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Step 1
Go Shopping
Spend some time browsing your local discount stores and thrift stores. You can find home décor items that fit or do not fit the Christmas theme for even less than the dollar you would spend on each item at a dollar store. Look for any of these items in plain colors or with Christmas patterns: vases, bowls, plates, cups, wood items, pitchers, glasses, wall-hangings, statues and figurines, linens, floral arrangements, plastic fruits, baskets, jars, afghans, blankets, stuffed animals, picture frames, and furniture covers. In truth, these items need only be in reasonable condition. Then they can form a portion of the decorative effects that you will create in each area of the home. -
Step 2
Do a Home Inventory
Scope out your storage spaces for items you can add to your decorating toolkit. Remember that the colors are not important as long as they are solid. See if you can find more than one of the same item. For example, if you find 6 silver teacups, use them to display tiny red flowers and baby's breath on the hall table.
Look for all the items discussed above in the thrift store shopping expedition. Here are some additional things to look for: tissue paper, wrapping paper, lace, solid napkins, fabric pieces, pillows, cushions, artificial flowers, leafs, garlands, tinsel, decorative rope, plants, artificial strands of pearls and beads, crystal dishes, sticks, sand, candles, fake gemstones, conch shells, ribbons, bows, sashes, walnuts, pecans, and solid rugs. -
Step 3
Thematically Decorate Each Area of the Home
Lay out all of the things collected at the thrift store and from your own inventory. Your mission is to develop a unique theme for each area of the home. Use discipline in adding elements in ways that complement each other. Your overall goal is simplicity.
One option is to cover an armchair with a solid drape. Then tie a long sash, piece of wide lace or ribbon, or piece of decorative rope around the base or the middle of the seat. Then add a decorative effect like a large bow or a sprig of holly. You are casually changing your living room. If you can create the same effect on multiple chairs, it will be more dramatic. For a different idea, try this effect on your dining room chairs. -
Step 4
Another option is to create a decorative setting for a tabletop or mantelpiece using a combination of elements. For example, starting with an empty surface, lay down a length of lace or a fabric runner. Casually lay down a few sprigs of evergreen, mistletoe, and/or a couple of pine cones. Then add a combination of crystal jars, vases, pitchers, cups, and bowls. Don't pick too many to make the scene too busy. Be sure to arrange them carefully. Select a common theme of items to add to these containers. They could be candles, plastic fruit, nuts, pine cones, holly, evergreens, flowers, berries, toys, blocks, candy, stones, shells, jewels, marbles, or a combination of these elements.
When you finish, your arrangement should be as elegantly composed as a still-life painting. Sometimes, simplicity is easier to arrange and the effect is the same. A still-life could be as simple as a bowl of fruit on a checker-cloth covered table or a complex assortment of wine bottles and Italian food items.
