As much as I want to say I am ready for Christmas, I am not. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have had two installs the past week. Work, on top of a Christmas birthday for one of my girls, has made this time even more busy than usual.
Village Living, a wonderful paper for the Mountain Brook community, asked me to write an article on decorating for the holidays. I loved writing for them as it made me reflect on how I approach the holidays and what I can do to simplify my own life. Here are a few of the tips I gave on how to make the holidays stress free and more enjoyable.
Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
No, your decorations do not have to be elaborate; they just have to be a reflection of you and your family. You do not have to have a Christmas tree or a nativity scene on every chest or open space to create a beautifully decorated home. Less is more, so keep your decorations simple and use only what you love and has special meaning to you.
Strategically Place the Decorations You Use
When walking into a room, where does your eye go first? Where does it go next? Decide where your focal points are in each room and strategically place a decoration in one or two of these places.
Choose Holiday Colors Cohesive With The Colors In The Room
Just as you want the colors of each of your rooms to flow nicely into one another, you want your holiday décor to do the same. If a warm palette is used throughout your home, use warm colors in your holiday décor. If your home has more cool tones, try silver, white, or blue tones when choosing holiday colors.
Layer Contrasting Textures
Contrasting textures layered in subtle ways is one way to create dimension and make a room look like it has evolved over time. Think of placing an iron lamp on top of a wooden chest versus a wooden lamp on a wooden chest. Apply this same concept to your Christmas décor. Instead of placing a nativity scene directly on top of a hard surface area (such as a glass top table or marble chest), add a little texture with Christmas greenery, moss, and magnolia leaves first and then place your Christmas items on top. If you are placing greenery on your mantle, think about mixing in some shiny ornaments or candles to add another texture to the mix. You will be delighted how much prettier your decorations look just by layering different materials.
Pull the Outside In
There is nothing like the smell and texture of fresh greenery. Holly, magnolia leaves, fraser fir, birch wood…I love it all. Incorporate natural materials into your holiday décor as your imagination is the only limit.
Involve the Family and Create Tradition
Every year, my girls and I gather the leftover limbs from our Christmas tree (along with any other scraps of greenery we can find) and we make a few small wreaths. If you know my girls, you can probably guess which wreaths belong to whom, as they truly reflect each one’s personality. One wreath may be wrapped neatly and tightly all the way around while the other child’s wreath is looser in style. No, they are not always perfect, but each is beautiful in its own way.
I hope you find these tip helpful in simplifying your own holiday season. To read more, visit Village Living and let me know your thoughts.
