Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas

When trying to come up with easy holiday decorating ideas, remember to keep things simple by deciding to do only a few tasks. Commit to enjoying your holidays and your loved ones with peace and serenity this year. Here are a few easy ways:

1. While red and green are the obvious traditional holiday colors, they often clash with or overwhelm some interiors. Feel free to deck your halls with burgundy or deep magenta and eucalyptus green (a bluish green). Or, for very soft-hued interiors, try dusty mauve and sage green. They are just as festive. For the real trend setters out there, we are seeing a lot of fuchsia, purple, aqua and teal this holiday season as well.

2. Want instant holiday glamour in your home? Use candles, as many as you can stand. Almost any clear vessel will do; just allow enough room on the sides so the flames don't touch the glass. Good examples are brandy glasses, vintage sherbet cups, and, for a more contemporary look, tall straight drinking glasses. Use votive candles with metal cups to avoid any melted wax mess, and group the candles in odd numbers with varying heights for a striking display.

3. For an easy floral centerpiece, mix grocery store flowers with evergreens, holly sprigs and winterberries. An elegant arrangement is white flowers (tulips, roses or narcissus) with greens and red stemmed berries. For added effect, put all stems in a clear vase filled with cranberries. And, by the way, feel free and unashamed to use artificial evergreens with real holly stems. Many stores are already discounting these items. With faux flowers being of such high quality these days, a "mixed marriage" of real and faux florals is nothing less than clever and creative, especially if you're a busy hostess.

4. Love your holiday ornaments? Don't just hang them on your tannenbaum. Collect several and display in any pretty glass compote as a centerpiece. A trifle bowl or any other footed bowl or one on a stand is particularly elegant. Consider hanging your ornaments from your mantel, between your stockings or my favorite-hang them from your dining room and entryway chandelier.

5. For a vintage holiday look, pull out your Grandmother's old silver, be it shiny or tarnished. Fill teapots, coffee urns, sugar bowls and mint julep cups with greens, holly sprigs and berries. Fill another silver vessel with candy canes and display near a poinsettia on your buffet or hall table. Remember, an odd number of containers looks most sophisticated.

If you keep it simple, you will have enough energy to hit the retailers on December 26th and take advantage of the 75% off sale. Until next year, happy holidays!

Article provided by Homesteader