’s plan was to make her house as pretty as possible, while Cole’s was to let his artistic abilities flow (and to snack on the decorations).
WATCH: Aubree DeBoer Hosts Epic Gingerbread House Competition
Cole and Chelsea DeBoer battle it out for best gingerbread house design.
1. Get Down With Decorations
When it comes to festive decor, Chelsea keeps it classic with faux garland, moody tones and rustic bells (which she sprinkles everywhere). And for the star of the show, they put up not one but two Christmas trees side-by-side in their living room. "The Charlie Brown trees," as Chelsea calls them, are decked out with textured ornaments in a natural color palette for a modern and minimal, yet festive, look.
For their annual New Year's Eve celebration, Chelsea sticks to a classic color palette of black, white and gold. She and Cole deck out the house with balloons, super-sized board games and tons of sparkle.
2. Sweeten Up the Season
“My mom always made caramel rolls the morning of Christmas, and I’ve been trying to ... continue that tradition,” Chelsea said.
Cole is very anti-eggnog, so Chelsea has also mastered the art of brewing hot chocolate with her creamy and family-friendly crock-pot recipe. For New Year’s, their go-to is a Shirley Temple. Cole has both a grown-up and a kid version (maraschino cherries and a fun straw required).
Chelsea Deboer’s Holiday Hot Chocolate Recipe Will Warm You Up This Winter
Get cozy this season with the Down Home Fab host's fave seasonal drink.
3. Crank the Christmas Music
The holidays haven't really begun until the festive tunes come on, but there's a debate in the DeBoer household about which artist has the best sound of the season.
“You know it’s Christmas when Cole asks for Mariah Carey,” said Chelsea. She's a self-proclaimed Michael Bublé fan, while Cole is an “All I want for Christmas is You" stan.
“[Mariah's] Christmas album; she just gets down,” Cole said. “And my mom had that thing on repeat growing up, so I know every song. I sing just like her, so there’s that, too.” (FYI: Cole's a pro at Dad jokes.)
Keep up with all of Chelsea and Cole's holiday traditions by following them on Instagram at @chelseahouska and @coledeboer.