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Some people cringe, some people tingle with anticipation, some people wait till the last minute, while others are already planning…what am I talking about? Why, decorating for Christmas, of course! You are starting to see it everywhere…new stock coming into almost every store near you. Does it make your heart skip a beat? Do you get inspired at every turn? Do you wander aisle after aisle and just dream of the possibilities?
…or do you embrace more of the “SO not ready for this”, or “can’t we just wait till Halloween is over?” or “just look the other way--pretend it’s not there!”
Whichever your outlook…it’s coming, and it will be here before you know it! There are SO many ways people approach decorating for the holidays and no way is right or wrong…it’s just another way you can express yourself through your décor!
I come from a background of a “more is more” approach. I worked at a retail store for several years and learned how to deck the halls to the nines! But when it comes to my own home, as much as I plan and do get excited, I just don’t have the budget to go crazy. Honestly, there were a few years that I bought my decorations at Joe Fresh because I could use my PC points to do it! One has to get creative when your monetarily challenged! I still don’t have a set “budget” for Christmas decorations, so whatever it is that I do buy must be well priced, and has to flow with the overall theme of my home and how I decorate for Christmas. Whether you have a dollar store budget or can go all out, here are some tips to consider as you get ready to decorate for the holidays.
1) Plan out your displays:
As much as you may wander those aisles and fill your cart with item after item, if you don’t go shopping with a clear focus you will fill your cart with lots of nice things, but get home and not know where to start or how to arrange it all. Try to purchase things that in the long run will have more than one place to go so you can rotate what you have an still make things look fresh year after year.
2) Don’t have too many focal points:
In one room, choose your displays wisely. It’s better to make one big statement, then to have a lot of little stuff spread around. It ends up looking cluttered and all the “good stuff” you have gets lost.
The above console table does not have a clear focus and is a big mish-mash of items that looks very cluttered. It is unified by color, but there are just too many items vying for your attention! By planning before purchasing, you can avoid making these types of mistakes and instead have a display that has a big wow-factor! Check out these examples to see what I mean…
These displays are simple, focused on a specific theme or color scheme, and the size, height, and color of the items is all pleasing to the eye...SO much more effective!
3) Use different textures:
What makes displays so much more visually interesting is by varying the textures of the items you use.
Soft snow, twinkle lights, glass, gingerbread cookies, and mercury glass make this table centerpiece a perfect mix of items that make for a very effective display.
Large glitzy Reindeer, furry stockings, tufted velvet, twinkling lights on a rustic tree glistening with glass ornaments make this a display where you just want to touch every single thing!
Always put the tree in the living room? What if you changed it up somehow? Or did a children’s tree
Always stayed with traditional colors? Why not replace one color with something new?
I will admit, I have not gone the traditional route with my color scheme--somehow, I don’t think you are surprised! As a lover of all things blue, I have chosen a silver, aqua & turquoise color scheme with lots of clear/white glass thrown in to add sparkle. Here are a few pics from previous years; every year I change things up a bit.
5) Try not to go overboard:
Putting out all you have on every available surface isn’t always the way to go! Be strategic (see point #2) so that your eye has somewhere to rest. Limit the collections you display or rotate where you display them. Change is a good thing so don’t limit yourself to always putting it up exactly the same way!
6) Be Practical:
Setting up your kitchen with all sorts of decorations might not be the best for your family (do you really want to clean sauce off those ornaments?) or having items going up the stairway (a tripping hazard) or delicate ornaments on your tree when you have pets or small children that could cause damage—to themselves or your treasured items.
7) The most important point of all:
When you look at picture after picture of perfection, you can feel like what you have isn’t good enough.
Isn’t creative enough.
Isn’t as good as so-n-so’s…
Yes. It is.
Do the best you can with what you have. That IS perfection.
There will always be more that you can do, so why allow yourself to be perpetually comparing with something unattainable? Work with what you have and if it doesn’t look “magazine worthy” somehow I don’t think your family will mind. After all…having loved ones around to celebrate far, FAR exceeds the perceived satisfaction from a “perfect” display or interior.
Having the "perfect" Christmas tree will not make your holiday better, but rather it’s what comes from the heart that matters. Family, traditions, giving, sharing, making memories, loving on each other—that’s what feeds our spirits year after year.
So don’t go too crazy going after the perfectly decorated house but instead do the best you can with what you have to make it beautiful.
Little by little…you’ll get there!
All of the images used in this post can be found (and more!) on my Pinterest board, so take a look if you’d like more inspiration!
Sources:
1. http://www.makoodle.com/christmas-decor-home-tour-2014/
2. https://southernhospitalityblog.com/marcs-christmas-home-tour-part-1/
3. Original photo no longer available at www.kirklands.com https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/Aakgo6Bj41d4YzHr_6nTz1sJ6aEKnRI71uNunxHAjoUv0XQUAkQj7uU/
4. Ori https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/332562753725819961/ginal photo no longer available at www.crateandbarrel.com
5. http://www.craftberrybush.com/2016/11/christmas-house-tour-2016.html
6. Original photo no longer available at www.zgallerie.com
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/332562753725820012/
7. Original image from Quarters One (website no longer available) http://decoholic.org/2016/11/15/holiday-decorating-inspiration-tips-30-pics/
8. https://houseandhome.com/gallery/easy-christmas-decorating-ideas/
9. https://www.frontgate.com/crystal-ice-60-pc-2e-ornament-collection/927131?SourceCode=ZZ444561&cm_mmc=pinterest-_-holiday-_-crystaliceornament-_-101416&crlt.pid=camp.T8C2sZCuhIuI
10. http://www.bhg.com/christmas/trees/christmas-tree-decorating-tips/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bhg_539425525_editorialcontent
11. https://www.digsdigs.com/71-awesome-christmas-stairs-decoration-ideas/pictures/108628/
12. https://www.ellaclaireinspired.com/10-tips-for-beautiful-christmas-tree-ribbon/
13. http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2015/11/black-and-white-plaid-buffalo-check-christmas-tree-2015-michaels-dream-tree-challenge.html
14. Original photo no longer available on website https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/event/a-regency-christmas-at-windsor-castle#/
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/332562753725806985/
15.http://www.mariakillam.com/christmas2015/?utm_content=bufferdd596&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Editor's note: This post was originally published in 2017 and has been moderately revamped.
