Making Spirits Bright

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"I pick one statement piece from my theme, then choose my color scheme, usually two or three colors."

— Lisa Gylling, stylist and blogger

Evaluate Your Space and Budget

To get your home into the festive spirit, take a look at how much space and money you have before putting any ideas into motion.

Then once you’ve decided on a theme, think about pieces you already own that can be used and items you must purchase, says Lisa Gylling, Arizona-based stylist and blogger at TheGoodwillGal.com. Depending on your budget, figure out whether you can get what you need at a crafts or department store or if you need to search a vintage or resale shop.

With regard to space, decide whether your theme can be carried throughout the house or in a single large room, or if it would be more feasible confined to an arrangement on a coffee or dining room table, says Gylling. Also consider lighting, location of power sources, the need for surge bars, and the proximity of curtains and drapery to open flames should your theme rely on a candle motif.

Don’t count on your memory when you hit the stores; take notes on your observations. “Having a plan written down on paper helps achieve realistic expectations,” Gylling said.

Incorporating Your Theme

If you’re looking for a departure from themes that revolve around snowflakes, elaborate nutcrackers, or snowmen in various shapes, sizes and attire, there are fresh concepts that can be carried out with simple, well-thought-out pieces.

Go vintage or classic by mixing pieces you packed up after last season or recently purchased with greenery, wood, pine cones and other natural accessories to help everything mesh, says Gylling.

Tap into your own memories and turn treasured photographs into a theme that offers a warm tribute to family, suggests Anita Lang, CEO and founder of IMI Design in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photos of family and friends on vacation or at birthday celebrations are perfect accessories.

“You could take a collection of frames, paint them high-gloss black, and hang them with a combination of special ornaments and floating family pictures suspended on fishing line within the frame itself,” Lang said.

Using color to add subtle oomph is perhaps the simplest way to create a consistent effect while letting your personality shine through. Start with one strong piece reflecting your theme -- for example, the vintage table runner inherited from your grandmother, an elaborate candelabra or a festive area rug -- and base your other pieces on it.

“I pick one statement piece from my theme, then choose my color scheme, usually two or three colors,” Gylling said.

Color can also bring home a theme that doesn’t fit the architectural style of your house or the climate in which you live. For example, if you crave a Victorian effect for your modern home, incorporate the colors of that era into your design plan, Gylling advises.

“Maybe you like the deep reds, greens, ivory or peach. Next, bring in textures such as lace, satin, vintage paper, candles and flowers for your Victorian theme,” Gylling explained.

Or if you live in snow country but dream of a beachy Christmas, opt for blue, tan, white or sea green. “Choose sand, rope, shells, candles and burlap, then incorporate these textures with your Christmas items,” she said.

Make Use of Everyday Pieces

Several items in your home year-round can save you a trip to the crafts store and a few bucks, which you could spend on a treat for yourself.

Search that high, out-of-reach kitchen cabinet for a large serving bowl that rarely sees the light of day. Spray-paint it to fit your color scheme or use it as is and fill it with a mix of ornaments and pine branches to add a jolly touch to any room, Gylling advises.

Wrap books in brown craft or festive paper to replicate presents and place them around your home or use them to create height in a vignette. Filling vases with fresh winter flowers makes for nice centerpieces.

Have any canning jars lying around? Fill them with sand, candles and cranberries and place them throughout your home for understated charm, or use them for a cheerful light display on your porch or patio. Or place those extra candy canes, marshmallows, cinnamon sticks and mini-ornaments in a jar and tie a pretty ribbon around the rim for a merry touch in any room. Your imagination is the limit, so almost anything would work.

“Shop rooms in your home to find items to use in your theme,” Gylling said. “It’s a great way to stay within budget.”

Creating a Christmas theme doesn’t have to be a chore, nor does the theme have to be predictable. Carve out your own decorating niche to fashion a holiday vibe all your own.

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