Adding the Festive Touch to Your Apartment Decorating

If you find yourself strapped for cash just as it's time to deck the halls in your apartment, here are some simple and inexpensive apartment decorating tips to brighten up the rooms of your home and put a smile on everyone's face who visits during the holiday season.

Ribbons
Ribbons are wonderful decorating accessories as they are suitable for almost anywhere in your home. Tie one around every lamp in your place, doorknobs, the refrigerator handle, your kitchen cupboards, your bedroom dresser and end tables, bedposts and anywhere else that suits your fancy.

You can even affix them to the corners of mirrors. Go for traditional red ones or experiment with other festive colors. The red ribbons that also have a bit of gold or silver mixed in with them are very attractive looking..

Garland
Garland is relatively inexpensive, comes in many colors and looks fantastic in so many places in an apartment! Drape it across windowsills or tape and/or tack it under windowsills, twist it around posts and even decorate your coffee table or entertainment center with it. For added effect, tie some red ribbons to it for that extra bit of festive glam. Choose from thick or thin garland and a multitude of vibrant colors. Once upon a time there was only silver, gold, red and green to choose from, but with the introduction of white artificial trees there are now other colors that were not always considered to be Christmas colors before, such as blue (light and dark), purple and pink. Some strands of garland can be purchased with two colors in one.

Candles
Candles are becoming because of their smoky allure any time of the year, but at Christmastime they speak a festive language all their own. Go for whatever color or size suits you best, whether it is pillars, tapers, votives or floating candles. The traditional red or green is always a favorite but gold, silver and even a shade of burgundy looks incredible on a table. Position three pillar candles of varying heights on a Christmas candle plate. For an added burst of color, strategically place some same (or different) colored Christmas balls that you don't plan to hang on your tree around the candles on the plate. It will look pretty and festive!

Floating candles are breathtaking at Christmas as well, just make sure that you place them in a heat-resistant bowl and don't place too much water in the bowl. Otherwise the candles are liable to sink! A few decorative rocks at the bottom of the bowl add even more dazzle. Another idea is to add some pearls from an old necklace, food coloring to set off the color of the candles or even a few sprinkles of glitter to give the candles and water a whole lot of pizzazz!

Christmas ornaments
Christmas ornaments are one of the simplest (and cheapest) centerpieces for your home that you could possibly find. Fill glass bowls and/or vases with ornaments and balls, mix and match or make them all the same, then place them in the middle of your coffee table, dining room table or, if you are entertaining, serving table.

One thing I like to do when I have guests in is to set out bowls filled with candy wrapped in shiny paper, such as chocolate mints and Hershey's Kisses, and place a few small Christmas balls of different colors in the bowls. You no longer have a boring candy bowl but an attractive, colorful Christmas masterpiece!

So now that you have some ideas to get you started, all the best in your Christmas apartment decorating endeavors! Get to it!