Holiday Christmas Decor Ideas

Transform Christmas ornaments into centerpieces.

Christmas decorations can liven up your home during the dull days of December, adding touches of color and sparkle that will set the holiday mood. As you plan a decoration scheme, consider how you can employ Christmas elements in both traditional and unexpected ways to bring in holiday cheer and warmth.

Centerpiece

Add holiday cheer to your table by creating a centerpiece with pine cones. Start with pine cones in varying sizes and brush on white paint to add fake snow to the tips of the individual scales and add glittering stars to the pointed tops. Place the pine cone Christmas trees in candle holders of different sizes and arrange them on a red table runner; choose candle holders in festive colors or in a metal finish for an elegant look. Scatter candles among the trees to complete the centerpiece.

Window Garlands

Instead of using traditional evergreen garlands, add a touch of sparkle to windows with bead garlands. Choose strings of beads in a variety of finishes and colors. Consider moving away from traditional Christmas colors for an unconventional touch, whether the beads are metallic, purple or yellow. Drape them in loops across the top of the windows where they will catch the light. For an extra touch, hang small Christmas ornaments from each loop.

Wreaths

Instead of installing wreaths only on the front door, hang them throughout the house. Buy small wreaths and hang them with thick ribbons so the ribbon extends from the ceiling to the middle of the wall. Hang wreaths in unexpected places, such as in front of windows, on the front of china cabinets or from the top of a picture frame. Look for wreaths made of different materials, from evergreen to beads or metal branches. Add unusual wreaths made from fresh herbs, pine cones or dried flowers.

Ornaments

Ornaments can decorate your home in places other than the tree. Pile them in vintage bowls, place them on a coffee table or countertops, or hang them in a line from the front of the mantle. Place individual Christmas balls on candlesticks of varying heights for a distinctive side table decoration or centerpiece. Hang a large number of small ornaments from a bare-bones wooden tree with colorful ribbons to fill in the spaces between branches.

References

• Country Living: 77 Classic Christmas Decorating Ideas