Decorating for the holidays is a great way to put yourself and others in the holiday spirit. Cheerful and festive decorations help make your guests feel welcome and excited about the gathering. But with one holiday after another at the end of the year, decorating can be time consuming and difficult. Luckily, we have some tips to help make your holiday decorating easy and last from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Tip #1 - Create a Seasonal Wreath
Hanging a wreath from your door or above your mantel is an easy way to decorate for the fall and winter. By selecting items that can be used for more than one occasion, like pinecones, greenery, fruit, or flowers, you can easily display your wreath from the beginning of fall to the end of winter. Start with a holiday-neutral base and decorations then amp up your wreath with small seasonal pieces as holidays creep closer. Colorful leaves or small pumpkins could be added for the fall and Thanksgiving, while candy canes, snowflakes, or red berries are perfect for Christmas and winter.
Tip #2 - Choose Colors Carefully
When decorating for Thanksgiving and Christmas at the same time, avoid using red and green together until after Thanksgiving. Red and green are traditionally only Christmas colors and can drown out the neutrals of your fall decor. By choosing neutral tones, like gold, silver, brown, beige, white, gray, or even blue, you can decorate easily for any holiday. Earthy and metallic colors are perfect for all holidays and make it easy for you to transition your home's decor with a few simple holiday accents.
Tip #3 - Accent with Buffalo Check
Decorating your place settings, adding throw pillows or blankets, and displaying other small accents throughout your home with black and white buffalo check is an easy way to extend your home decor. The neutral colors and classic plaid design are perfect for both fall and winter, making it a great choice for decorating for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Tip #4 - Craft a Centerpiece
A beautiful centerpiece with greenery, candles, and neutral tones creates a homey environment for any holiday. Lay a neutral runner on the center of the table or use a bevel-edged mirror to build your centerpiece. Place candlesticks in candleholders or use tea light candles to add a soft glow to your dining ambiance. Use grapevine evergreen, pine, eucalyptus, or succulent garlands to drape around the candles. Be mindful about the greenery and colors you choose. Metallic finishes and natural touches are perfect for all holiday gatherings. Sprinkle in little accents of fall or Christmas, like small pumpkins or gourds, berries or fruit, or sparkly ornaments, for something a little extra if you're feeling festive.
Tip #5 - Sprinkle in Ornaments
Decorating with ornaments doesn't have to be only a Christmas thing. Choose neutral ornaments with different shapes, sizes, and finishes to fill vases and bowls. Avoid using red and green ornaments together during non-Christmas gatherings. Blue, silver, white gold, and even rose gold ornaments are the perfect accent to any holiday display. Set some along your mantel with garland and candles or hang ornaments from curtain rods or light fixtures. Using winter-themed ornaments like snowflakes is an easy way to make your ornament displays last all winter long.
Tip #6 - Put Up Your Tree
We know how this sounds. Put up a Christmas tree for Thanksgiving? If you have an artificial tree, set it up but don't decorate it with ornaments or lights. Instead, leave the tree untrimmed or choose natural elements like pinecones to spruce it up. Once Thanksgiving is over, add lights and ornaments to make the tree more festive and Christmas-ready.
Tip #7 - Light It Up with Lanterns & Candles
Create a cozy ambiance anywhere in your home by lighting a candle (or turning on a flameless one). The soft glow of a flame adds a cozy touch to your dining room, living room, or bedroom. Choose from festive scents or unscented candles to accent your decor. Flameless LED candles allow you to create a cozy environment without the risk and heat of a real flame. Lanterns are a traditional decoration that is perfect for all occasions. Place a flameless candle inside with a sprig of evergreen and tie a bow on top of the lantern to make your lighted piece last from season to season.
Tip #8 - Decorate a Bench
Place pinecones, large boughs of evergreen, and metallic outdoor ornaments on a bench on your porch or in your entryway. Nothing invites your friends and family into your home like a welcoming bench all decked out for the holidays.
Tip #9 - Use Glass for Visual Interest
Use vases, bowls, and urns made from mercury glass, colored glass, or clear glass to display candles or add interest to your holiday decor. Fill a vase with ornaments or leave it empty on a mantel. Use different shapes, sizes, colors, and textures for some variation.
Tip #10 - Enhance with Burlap
Dress up a jar, vase, place setting, or table with burlap. The neutral brown color is perfect for fall and winter occasions and is perfect for adding a rustic accent to your holiday decor. Burlap layers well with lace, table runners, and ribbon to create the perfect look for your get-together. Wrap burlap around the base of a small Christmas tree to add rustic charm to your Thanksgiving or Christmas decor.
Conclusion
Decorating for Thanksgiving and Christmas doesn't have to be time consuming. You can carefully select decorations that will fit both occasions to make your decorating efforts last from November to January. Spend more time relaxing and catching up with your friends and family in your cozy, decorated home this holiday season.
