Six Tips for Holiday Decorating

It's that time of year again! You may be wondering how to transform your home into a holiday wonderland that you and your family can enjoy. Below are some tips that will help you make the most of your winter decorating.

1. Make it Last

Holiday decorations are beautiful, and some people love the decorations for this time of year more than all the others. They aren't always able to enjoy them for very long, because many people don't put them up until the day after Thanksgiving and take them back down the day after New Years. That is mostly because of the Christmas theme that many decorations for this time of year have. One way to get more mileage out of your decorating is to start with a winter theme rather than a Christmas theme. Think cool colors and warm touches. You can start your winter decorating in the beginning of November. Then, as Christmas approaches you can add the typical touches of red, the Christmas trees and the Santas. When Christmas is over, you can remove the Christmas-y decorations while leaving your overall winter theme all the way until February.

2. Use Nature

Winter decorating doesn't need to be all holiday oriented. Look outside for inspiration. Notice the ways the trees look, find ways to mimic the snow and the frost. While some think that winter trees look ugly without their leaves, others see in them a special kind of beauty. Use branches with no leaves to bring this winter look into your home. Fill a glass jar with white rocks to mimic snow and stick in the branches. This will provide a look that clearly says "winter". Pour artificial snow into smaller glass jars and arrange them on your mantle or on an easily visible shelf. Even if you live in a part of the country where snow is a rarity, you will be able to fill your house with thoughts of the white powder. Broken glass (thick glass works best) placed in a container looks like ice. Sprinkle with a little artificial snow for an extra frosty look.

3. Reflections

Mirrors have an extra special place in holiday decorating. Place a mirror opposite your Christmas tree. The mirror will reflect the lights and give the room extra sparkle. Also, place a mirror opposite a grouping of candles (either real or electric), or place the candles directly in front of the mirror. This will help fill the room with a warm glow as the light of the candles dances on the mirror.

4. Trees Please

To some people, nothing says holiday decorating more than a well-decorated tree. If that's how you feel, then why stop at just one? If you can't decide between whimsical decorations for your tree and a truly elegant creation, why not do both? Have 2-3 big trees in the main rooms and several smaller trees throughout the house. The kids will think it's a great treat to have a mini Christmas tree in their room. Allow them to decorate the tree any way they would like. Take pictures and in years to come you can look back and see how their decorating styles and skills have grown and changed. Having trees throughout the house will help bring out the Christmas spirit in all who enter!

5. Cards

Some people hate to throw away all of the Christmas cards they receive. Some cards are so beautiful that it's easy to understand why. Instead of tossing them when the season is over, why not save them and use them to create a holiday display to use next year? Simply decoupage the cards to a piece of plywood for a display that is colorful, whimsical and reminds you of all the people who loved you enough to send you cards last year.

6. The Gift Corner

All of those pretty packages are going to be torn to shreds on Christmas day. Until then, why not use them to create a festive looking corner in your home? If you have a LOT of gifts, simply stack them in a corner. If you have fewer gifts, put a small table in a corner and cover it with a red or holiday themed blanket. Then, stack your gifts on the table. Be creative and create a "gift tree" by having the pile get gradually smaller as it goes up. If you love the way your gift corner looks, be sure to take lots of pictures. It's going to be gone as soon as the little ones wake up Christmas morning!