TheDesignFile

Tip 24: Add tidbits of Christmas all over the house

So your guests are coming tonight – or maybe tomorrow morning – and you really want to add just a few more touches to your holiday décor.

If you’re like my friend Keith, that means putting at least a tiny touch of something in every room. It’s a great idea and keeps the holiday spirit alive all through your space.

But who’s got the time now to do anything complicated? Not me and probably not you.

Tip #24 is to put small, simple Christmas vignettes throughout the house.

These are not ideas that will take your home from undecorated to holiday cheer. These are tips for adding a special touch here and there that will take your decorating to the next level.

One of the quickest ways to add a touch of Christmas to other rooms is to use a poinsettia, amaryllis (see the BHG photo above) or some greenery.

It’s Christmas Eve and so the stores are open. Head over to the closest grocery store and see what they’ve got. Look for small poinsettias. They’re perfect to set on the bathroom vanity or on the kitchen island.

Or if you have a poinsettia already, snip off some off a few of the blooms and add them to a vase in another room. Look how pretty these poinsettia blooms look against a silver tray. So simple.

Ornaments are another fantastic way to add some holiday cheer to any room. You can nab some of your leftover ornaments or even grab a few off your tree (I just did that for my centerpiece)

Tip 23: Turn off your flash to take holiday photos

So today’s tip is not so much about decorating as it is about capturing images of your holiday decorating. Maybe that’s a cheat on my part but I wanted to write about it and so here we are!

To me, photographing your decorations is almost as important as putting them up. After all that work, you want some evidence that you did a beautiful job.

So here’s the most important part of the tip: Turn off your flash.

I drive my family and friends crazy with this. But it was something my great friend Andrew – a professional photographer – told me years ago and it’s something I practice now in nearly all situations.

The flash on your camera – particularly those on point-and-shoot cameras and smart phones – just wash everything out.

They make your subject appear flat. They either add harsh shadows or they remove all of them, which means you can’t see the subtle contours of people and things.

Also, the flash makes everything appear the same color. And in life, that’s just not the way things look.

Yes. Sometimes – especially when photographing Christmas decorations – you can end up with pictures too dark.

That’s why you have to experiment. Turn on a lamp in the room to cast a little more – but not too much – light on your greenery.

Light some candles. Or play with the settings on your camera just a bit. Or change your angle to incorporate just a few more Christmas bulbs. You’ll be surprised what you can do if you’re creative.

The photos in this post were taken with a basic point-and-shoot camera during a get together at the home of my friends, Keith & Joe, who go all out with their gorgeous decorating. The décor is fancy. The camera and the photography was not.

Here’s another tip: Get closer.

Tip 22: Wrapping paper isn't just for gifts

I attended a beautiful Christmas party this week and was struck by a fun use of wrapping paper that prompted today’s post.

Ellen has a great kitchen with some upper cabinets that have glass doors. Inside, she typically displays a collection of floral plates. For Christmas, she added some holiday dishes but thought something was lacking.

Then she saw a roll of wrapping paper she thought would be a perfect backdrop and she used it to line the inside of the cabinets.

The paper has a white background and features branches with berries in an extremely simple but striking pattern.

Can you believe I didn’t take a picture? I am so mad at myself. So you’ll have to trust me: It was beautiful.

So that got me thinking about creative ways to use wrapping paper, which led to Tip #22: Use wrapping paper for decorations, not just gifts.

Check out the example at right from Better Homes and Gardens. You can recreate this great look with some papier mache letters from a craft store. Cover them with some pretty wrapping paper and you’ve got a striking decoration.

Below is another example, although this one doesn’t actually use Christmas paper. use wrapping paper to decorate some soup and vegetable cans to make planters. The idea below came from Apartment Therapy.

I found the pretty ornament below on HGTV, although it was actually uploaded there by Nikki at NikkiInStitches.com.

The cool origami craft is made from wrapping paper scraps. Check out Nikki’s post to get the detailed how-to.

Wrapping paper is a great way to dress up furniture and accessories.

