Design Lesson
Bloggers' Christmas decorating tips
Bloggers' Christmas decorating tips
Design Lesson
Bloggers' Christmas decorating tips
Among everything there is
to do in December, decorating your home for the holidays is sometimes the most difficult task to accomplish as everything else takes priority. Even if you have the time, all the Christmas shopping can make budgeting for
seasonal decor tough on the wallet. Fortunately, there are a myriad of ways to inject some holiday spirit into your home, even when you're short on time and money! We've asked some of our favourite decor bloggers for their Christmas decorating tips to help make your holidays less stressful and more enjoyable!
Photograph courtesy of Barbara Matson.
Hang some holiday sparkle
An easy, yet splashy holiday decorating tip is to hang baubles at various lengths from your chandelier for extra bling. I like to use iridescent ribbon cut in varying lengths and inexpensive Christmas balls in an assortment of colours and finishes to give my chandelier some extra holiday sparkle! - Barbara Matson.
Barbara is a caffeine-fueled design aficionado that makes her home on Canada’s “wet” coast. She is the author of hodge:podge, a blog that showcases her frugal do-it-yourself projects, room makeovers, and interviews with fabulous Canadians, inspirational interiors and anything else that tickles her fancy.
Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.
Simplify the season
Offset the hustle and bustle of this year's parties and potlucks with a pared back approach to holiday home decor. Soft lighting and sparkling mercury accents offer just the right note of seasonal charm and will look just as stunning in the new year. Achieve the look effortlessly with a simple grouping of candles and flowers set in glistening votive holders and vases. Or, for a truly sensational vignette, fill mercury glass globes with strings of miniature lights and watch the magic unfold. - Amy Walters.
Amy Walters is a Winnipeg-based interior designer and writer. Amy can be found at aDESIGNdock [DESIGN blog], where she dishes out her thrifty approach to creating standout style! She can also be found right here on styleathome.com as a contributing guest blogger.
Photography courtesy of inVU Drapery Co.
Instant holiday style
Decorating the house for the holidays is always fun and doesn’t have to break the bank. Adding ornaments, pinecones or winter florals to everyday bowls and vessels instantly creates holiday style. I especially love white pinecones in polished silver bowls or an ornament-filled tall vessel. I also love incorporating fresh winter florals like paperwhites, white amaryllis or hydrangeas with magnolia leaves throughout the house. - Wendy Hicken.
Wendy is an interior design and home decor enthusiast who loves to share what inspires her via her design blog Desire to Decorate. Her blog gives her a way to journal her ever changing wishes for her own home while showcasing an inspiration board of pretty spaces.
Photography courtesy of Jennifer Flores.
Serve up sparkle and shine
Repurposing everyday objects is one of my favourite decor tricks. Create a simple but stylish look for the holidays using a tiered serving tray. I like to pile it high with shiny ornaments in tones of gold, bronze, and white mixed with rustic pinecones for a look that is textured and unexpected. Top it off with a pearl-like strand of beads, throw in some crystal baubles and you have a quick and easy project that amps up the glamour factor of your holiday decor! - Jennifer Flores.
Jennifer Flores is the writer behind Rambling Renovators, a chronicle of the renovations, DIY projects, crafts, and home life adventures she shares with her handy husband and curious daughter. With a love of antique markets and getting covered in sawdust, follow along on their never-ending quest to create a traditional home for a modern family.
Photography courtesy of Leah Kirin.
Keep it green
Decorating with fresh greenery is the easiest way to bring a festive mood into your home. I love the simplicity of an unadorned, square boxwood wreath especially when layered in front of a mirror. Add a ribbon in a vibrant colour (such as pink, tangerine or turquoise) and you have holiday decor that is unexpected and elegant, but not over done. - Vanessa Francis.
Vanessa is an interior decorator based in Milton, Ontario who loves creating beautiful and liveable spaces for her clients. Through her blog, Decor Happy, she shares her knowledge, ideas and inspiration.
Photography courtesy of Debra Norton.
