DRIVE-IN BEAUTY

4. Chalked up. A chalkboard allows you to easily embellish a scene, as René did by drawing laurel leaves to frame a wreath, and gives you the option to change it up throughout the season.

5. Tiny tree-o. “I really like grouping things by threes,” René says of this trio, which includes a bottle-brush tree, a small faux pine sporting a cinnamon-stick and peppermint garland, and a tree made by gluing tiny pinecones to a polystyrene foam cone. Two of the trees are contained in crocks, the other in a small pail.

6. Peppermint pickup. Serve up treats in the bed of a toy or decorative pickup truck, stowing snacks such as cookies or candies in mason jars and tucking them in amid seasonal greens. Place a braided runner beneath the truck to provide a textured base.

7. It’s a wrap. Add a twinkly touch to a display by wrapping two or three tall birch branches with lighted garland and leaning them along one side.

8. Frosty cones. Forage outdoors (or at the crafts store) for long, slender pinecones, such as those of the white pine, to make into ornaments. Top them with a few berries and sprigs of holly as well as a hanging loop of red string. If desired, dry brush the pinecones with white paint for a snow-capped effect.

9. Jingle belle. Suspend a unique wreath, like this bell-studded twig circlet, from a distinctive hook, such as a hanging scale, which is a decorative element in its own right.

To view a video of cheery Christmas decorating ideas, visit www.youtube.com/CountrySamplerMag.