This is for those of you who need a little motivation to pull the Christmas decorations out of the attic this week and get to it. Maybe you’re a little less than enthusiastic because you’ve been using the same stuff year after year, and you’re just over it. There may be hope for merry and bright Christmas decorating without throwing everything out and starting from scratch.
A few ways to rethink your holiday decorating this year:
1. If you hate it, spray it! You can spray paint almost any Christmas decoration—I’m sure of it. I’ve sprayed ornaments that were the wrong color, colorful Santas that needed to be all white to fit with my decor, wreaths, branches, and even Christmas trees. (By the way, you can get a “flocked” look without the fake snow by spray painting artificial greenery white.)
2. Choose one color and layer lots of it. This is where the spray painting trick might come in handy. I love the look of really concentrating on one color and sticking with it for most of your decorations. Whether it’s traditional red, or a more non-traditional color scheme, think color in layers. (It doesn’t have to all be the exact same shade.)
3. Groupings make everything look bigger and better. It’s true at Christmas and all year long. If you have collectibles, glass bottles, candlesticks, etc., displaying them all together will make a bigger impact in the room. It’s kind of the same ideas as to why store displays always make the most ordinary objects look more appealing.
4. Play with non-traditional patterns in traditional Christmas colors. If you’re still partial to the reds and greens of the season, take an updated approach by using pillows, table cloths and linens in less-than-traditional patterns. Not everything has to be all silver bells and candy canes to still feel like the season.
5. Mix and match your greenery. If you’ve had the same garland for years, freshen it up by mixing in some fresh green pieces or add some artificial birds, blooms or fruits. (The dollar store is a great source for these.) It’s okay to mix real with the fake stuff, flocked with natural, etc. And, I’ll just add that I threw out most of our fake garland and some sad little trees last year, and it was kind of freeing. This year I bought two long strands of fresh greenery for under $25 total, and it’s made me feel so much happier about our Christmas decorations overall.
Hope this helps to get you going!
adorable!!! i want to come sit on that porch!! :):)
Great ideas…good for the soul….:)
Very helpful! Thanks, Emily. Let me tell you, about 8 years ago I went crazy for some silver. I have silver ornaments, silver wreaths, silver pinecones…. And I am so OVER it! Time for some spray paint! Your patio looks amazing!
Its like you read my mind or something. I haven’t been motivated to pull out my Christmas boxes yet, and it’s sad because I LOVE Christmas. Thanks for these wonderful ideas, Emily.
You have such great ideas, Emily! I wouldn’t have thought to paint my old ornaments … I would’ve just bought new ones. Much better solution you have!
What would get me going is if someone would come do it for me:) You make it look easy…..which is amazing cause you have 5 kids….What’s up with that?
I’ll do yours if you’ll redo mine!
wow!!! you must be very wealthy, most of have to reuse our Xmas decorations and why would you tell people to throw out their decorations because they are tired and old I think that its a fun and great way to accumulate ornaments over the years!! I feel some of my old things are precious and wonderful memories in previous Christmas`s
I think you may have missed the point :) But, Merry Christmas, anyway!
BTW I love your new haircut and color
Love the deer! Where did you get that? I have found a few small ones, but I know my hubby won’t go for those :)
It’s from Kirkland’s (online).
I think these are great tips on how to repurpose what you have so that if you are tired of it you will love it again! Fantastic post! I can’t get enough of this patio! I was hoping to get mine decorated for Christmas, but it has yet to happen. There is still time though….
Great tips, Emily — I’m definitely rethinking and reusing decor this year, but there’s also a great purge going on. :) Good stuff!
xo heidi
You always have such wonderful ideas Emily! have to try spray-painting greenery one day! Thanks!
Great ideas, thank you!!
This makes me want to go and decorate my front and back porches! Thanks for the inspiration and Happy New Year!