A vintage display
I love to group a few treasured vintage pieces together in something unexpected like an old soda crate to create an impromptu tableau. Simple things like using old canning jars to display cherished ornaments or small items is a quick way to add a holiday touch. Acorns dipped in white paint are an easy DIY project. Combining vintage and handmade pieces into your holiday decor adds soul. - Debra Norton.
Debra Norton designs stationery and paper goods for her business Vintage Paper Parade. She loves hunting for vintage treasures, sharing her love of handmade, and producing and styling stories to share via her blog.
Photography courtesy of Grace.
Fun, festive and affordable
One of my favourite holiday decorating tips is to use common objects from around the house. The challenge of finding suitable items and using them creatively is what makes it fun. This year, I’m loving the simplicity of red and white and decided to decorate the dining room sideboard in this colour palette.
I started by filling a set of mason jars with objects found around the house - red and white candy, white pompoms, and red beads. Then I decorated some plain white plates from a dollar store using a red Sharpie to draw simple Christmas designs and holiday text. Finally, I used twine and cardboard to make rustic letters that spell 'JOY'. That’s it - our sideboard decorated with things from around the house. Simple, affordable, fun, and festive! - Grace.
Grace lives near Toronto and is a speech-language pathologist by day and a design-loving mom of three by night. In her blog, Sense and Simplicity, she shares her love of decorating, family, photography, food, and travel.
Photography courtesy of Lisa Mackay.
Colourful Christmas cheer
I love getting down the big boxes marked 'Christmas stuff' and pulling out all the wreaths and ornaments like, well, a kid at Christmas! My decorations are a real mixed bag of sentimental things I had growing up, new items I seem to pick up every year, and handmade ornaments from my little ones.
I love a true berry red and I try to tie all the various bits together by using a consistent red throughout my holiday decor. I find it such a bright and cheery colour in the dreary winter, and having punches of it everywhere always puts me in the festive mood. Year after year I never tire of it, and it also helps keep me in line when tempted by all the pretty decorations out there. - Lisa Mackay.
Lisa Mackay has long had an obsession with beautiful things and creative thinking (apparently it's a Taurean trait). Her blog Wicked & Weird shares her many finds of cool and lovely things - from design, art, and architecture to music, crafts, and her own creative projects.
Photograph courtesy of Barbara Matson.
Hang some holiday sparkle
An easy, yet splashy holiday decorating tip is to hang baubles at various lengths from your chandelier for extra bling. I like to use iridescent ribbon cut in varying lengths and inexpensive Christmas balls in an assortment of colours and finishes to give my chandelier some extra holiday sparkle! - Barbara Matson.
Barbara is a caffeine-fueled design aficionado that makes her home on Canada’s “wet” coast. She is the author of hodge:podge, a blog that showcases her frugal do-it-yourself projects, room makeovers, and interviews with fabulous Canadians, inspirational interiors and anything else that tickles her fancy.
Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.
Simplify the season
Offset the hustle and bustle of this year's parties and potlucks with a pared back approach to holiday home decor. Soft lighting and sparkling mercury accents offer just the right note of seasonal charm and will look just as stunning in the new year. Achieve the look effortlessly with a simple grouping of candles and flowers set in glistening votive holders and vases. Or, for a truly sensational vignette, fill mercury glass globes with strings of miniature lights and watch the magic unfold. - Amy Walters.
Amy Walters is a Winnipeg-based interior designer and writer. Amy can be found at aDESIGNdock [DESIGN blog], where she dishes out her thrifty approach to creating standout style! She can also be found right here on styleathome.com as a contributing guest blogger.
Photography courtesy of inVU Drapery Co.
Instant holiday style
Decorating the house for the holidays is always fun and doesn’t have to break the bank. Adding ornaments, pinecones or winter florals to everyday bowls and vessels instantly creates holiday style. I especially love white pinecones in polished silver bowls or an ornament-filled tall vessel. I also love incorporating fresh winter florals like paperwhites, white amaryllis or hydrangeas with magnolia leaves throughout the house. - Wendy Hicken.