Below left, wrapping paper scraps are used to dress up a frame in a BHG photo. Easy and beautiful!

Above right is cabinet that’s been decked out with decorative paper or fabric (BHG photo). This is a perfect project for wrapping paper. Use Mod Podge to apply the paper, brushing the clear glue on the furniture piece first. Apply the paper and then brush over it as well.

Do you use wrapping paper in creative ways? Tell us about it.

Tip 21: Use creative gift wrapping

Are you doing some last minute wrapping?

Are you running out of boxes or looking for something a little more interesting?

Then you need Tip #21: Get creative with your gift wrapping.

Earlier this month, we talked about using natural elements to make your wrapping a little prettier.

But this tip is more about being creative with the kinds of containers you use and the wrapping itself.

I love the idea at right from Sunset and MyHomeIdeas.com. Jewelry or other smaller items can be wrapped in white tissue paper, tucked into jars and the lid wrapped with blue felt.

A ribbon and tiny ornament finishes off the look.

Below are two ideas from Better Homes and Gardens. A green take-out style box – available at craft or organization stores – makes an unexpected package. And below right, the buttons, ribbons and picks dress up these cute paper bags.

I like the idea of just looking around the house to see items you might otherwise get rid of.

Check out the tins at right, an example from HGTV.

All that’s needed is the ribbon and bow to make these tins look elegant.

You could also use baskets, small canisters, even spice jars for the tiniest gifts.

The gift “wrap” works even better if it’s something the receiver can reuse.

Of course, sometimes it’s not the container but the wrapping itself that makes a gift unusual.

Tip 20: Use branches to enhance your decorations

Ahh! I’m behind – and at the most crucial time, just days before Christmas.

So let’s get down to it.

Today we’ve got Tip #20: Use branches to enhance your holiday décor.

In the Better Homes and Gardens photo at right, several branches tucked into in a vase have essentially become a little Christmas tree.

My favorite part of this vignette is actually the red ornament placed in the vase. It’s a great pop of color.

Plus, those cute tiny ornaments are adorable.

There’s a similar example below Cottage Living and MyHomeIdeas.com. Frosted vases with painted branches make up the centerpiece in this gorgeous dining room.

A few crystal ornaments and stars make these branches just sparkle.

The great thing about branches is they’re so easy to find.

If you don’t have larger trees in your yard, just head to a local park and take a look around – particularly after a little bit of wind. You’re bound to find something you can use.

Above – in yet a couple more BHG photos – are more good ideas for branches. Above left, painted white branches add some height and drama to a pot of evergreens.

Above right, winter berry branches wrapped with ribbons, berries and Christmas ornaments decorate a staircase.

Tip 18: Light your holiday decor with candles

There are few things that create a nicer mood for the holidays than candles and there are so many things you can do with them for Christmas.

That’s why Tip #18 in our series about holiday decorating is to use more candles.

Of course, candles are fabulous on a mantel or as part of a centerpiece or even as luminaries along a sidewalk.

And they’re easy.

So let’s look at some photos for inspiration.

Personally, I love to see candles tucked into a firebox.

For years, my chimney was unsafe and therefore I couldn’t light a fire. So I filled the firebox with candles and just loved the look – although mine didn’t look nearly as good as the example above from Better Homes and Gardens. That is truly a holiday display!

Tip 17: Set your holiday table with new colors

Have you started thinking yet about how you’ll set your table for Christmas dinner?

If you’re anything like me, you stay with the same general color schemes and ideas in most years. But I’ve noticed a lot of pretty holiday tables in colors that are not what you naturally think of for Christmas.

So Tip #17 in our series of decorating ideas is to try a new color scheme for your Christmas entertaining.

I used to collect willow ware and absolutely loved it but I never thought of using on my table at Christmas.

But look how pretty this blue and white transfer ware plate looks on an otherwise typical red and white holiday table. This photo is from Southern Living and MyHomeIdeas.com.

