It seems like only yesterday that we were ringing in the New Year, and now we’re only a few weeks away from Christmas. Time really does fly, doesn’t it?
For those of you who haven’t yet decorated their homes, fret not. There are a lot of quick and easy ways to bring the holiday spirit into your home. Here’s just a few.
Make Your Home Accessories More Festive
There are a lot of home decor elements that you can easily transform to become more in theme with the season. You can switch up the colors of your throw pillow covers, for example, with more Christmasy colors, designs, and patterns. Curtains are also easy to update with bolder colors, shimmery fabrics, or even holiday-themed tiebacks.
You can also decorate everything—yes, everything—with bows. From banisters, stair railings, and chair backs, to decorative candles, plant pots, and doorknobs—the list is practically endless. You can even tie bows to the aforementioned throw pillows to make them look like oversized gifts! Choose ribbons in colors and patterns that go well with your home’s design scheme to prevent a garish, uncoordinated look. Ribbons are also easy to put up and store away; they’re very affordable, too, so you can have all new decorations each year if you want.
Explore the Color Wheel
Red and green will always be associated with the Yuletide holidays, but that doesn’t mean that you should stick to just those two colors. Explore alternative hues of blue, purple, pink, and even brown and gray. If you’d rather stick to the safe side, partner up a bold color choice with some gold and silver for some extra shimmer.
Plaid is another Christmas staple, but did you know that there is a lot more to choose from other than the usual tartan? Gingham, Madras, Tattersall, glen plaid, windowpane, shepherd’s check, houndstooth—check your local fabric store and update your tablecloths, pillowcases, decorative ribbons, Christmas socks, and more. You’ll also be pleased to note that plaid carries well into other seasons beyond the holidays.
Christmas in Every Room
Most people spend a lot of time decorating their living rooms and their front yards for Christmas that they forget to add a touch of the holidays to the rest of the house. Small elements like decorative pillows in the bedroom, a small desktop Christmas tree in the home office, or even a potted poinsettia in the bathroom can bring a splash of holiday cheer to your entire home. Again, you can play with different color options so that your holiday decor doesn’t clash with the existing ones.
Skip the Big Pine Tree
A Christmas tree may be the most quintessential decoration there is for the holidays, but ditching the pine for alternatives may just be the ticket to create a truly unique Christmas look. There are a lot of options and ideas you can find online—from wood planks or cutouts and chalkboard trees to using your old photos for a truly personalized “memory tree.” With such varied options, you can have a “tree” for different areas of your home! Enlist the help of your family to come up with a decoration and enjoy the great bonding moment as you set it up.
Clean It Up
All your holiday embellishments won’t matter if your home is quite a mess. Vacuum the carpet, scrub the windows, dust every surface, and polish the floors with a clean slate when you start decorating. In fact, a shiny hardwood floor can be the anchor for all the decorations you’re planning to put up. Meanwhile, grime-free windows will be able to let in as much sunlight, during this season when the nights are longer.
You’ll also want to wipe down the kitchen, clean the fridge, and wash and polish the tableware just in time for all the cooking and eating you’re going to do this Christmas.
Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s going to feel a lot more like Christmas if you take it home with you. All that’s left to do is to snack on some gingerbread, sip on some hot chocolate (or eggnog), and listen to some Christmas tunes for the full experience. Happy Holidays!
Author: Monica Mendoza
