LITTLE ST. NICK
10. Stand-up Santa. Give a special decoration, such as this woodland Santa, a place of prominence by propping him on an upturned cake stand topped with a decorative mirror. Disguise the bottom of the stand with sprigs of fresh holly.
11. Starring role. “The tree is always a great starting point for a theme,” Carolynn says. She went with a simple look, featuring beaded garland, clip-on candle lights and star-shaped ornaments crafted from pinecones and dried star anise (left), which imparts a spicy licorice scent as well as adding a rustic touch.
12. Bookish by nature. Build your own bookends by affixing large pinecones tipped in white paint to the tops of small segments of birch wood. Circle the wood with holiday ribbon and glue a dried star anise to the center of the ribbon. Pair the holiday hold-ups with red or green books.
13. Fabric festivities. Why not mix fabrics when decorating cabinet shelves? Carolynn used a patchwork runner on the bottom, red burlap in the center and a crocheted doily on top, where it sets off the thrift-shop cookie jar and battery-powered candle trio.