Start at the Street

This year, why not “start at the street” and give visitors a taste of what’s to come inside your holiday home? A simple swag of ever- green and holly at your mailbox is a fast and easy way to convey a welcoming message! While fresh is nice, faux is more realistic for most of us. Add a colorful wired ribbon bow for a nice finishing touch!

Elegant Exterior

Tired of hanging traditional lights on the house? Showcase the exterior of you home with several strategically-placed spotlights instead. Spot a beautiful wreath above the garage or at an entry. Showcase landscaping by placing a spotlight on a grouping of trees that look lovely when draped in

If you have a covered porch area, why not tuck a Christmas tree into what’s usually a dark corner? Decorate it simply with garlands of grapevine, brightly-colored faux berries, white lights, pine cones, or other natural materials. When having guests over, tuck a CD player under the tree and put a holiday CD on continuous play for a festive welcome!

Replace your day-to-day welcome mat with one that has a festive holiday feel – it’s an easy and inexpensive change, but having an eye for detail creates a wonderful holiday feeling from the moment guests arrive at your door.

Take a cue from Mother Nature

Just as we layer our clothes as the temperature outside drops, use layering to create fabulous holiday décor. For example, from Thanksgiving thru New Years, let your formal dining room table be one of the stars of your holiday home by keeping it – it will look like you’re ready to entertain at a moment’s notice.

Layering creates a fabulous festive feeling. Don’t stop with the typical holiday table cloth that you’ve used year after year. Add a fun or elegant a table runner whatever the occasion calls for. Instead of using a traditional store-bought runner with tassels on each end that matches your napkins and table cloth, buy several yards of shimmering fabric and bunch it down the length of the table.

Let There Be Light!

Turn them down or turn them off! If you’re having guests over, create a warm, inviting and welcoming environment – after a week of working, no one likes to be welcomed by blinding lights. Instead, dim those you can or turn them all off and use ambient lighting, the fireplace, and candles.

Stimulate the Senses

The holiday season is one for the senses, let your holiday decorating stimulate the senses – scented pinecones in a basket on the hearth of a fireplace burn scented candles. Play soft holiday music when entertaining; tie jingle bells to your wreath or around door knobs. Place scented oil on light bulbs throughout the house.

Oh Christmas Tree(s)?

Why not try having a few Christmas trees throughout your home? So often mom’s feel like then need to have every popsicle stick ornament Johnny has ever made on the family Christmas tree!! This year, have a few trees – the one in the family room can reflect the family and ornaments collected over the years from travels, anniversary, births, etc. This is the perfect place to showcase the kids cotton ball snowmen, fruit loop wreaths and Popsicle and yarn ornaments.

Places like the kitchen, den, foyer, and living rooms are perfect for setting up trees. In some cases, you may want to use a tabletop tree or slim line tree if you have just a corner to tuck in a tree. These trees can reflect the theme of the room (in a kitchen, for example, you can hand cookie cutters and miniature kitchen utensils available at craft stores) or use the color of a room’s décor as your inspiration for decorations.