Holiday Decorating: How to Get All Decked Out for Christmas. 'Tis the season for sparkling elegance and festive decor.
Elegance - with a 3-year-old? Yeah, right. And let me call my uniformed nanny - it's the butler's day off.
Seriously, though - elegance doesn't have to mean rich or untouchable.
Festive elegance can be as simple as accessorizing with a few rich fabrics such as velvet pillows or slipcovers, cozy faux fur throws, or beaded organza table runners in brilliant seasonal jewel colors.
Think lots of sparkle and shine with glittered candles (out of reach of afore-mentioned 3-year-old of course), mirrored or silver serving trays, beaded garlands and twinkly lights everywhere.
Decking the halls is fun because you can be a little over the top - and enjoy it in public.
Here are 8 tips to get you started decking your halls:
1 De-Clutter Party Areas.
To make room for the festive stuff, pack up your usual knickknacks. This is Christmas. (If you don't have many holiday decorations, enjoy the clean look for a festive change.)
2 All That Glitters.
Invest in a few sparkly touches for your dining room table. Maybe a beaded runner or placemats for your table topped with simple decorations; or a bowl of sparkling or glittery fruit or holiday ornaments.
Or just candles - lots of candles - in the same color but in varying widths and heights. Corral them on a sterling silver serving tray.
3 Lighten Up.
String tiny white lights throughout the living areas. That way, at night, the whole house will twinkle with the classic warmth of the holiday.
Drape them along windows, over tall
houseplants,
along doorways and bookcases.
Dim your regular lights and enjoy.
4 Choose a Theme.
Don't mix funky Frosty the Snowmen with elegant Father Christmases.
Choose one or the other for this season, or at least keep the theme's uniform in each room.
For example, if you have both, you could do a fun Santa theme in the family room and a more formal, sophisticated theme in the living room and dining room.
5 Group Collections.
Collectibles such as your favorite wooden nutcrackers or china santas are always more visually striking when grouped together.
6 Go Wild With Ribbon.
Greenery
is so messy. Consider making garlands of ribbon instead.
Use the wired kind and loosely twist two colors around a strand of twinkling white lights. Drape down a banister or across a mantel.
7 Think Vertically.
Don't just decorate table tops and mantels.
Hang ornaments and decorations from tall house plants, chandeliers, mirrors.
If you have ornaments too delicate or precious to risk on the three, display them on a high shelf.
8 Create Accessory Trees.
Consider having small trees in the family room or the kids' bedrooms and let them decorate them just the way they want.
