Frazzled by how to get your house festive without the use of more f words? 17 easy, inexpensive and calminggggg Christmas decorating ideas for a fantastic holiday season.
It takes me 3 days to decorate my house for Christmas. I'm not sure if this makes me uniquely qualified or unqualified to give tips on Christmas decorating, but I have some of my best tips laid out for you in this post.
The main reason it takes me so long to decorate my house is that I change it up every single year. Part of that is because I'm nonsensical and the other part is because I feature my house on my blog every year and figure you'll report me to the bloggers authority if I don't feature new and exciting things every year.
I don't begrudge you that. It's kind of your duty as a blog reader.
You can see how I've decorated for Christmas over the past 8 years in my Christmas House Tours here.
I'm counting on there being a few tips in here that you can implement yourself this year; like placing twigs around your flopping paper whites. Or getting drunk.
In no particular order,
17 Christmas Decorating Ideas
as told by a Christmas addict.
1. To hang a wreath from cupboard doors, install a screw in cup hook or a 3M sticky hook on the inside of the cupboard door. Wrap fishing line around your wreath then hang it from the cuphook on the inside of the door. To make it look like it's hanging from ribbon just wrap ribbon around the wreath and attach it to the cup hook as well. It'll look like the wreaths are hanging by the ribbons but they're actually being supported by the fishing line.
2. FOR EVERY CHRISTMAS PIECE YOU PUT OUT, TAKE AWAY A REGULAR ACCESSORY. Keep a Rubbermaid bin or cardboard box with you as you decorate, placing all the regular accessories into it. Then when you take Christmas away you'll have all your regular stuff together in one spot making it easy to put out again in January.
3. Sometimes all you need to do is add a little Christmas colour. I had these berry sprigs that I bought for a wreath but didn't like them in it. Which is a good thing because they look a million times better bunched in a vase. Again. It's simple but looks Christmassy without making you feel like you're being eaten alive by the ghost of Santa.
4. ADD SPARKLE. I like a rustic Christmas more than anything else but even I make sure there's some glitter going on. You can get glitter from candle holders, a bowl of glittery pine cones, shaking an exotic dancer around your house, wine glasses or using sparkly ribbon on top of a burlap table runner.
5. Keep your Amaryllis or Paperwhites upright by surrounding the plant with twigs. The twigs stop the leaves and flowers from toppling over when they get too tall. Also ... I get my glitter fix.
Bonus tip for Potted Bulbs
Adding a little booze when you water your bulbs will stunt the growth of amaryllis or paperwhite stems by about ⅓rd so they won't flop over.
I tested this theory and outlined the steps for it last year and it worked 100%.
6. SCENTED CANDLES or plugins. If it smells like Christmas it'll feel like Christmas.The world's best scented Christmas Candle is Frasier Fir by Thymes. It is OUTSTANDING. They also make hand soap, car fresheners and reed oil dispensers all in the delicious Frasier Fir scent. I own the room spray, candles, refresher oil, (which I use to make my own Frasier Fir foaming hand soap) and reed diffuser. And yet - I want more.
7. Santa doesn't have to barf on your room to make it seem festive. In the case of my bedroom just adding a sheepskin mat to the floor and a cheap Ikea Christmas tree made it cozy and holiday-like. Again - nice and calm.
8. PUT YOUR LIGHTS ON TIMERS. Just do it. Inside, outside ... doesn't matter. Do 'em all.
9. Ornaments you already own are the cheapest way to decorate. Put them in bowls, mugs, vases or baskets. In this case, my antique egg basket holds my antique ornaments.
Below my DIY hanging magazine rack shows off some vintage ornaments. You can learn how to make the magazine rack here.
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0. DOME IT. Glass cloches (otherwise known as domes) are available everywhere now. Big, small, it doesn't matter. Slip a glass dome over just about anything and it looks great and makes the thing inside seem as special as 5 legged cat. Only cuter.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
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1. The snowy scene on my sofa table is just a platter with white Dollar Store trees and plastic snow sprinkled in. That's it. O.K., and a garland and a sparkly candle and a white tree.
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2. Vintage metal trucks SCREAM Christmas. I have no idea why. I blame Hallmark movies. I can also tell you that this random white truck that I bought at an antique store is one of the most commented on things in my house. Everyone loves it and no one really knows why. So if you can, pick up an antique metal truck if you ever see one. If you're impatient I found one truck on Amazon that's similar. The Amazon replica truck is 12" long while my vintage truck is 14" long. The majority of die-case trucks online are only 7" long so if you want a bit one, make sure you check the size.
