Decking your Halls....

I am a little late with this post but since some of us are also a little late in 'decking our halls' I thought it  may help.  It always seems to just creep up on us.  This year I was at a little event where the theme for decorating this year is natural, red and gold.  Well that should be easy to accomplish.

When it comes to decorating, why not just enjoy the fun and anticipation.

Step back in time to when things were much simpler. Come up with new ways to showcase your treasured, current decorations along with adding new, simple refreshing additions. Have fun decorating!

There are many places to purchase décor items where you are not spending large amounts of money. One of the most inexpensive decorating sources can be in your own back yard or nearby parks – pinecones, fallen branches, anything organic is environmentally friendly and looks warm and cozy.  You can re-purpose items you already have in a new and different ways.  Since it is only seasonal, the look or theme can change each year without purchasing an entire new collection of decorations.  What fun!  Here are some different themes to ponder – 

Natural Rustic/Organic Theme 

• Greenery and pillar candles on kitchen counter       
• Tree decorated with fruit in urn on kitchen table      
• Small trees in baskets         
• Grapevine or natural evergreen Wreaths in all windows
• Tray on kitchen counter, which holds a small live Rosemary tree, paper whites and candle
•   Large flat basket of greens filled with green apples, limes and pillar candle.
• Christmas tree decorated with strings of cranberries, gingerbread men, twigs, dried fruit – apple and orange slices, etc.
• Trays with greenery, and small votive & tea lights candles
•  Collect fallen branches, trim your own evergreen bushes and perhaps some thicker birch type pieces and arrange in a tall glass cylinder
• Fill different sizes of glass containers or baskets with pinecones
•  Fill several different size glass containers with cranberries and then add some fresh flowers or branches
• Bowls of fruit, nuts, pinecones
•  Groupings of candles, especially battery operated for safety, among evergreen branches
• 3 large glass candles with greenery, cinnamon sticks and oranges 
• Light Fixture decorated with greenery            
• Burlap wrapped presents in a basket on porch
• Urns filled with greens, sticks, fruit and lights

 If you have a collection of Christmas Items why not showcase them -

Collection based theme – Santas, Nutcrackers, etc. 

• Santas or Nutcrackers grouped with greenery and twigs around them
• Group of Santas or nutcrackers on a bakers rack or shelving
• Christmas Tree with small nutcrackers mixed among the other treasured ornaments you already have
• Greenery on table with large candle    

Natural Elegance

• Sugared fruit on buffet
• Large glass with greens, cranberries and floating candles on Dining Table or Hall table
• Vase of greens, sticks and amaryllis on counter
• Wooden (olive) trough with berries and votive candles
• Amaryllis in glass with moss and cranberries
• Greenery lit up on top of kitchen upper cabinets
• Row of boxes on counter with greens
• Amaryllis, orchids, paper whites, greens and candles in arrangement on kitchen island counter
• Sleigh with greens, soldiers, green moss, trees and balls
• Christmas Tree with a color theme of treasured ornaments you already have with perhaps a few new ones added
• Tray filled with round Christmas Balls with pillar candle in center
• Tall glass cylinders filled with small Christmas Balls 

With the above options you can definitely add the three prominent options for this year - natural, red and gold to enhance your decor.

Try to take a casual and relaxed attitude to your decorating so that you enjoy it and leave leave more time for the fun part of these upcoming celebrations – entertaining family and friends; community events; walks in the woods; sitting by a cozy fire; making cookies with your children; decorating the tree or whatever your heart desires.