The traditional holiday tree may have some bright competition with other holiday décor ideas.
Story by Ann Butenas
When it comes to holiday decorating, it just wouldn’t be right without sparkling lights, a warm glow and sprinkles of twinkles to light up your home. Decorating for the holidays shouldn’t be difficult or expensive, either, and Melody Davidson, owner of Interiors by Melody, offers a few exceptional tips on how to make the most of your holiday decorating budget while still giving your home a chance to shine. “I am all about simple,” she smiled. “In my thinking, it’s what’s easy that is best.”
KCH&S: When is the best time to begin decorating our homes for the holidays?
Davidson: Traditionally, most people begin to decorate right after Thanksgiving, but with some of the fun and simple ideas today, you can start after Halloween with one or two things and then add more as you get closer to the holidays, bringing the tree in last.
KCH&S: What are the options if we don’t want to have a traditional tree?
Davidson: It is possible to decorate for the holidays without having a tree in the house. In keeping in line with my easy is best philosophy, it actually makes more sense not to go all out. You can purchase a small live/natural tree and put it in a basket or a bucket and decorate it with (or without) lights and ornaments, tying a bright red or green ribbon/bow around the top of the basket or bucket. You could place a few of these around your home. After the holidays, you can easily recycle or throw the trees away.
KCH&S: What are some simple table top or mantel decoration ideas?
Davidson: I like to use clear glass containers, including mason jars or candy jars, to decorate, filling them with a selection of ornaments, lights and greenery. You can also get a bag of dry pinto beans and spray paint them gold and/or sliver and add them to the bottom of the containers for a pebble effect. Flameless candles with greenery are also great ideas to incorporate into glass containers. These come in various sizes and can be grouped in a variety of arrangements. Plus, they can be operated by remote control.
KCH&S: What are some secrets for a beautiful front door wreath display?
Davidson: If you have a metal front door or a wooden one you don’t want to damage, you can use a command strip on the top part of the inside of your door, installing it upside down with the hook pointed down and then loop a ribbon over the top of the door and loop it around the hook to secure it. The ribbon is also looped to hold the wreath on the front side of the door.
KCH&S: Lights, lights and more lights! Nothing says the holidays like lots of sparkling lights! What are some fun ideas in this regard?
Davidson: You can place those flameless candles in glass jars mixed with some greenery and display these around your home. To decorate a mantel, for example, you can place a small string of lights mixed with greenery in a jar and then wrap the lights around the bottom of the jar and camouflage the display with greenery where the lights are plugged into the wall.
KCH&S: What are some fun and simple outdoor lighting design ideas?
Davidson: There are so many options in this regard, and many of them are so simple to do. You can drape strands of lights over your shrubs for a holiday glow. If you have window boxes, you can place two or three small trees in them decorated with small strands of lights. I am also a big fan of those LED lights that don’t require an extension cord. These provide a safer option that also looks neater. If you are having a party, you can also purchase solar landscape lights to line your driveway or sidewalk to add a special effect. White lights are preferable for a more classic look.