The Amazon replica truck is 12" long, while my truck is 14" long. The majority of die cast trucks online are only 7"long, so if you like a different one make sure you check the size.
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3. FRUIT! One of my favourite holiday decorations are fruit and nuts. They're festive AND edible. Mixed nuts in their shells, clementine oranges and pears are my favourites.
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4. Pine Cones. If you can shove, hang, prop or display a pine cone in or on it DO IT. They're cheap, festive and available everywhere from stores to the street. If you're fancy you can buy the big ones that are covered in gold glitter.
Glue them on presents, put them in bowls, scatter them on tables or bookshelves.
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5. Get your wrapping done. Just having wrapped presents around makes your house feel like Christmas. This year, it's going to be simple for me. No over the top crazy wrapping but it will be beautiful. I haven't entirely decided what I'm doing and with what materials, but I do know it's going to be simple, oversized ribbon and plain paper similar to what I did a few years ago. Just a classic, simple, old fashioned Christmas look.
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6. Just a few sprigs. You don't need masses of store bought greenery, garland and wreaths. Just a few sprigs of anything evergreen from your yard can have an impact.
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7. Don't forget the porch or whatever main door you use to get into your house. Just a little porch tree will make you smile with its Christmas cheer every time you come home.
BONUS CHRISTMAS DECORATING TIP: JUST BECAUSE YOU OWN IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO PUT IT OUT.
If you have decorations that you loved at one point but kind of roll your eyes at now there's no rule that says you HAVE to put them out. I used to try to find a place to just stick them but now I realize just because I own them doesn't mean I have to put them out. If I don't like them or don't have room for them I either don't put them out that year or I get rid of them.
MY FINAL BONUS TIP.
The most important thing to remember when you're decorating for Christmas is, you really can't go wrong. It's pretty forgiving and pretty hard to make a mistake. I mean, we put entire, full sized, living trees in our rooms and don't think a thing of it. What other time of year would this seem sane to us?
Then we cover it with flashing lights.
So no. You really can't screw up Christmas decorating. Just have fun, make it cozy and shake that ho, ho, ho around.
Liz
My favorite candle by far has to be Thymes brand, Frasier Fir. It's seriously amazing. It makes people say "WOW! what is that smell?? I have to have it"
On another note, umm thank you, Karen! It occurred to me this morning that I really really appreciate your blog and the work you do to keep us all entertained and learning. I know I love your blog and have been following along for a few years, but I literally said out loud when I opened my computer "Yay! It's Wednesday!" and then I realized that I say "Yay!" every Monday, Wednesday and Friday...every week. That made me smile, and I just thought you deserved some appreciation, thanks and a cyber hug.
:)
Jan in Waterdown
Very very nicely said!
Barbara P
The best news I got today is that my first born niece announced her pregnancy.
The next best news is that your blog is often the best news I get on a regular basis.
You have such a gift and you share it so unabashedly. You've got me so revved up this
morning that I'm going out to my misplaced pussy willow bush and pain in the rear Rose of Sharon trees to cut some twigs and stick em in a clear vase. KAH- RAZY, I know.
Merry Christmas ya goof-ball.
Karen
1) This year I finally came to the 'just because you own it doesn't mean you have to use it or keep it' AND the 'put away the regular stuff' realizations. My house looks and feels nicer, not stuffed.
2) The twigs in the paperwhites is genius. I'm totally doing that this year.
Kelly Wolfe
Karen, tip #5 was worth the price of gas, parking, admission and snacks! Thanks for that. I just happen to have a sparkle bush in the backyard that I can prune a few branches off of to support my paperwhites.
Jan in Waterdown
For anyone lusting after sheepskin rugs, Ikea (in Canada, sorry I don't know about elsewhere) has them on sale right now reg. $199 for $99... pretty good deal!
Linda in Illinois
I love your home, it is so beautiful and why wouldn't it be, you are beautiful.
Melissa Leach
Love the idea of the sparkling twigs in my paperwhite container! What a great tip, thanks.
Every Christmas I always have a pot of simmering goodness on the stove to create a lovely holiday aroma. A fresh orange quartered, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, whole cranberries and a dash of nutmeg! Don't let the water evaporate!
Barb
Karen, the awesome Fresh Balsam scent you've been searching for can be found at Bath & Body Works! Get their Wallflowers plug-in, and your home will smell like the pine forest you've been wanting to move to all your life. You'll open your front door and think your home has been wonderfully invaded by hundreds of Christmas trees. The best thing? They're on sale right now! YAY for sales!