Wendy is an interior design and home decor enthusiast who loves to share what inspires her via her design blog Desire to Decorate. Her blog gives her a way to journal her ever changing wishes for her own home while showcasing an inspiration board of pretty spaces.
Photography courtesy of Jennifer Flores.
Serve up sparkle and shine
Repurposing everyday objects is one of my favourite decor tricks. Create a simple but stylish look for the holidays using a tiered serving tray. I like to pile it high with shiny ornaments in tones of gold, bronze, and white mixed with rustic pinecones for a look that is textured and unexpected. Top it off with a pearl-like strand of beads, throw in some crystal baubles and you have a quick and easy project that amps up the glamour factor of your holiday decor! - Jennifer Flores.
Jennifer Flores is the writer behind Rambling Renovators, a chronicle of the renovations, DIY projects, crafts, and home life adventures she shares with her handy husband and curious daughter. With a love of antique markets and getting covered in sawdust, follow along on their never-ending quest to create a traditional home for a modern family.
Photography courtesy of Leah Kirin.
Keep it green
Decorating with fresh greenery is the easiest way to bring a festive mood into your home. I love the simplicity of an unadorned, square boxwood wreath especially when layered in front of a mirror. Add a ribbon in a vibrant colour (such as pink, tangerine or turquoise) and you have holiday decor that is unexpected and elegant, but not over done. - Vanessa Francis.
Vanessa is an interior decorator based in Milton, Ontario who loves creating beautiful and liveable spaces for her clients. Through her blog, Decor Happy, she shares her knowledge, ideas and inspiration.
Photography courtesy of Debra Norton.
A vintage display
I love to group a few treasured vintage pieces together in something unexpected like an old soda crate to create an impromptu tableau. Simple things like using old canning jars to display cherished ornaments or small items is a quick way to add a holiday touch. Acorns dipped in white paint are an easy DIY project. Combining vintage and handmade pieces into your holiday decor adds soul. - Debra Norton.
Debra Norton designs stationery and paper goods for her business Vintage Paper Parade. She loves hunting for vintage treasures, sharing her love of handmade, and producing and styling stories to share via her blog.
Photography courtesy of Grace.
Fun, festive and affordable
One of my favourite holiday decorating tips is to use common objects from around the house. The challenge of finding suitable items and using them creatively is what makes it fun. This year, I’m loving the simplicity of red and white and decided to decorate the dining room sideboard in this colour palette.
I started by filling a set of mason jars with objects found around the house - red and white candy, white pompoms, and red beads. Then I decorated some plain white plates from a dollar store using a red Sharpie to draw simple Christmas designs and holiday text. Finally, I used twine and cardboard to make rustic letters that spell 'JOY'. That’s it - our sideboard decorated with things from around the house. Simple, affordable, fun, and festive! - Grace.
Grace lives near Toronto and is a speech-language pathologist by day and a design-loving mom of three by night. In her blog, Sense and Simplicity, she shares her love of decorating, family, photography, food, and travel.
Photography courtesy of Lisa Mackay.
Colourful Christmas cheer
I love getting down the big boxes marked 'Christmas stuff' and pulling out all the wreaths and ornaments like, well, a kid at Christmas! My decorations are a real mixed bag of sentimental things I had growing up, new items I seem to pick up every year, and handmade ornaments from my little ones.
I love a true berry red and I try to tie all the various bits together by using a consistent red throughout my holiday decor. I find it such a bright and cheery colour in the dreary winter, and having punches of it everywhere always puts me in the festive mood. Year after year I never tire of it, and it also helps keep me in line when tempted by all the pretty decorations out there. - Lisa Mackay.
Lisa Mackay has long had an obsession with beautiful things and creative thinking (apparently it's a Taurean trait). Her blog Wicked & Weird shares her many finds of cool and lovely things - from design, art, and architecture to music, crafts, and her own creative projects.
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