Stylist, decorator, and TV personality Stephen Fermoyle is well-known for his knack at creating great interiors for next to no money. According to Stephen, dressing up your home for the holidays doesn't have to mean blowing the bank. He offers up 10 great ideas for seasonal decorating that are all big on creativity and style but small on expense.
1 Avoid shopping at malls for holiday decor; many great seasonal materials can be found from low-cost -- even no-cost -- sources. Strings of lights, bows, ribbon, inexpensive satin or glass balls, and small pots and bowls can all be found at dollar, import, and discount stores; grocery stores also often supply inexpensive platters and vases. Scout your backyard or the local park for pine cones; garden shrubs such as yew, holly, and juniper are laden with berries right now, providing a great (and free) source for small sprigs. Even cut-off bottom boughs from your Chsitmas tree can be recycled for holiday arrangements.
2 Keep in mind that for a truly lush, festive look, more is more -- but it's quantity, not cash, that counts. Fill every horizontal surface in your house with greenery and other seasonal displays. Hang bows on the bottoms of paintings; arrange candles, crystal, pinecones and garlands on your mantel; wrap the banister in greenery, strings of white lights, and pinecones; add more bows and greenery to your dining room chandelier.
3 Wrap lots of tiny boxes (available at craft stores) with red tissue and small bows. String them along a piece of sturdy twine and hang on your mantel. Arrange little piles on tables as well.
4 Fill small clay or white china bowls from a dollar store (or use plant saucers) with “wedding gourds,” small white gourds available at florist shops. Dust with red glitter and display on tables.
5 Fill two large glass or crystal vases or bowls to the brim with Christmas ornaments and display on your dining table. (If you don't already own any glass vases, florists and grocery stores are both inexpensive sources.)
Image courtesy of Pottery Barn
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