Simple holiday decor ideas
The holidays are here, ready or not. Prepping for them can be a chore even if you’re not looking for a new home or making preparations to move.
If you are about to move or have just taken up residence in your brand-new home, getting ready for the holidays can seem almost burdensome. Still, you’ll likely want to find a way to express the cheerful sentiments of the season — for the sake of friends, family and your own inner child. Here are some simple ways to do just that. Bring nature indoors
Even if you don’t have time or space for a massive tree — what with stacked or stillpacked boxes — you can use evergreen branches and pinecones, as well as holly and poinsettia sprigs, to encourage holiday spirit. Adorn your fireplace surround with pine garland, arranging pinecones and votive candles on the mantelpiece for good measure. Doorways are fit to host more than sprigs of mistletoe. Consider draping evergreen garland about the door frame for a festive touch. Fill a glass bowl with faux snow — or even sand — and insert evergreen twigs, cranberries, small stones, even feathers. Or simply tack a pine branch to the wall — in the breakfast room, for example — and decorate it with a few choice ornaments.
Ornaments:
Not just for trees
Grouping tree ornaments atop a reflective (metallic or mirroredfinish) tray is an easy way to create an eye-catching centerpiece or tabletop decoration. Globes of silver and gold can be especially well suited to this purpose, but most any color will do. Alternatively, stack ornaments in a clear glass container, such as a wide vase of glass or lucite, inserting a slim, bare branch for visual interest.
Make use of candles
Candles of purest white certainly bespeak tradition. But gold, silver, red and green are also perfectly in order. Arrange a symmetrical gathering of candles, interspersed with sprigs of pine or holly, atop the mantelpiece for holiday visual harmony. Or use candles — slender, stout or square — to anchor a centerpiece of natural or artificial decorative elements. Small votive candles can be artfully arranged about the bathroom vanity mirror — in case you want to leave no room untrimmed.
Employ scent
Holiday scents can create powerful sense memories. But you don’t have to resort to prepackaged formulations to prompt a sense of cheer. Settle scented candles on the windowsill or in the entryway. Bowls of potpourri can infuse even the smallest guest bathroom with holiday cheer. Of course, spiced cider warming on the stove can make the whole house seem warm and inviting. Smudge sticks or essential oils of frankincense and myrrh will add a decided note of antiquity to your winter celebrations.
Add sound
Arrange three or four small bells on your front door to encourage winter cheer, whether guests are coming or going. Of course, adding tiny sleigh-like bells to Fido’s collar can prove jolly — as long as the dog is not too annoyed.
These tips are just a start. When the holidays roll around, and you’re short on time, tradition can sometimes take a backseat to innovation. No matter what life changes are imminent, take care to enjoy preparations as much as the occasion itself.