Karen
Oh! Bath & Body Works does have some good smelly things. That makes sense! ~ karen
Shannon
I concur with Bath and Body Works; I don't ever think to shop there, but my MIL bought me two holiday scented candles from there and they work very well (I keep one upstairs and one downstairs).
Amy in KC
Yep, these are the Slatkin and Co. candles mentioned above! I love them and they last a long time. They're often on sale...and one time I got one of the smaller sized ones FO' FREE because I spent over $30 (which isn't hard to do) and they were doing a free gift promotion. Woohoo!
I also recommend the air fresheners for your car that come in this brand of scents at B&BW.
Karin
i love the first tip, so simple and effective, never even crossed my mind. we have white kitchen cupboards, so YES, i will attempt this.
i have a confession to make, i don't own any christmas decoration. i had a few in Germany , but those got left behind all those years ago.
so off to goodwill and dollar tree i go. my house will be decorated, period.
thank you Karen, you keep being an inpiration, the soft soled kick in the arse i need.
awesomesauciness
#6 - smelly candles - Yankee Candle Co. has the best candles, room fresheners, wax-y melty thingies ever..hands down. They have a wide variety of Christmas-y scented candles. We love them, and use the 'Holly' and 'Balsam and Cedar' varieties to make the house smell like a pine forest with berries. A-frickin'-mazing.
At work I currently have a plug-in called 'Macintosh'..and holy apple-pie Batman, the entire room smells like apples...sweet, delish apples...
Monique
Beautiful!
Karen did you mentione where you bought yur wire cloches?
I love Wallflowers for scents.
They seem to really only work well in smaller rooms though.
Candles too.
Karen
Hi Monique. I actually got the wire cloches at a local discount store 2 years ago. So not anywhere popular you'd be able to order/buy them from. ~ karen!
Ron
Picked up my paperwhite bulbs last night for planting today. Here's a scientificly proven tip to stunt their growth so they don't get too long & spindly. Not sure if it works on people as well :-)
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/wmiller/bulb/Pickling_your_Paperwhites.pdf
Mary W
VERY interesting. Thanks for the link.
Sandra D
I get smaller every year!
Lynell
I’m 4 foot 11 73 and I just get wider every year! LOL
MERRY CHRISTMAS. Stay safe
Jody
Love all the tips, especially the bottle brush trees. Great idea to add sparkle. I would only add don't use sparklers inside the house. May end up with too much sparkle.
Kirsten
Karen,
You should look into investing in a lamp Berger, they smell wonderful and are plenty strong. I'm no expert but I believe I heard that people with allergies are not bothered by them and that they purify the air while in use? My favourite scent this time of year is absinthe, or pine. Your house looks great by the way.
Merry Christmas!
SuzNKton
I had to look up *lamp berger* despite having two!!! Lol
I agree. Essential oils.
Beckie
Your house looks lovely.
As for candles, my pick is Yankee Candles Red Apple Wreath. It scents my entire space (smallish, at 850 sq ft) but a better endorsement is that someone at my work burns one on the first floor and we smell it on the 2nd floor (in a building built as a fall out shelter in 1939)
I have scent sensitivities and the Red Apple Wreath doesn't bother them a lick.
Su
love the support for the paperwhites!! what a great and awesome idea... thanks
Kim C
You've inspired me to finish decorating. The bare tree has been staring at me all week! I think a trip to the dollar store will inject just the right amount of newness into my tired old festive displays. Tip 5 is brilliant!! As for a smelly candle, I am pleasantly surprised by the long lasting fragrance of Fruits & Passion 'frosted birch' candle that comes in a frosted gold container. Would look and smell great in your decor.
Danni
I noticed the glitter twig stem supports the other day, because at first glance I was all "what the WHA?!? How come hers are standing tall gawdamit!"
Well done! That is a stealable idea!!!
Ev Wilcox
Our Christmas melee will be right after the big day this year. The aromatics on the stove sounds great-going to give it a try! You sure do have a knack with your home Karen!
Holly
For Christmas smell, with no headaches that I usually get from all scents other than essential oils, I use Nest Fragrances NEST08-BP Reed Diffuser, Birchwood Pine but they also have candles, NEST01-BP Birchwood Pine Scented Classic Candle.
Deb
I concur on NEST brand for the bestest holiday candle :-) I have the candle not diffuser but they are unreal (unreal how expensive too!) but truly the best. The Holiday scent and Birchwood Pine are amazingly wonderful for the holiday.