Blue and white isn’t a terribly unusual color scheme for Christmas but the look above is definitely more beachy, which is why it ran in Coastal Living. I found it at MyHomeIdeas.com.

Above right is a beautiful brown, green and ivory holiday table, which was from Southern Living and MyHomeIdeas.com. The tiny stocking with natural greens tucked inside add just the right holiday touch.

And speaking of brown… what’s not to love about this rustic holiday look? It’s from HGTV. I love the cinnamon sticks and the metal star. So pretty.

Tip 16: Add some holiday pillows to your decor

Sometimes the nicest holiday decorations are the simplest ones – like adding a pillow to the sofa or an easy chair.

So that’s Tip #16: Change out your pillows for Christmas.

I must admit that this is something I never do – and I have no idea why.

My mom always has beautiful Christmas or wintery pillows in her home and they look just great.

And when I visit other people’s homes at Christmas, I’m always delighted by a sweet – or sometimes even funny – Christmas pillow.

I love the pillow at right, which I found at Better Homes and Gardens.

BHG has instructions for making this “believe” pillow here.

I also like the cute reindeer pillows in the photo below. They add to the great red and white color scheme.

And look at the cute noel pillow below in another photo from BHG.

Tip #14: Make some new Christmas stockings

No fireplace at Christmas is complete without stockings and yet I’ve struggled over the years to find some good ones.

So Tip #14 is to make your own stockings.

This is a goal of mine this year, although with the month slipping away, it might become a great idea for next year.

Regardless, my research yielded some stocking projects worth sharing.

At right is a Better Homes and Gardens stocking made of felt, which is a popular choice for this kind of project because the material doesn’t unravel and therefore the edges don’t have to be finished.

That makes it easier not only to make the stock itself but also to decorate it.

You can get the full instructions for this felt stocking at the BHG website. And here’s a video from HGTV about making stockings – once again with felt. These are so impressive!

You can also use sweaters – start with a shopping trip to Goodwill – to make some beautiful stockings.

Below right is an image from BHG. Below left is one from HGTV. Those were created by the always inspirational Miss Mustard Seed, who provides instructions and templates for making these pretty stockings here.

Tip 13: Give your Christmas tree some oomph

It may be a little bit late in the month to focus on decorating your Christmas tree but – if you’re like me – you’re a little behind.

And I couldn’t let our holiday decorating series go by without a couple more Christmas tree-related posts.

So Tip #13 is to give your Christmas tree a little oomph with some dominant décor.

I love the way this burlap garland gives the tree at right a strong look while making room for plenty of smaller ornaments.

I want to be clear. I’m as crazy as anyone about pulling out all my favorite ornaments – old and new – to put on the tree. I actually get emotional when I get out my old ceramic Snoopy ornaments and hand-painted glass ball that we made as favors for our wedding.

Some of our ornaments are whimsical, some are funny and others are just beautiful. They come in different colors and sizes and styles.

But if you’re not careful, your tree can take on a cluttered look that actually detracts from all those wonderful ornaments rather than framing them.

The key is to create a unified look on your tree with a few key colors and larger additions so that from a few steps back, the tree looks unified. Up close, though, all your wonderful ornaments are still there to admire.

On my tree, I do this in a few ways. First, I use a wide, gold mesh ribbon tucked in and out spiraled around the tree. Because it’s gold, the ribbon really sparkles. But because it’s mesh, you can see through it to the ornaments behind it.

Secondly, I’ve purchased a number of oversized balls in red and gold along with a few other larger ornaments, including some sparkly red snowflakes that are about eight inches across and some big gold stars and diamonds and other shapes.

I put all these ornaments on my tree first, strategically placing them so the tree appears balance. Then I take some medium sized red and gold balls – along with some of those big snowflakes – and hang them inside the branches. That way, they’re peaking out from behind ornaments.

I also drape strings of large gold beads around the tree.

Only then to do I start filling in with all my more precious ornaments.

Now, it may seem like this would actually make it harder to see my favorite ornaments. But actually, I feel like they’re now somehow showcased.