The Best Way to Decorate for Christmas

Well, we just had our first snow storm here in Western Massachusetts and it’s starting to feel like Christmas! I know it seems like we’ve been talking about the holidays for a while now, but it’s finally time to decorate, according to me. Of course there is the age old debate about whether you’re ‘allowed’ to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving or not! Which side do you fall on? Let me know in the comments below. If you haven’t decorated yet, or if your decorations could use a little tweaking, I’ve put together five of my favorite holiday decorating tips right here for you to enjoy. I’ve got you!

Christmas Decorating Idea #1- Color! The best way to decorate for the holidays is to work with the existing color scheme in your home. It simply won’t work, it won’t look right, if you add Christmas decorations, all willy nilly to your existing home decor. You need to really take a look at your home and see what accent color you’re already using. And then you need your holiday decorations to go with that color scheme. See in the photo below? The client’s home had teal, orange and gold in it already, so we used copper and teal ornaments and accessories and added some white to brighten it up. That way, everything ends up working well together but still feels special. Click here to read about the 3 tools you need to hang all of your Christmas decor! You can also see more of this client’s house by clicking here.
Think about what colors you already have in your home. I’m betting you could find some holiday decor that coordinates with it!

If you have some red in your home, or if you have a neutral color scheme, make a little vase or glass festive by fastening some candy canes around it with a rubber band! TIP ALERT – Add the rubber band to the vase FIRST. Then simply slip the candy canes in. Add a large ribbon to cover the rubber band. That way you can still utilize it, but it will look like an entirely new vase and guests can grab one as they head out the door! You can add a candle to the inside in a small glass (be careful to keep the flame away from the candy canes). You can put a mini tree inside, or even a small poinsettia! Little touches like this just add to the details your guests will love. (See what I did there??? details…)

Christmas Decorating Idea #2- Ribbon!! A super easy way to add a little Christmas to your everyday decor is RIBBON! Be generous with it! Add it to your lampshades, draperies, pillows, artwork, cabinet doors, interior doors, statues, lanterns, anything! You can put a ribbon wherever you want a festive touch. I’ve even added it to my canisters on my countertop and around the headboard in my guest room!
You can use different types of ribbon too. Think about textures like burlap or silk. As long as the colors coordinate with the rest of your scheme, layer on the textures in different areas. Think of ribbon as softening something up. You can even wrap your front door like a present! The sky’s the limit.

Christmas Decorating Idea #3- Ornaments! They’re not just for your Christmas tree! Take your lanterns, hurricanes, vases or cloches and (gently if they’re glass) place some ornaments inside. Voila! You’ve got a pretty centerpiece or accent decorations! Here’s a little tip for filling the cloches. Turn the glass top upside down. Fill with ornaments. Add the base and then tip it right side up again. Easy peasy! Again, use colors that go with your existing color scheme to bring it all together. Take a look at these lanterns. (Notice they have ribbon, too!)

Lanterns are an everyday item that a lot of us have hanging around. Bring them to life for the holidays! It will take you five minutes and it looks beautiful. We kept the flameless candles inside and just added some ribbon and ornaments. Same with this little pedestal! It gets a new look for the holidays with a little ribbon (with music notes on it to add a personalized touch, more on that below) and a mix of some sparkly and matte ornaments in the color scheme of the room.

Christmas Decorating Idea #4- Personality! Don’t forget, this is YOUR home! Don’t be afraid to show off your personality! At Details we’re known for designing personalized homes for our clients. Whenever I decorate a client’s room, I always try to add a personalized item or two and Christmas decorating is no different. This client has chickens that she LOVES. So yes, I searched for, and found, chicken ornaments for her garland! Not an easy task, I might add! Decorating should be FUN! Collect things that you like, and use them in your decor.

Christmas Decorating Idea #5- Swap it Out! It’s important to swap out some of your existing decor for your holiday decor. You shouldn’t just add your Christmas decorations to your already decorated home. It’ll end up a cluttered mess. Put your everyday decor in your Christmas decor storage bins and when you take it back out to put the Christmas decor away, simply swap it out.

Notice the dog statue got a pretty ribbon around his neck? We kept the personality and just added some bling to tie him in! So you don’t necessarily have to swap out every single thing, but the best way to do it is remove everything to start, put out your Christmas decor, and if an area looks bare or empty, add something back in, one at a time. And don’t forget to give it a festive touch!

So those are my tips! Color, ribbon, ornaments, personality and swap it out! Don’t forget, decorating should be fun! Put on your favorite Christmas music, light a delicious holiday candle and break out the decorations! Soon, you’ll be ready to entertain your guests! (Read more about that here!!) Enjoy!

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