Now that the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, it is time to get ready for the Christmas holiday at the Snow house. I absolutely love the holiday, however I have never been that excited about Christmas decorations. Hear me out. I love the freedom that come with holiday decorating for there is no such thing as too much glitter, too gaudy, or too over the top during this lovely season. I don’t love having to spend a lot of money on things that will be in storage 11 months of the year. However, I married a man that LOVES Christmas and EVERYTHING that comes with the celebration. He also likes to change the colors / themes yearly. His passion for the holidays is why we had to get a storage unit after our first year of marriage LOL. So over the years I have learned a few tricks to keep the budget in check AND prevent us the need to purchase more storage.
Tip # 1: Use what you already own, and add a holiday flair.
Here are some of my favorite ideas that are used in the Snow house:
Add cinnamon scented pine cones in a basket you already own. Add some white Christmas lights in the basket. The heat from the lights will warm the pine cones and make the smell will linger throughout your home.
Place candles on a tray or platter you have in your kitchen cabinet. You can add some faux snow, mistletoe, or berries (anything that goes with your theme / color palette / style) as a filler to cover the tray or platter you are using as your base.
Cover/ wrap your current wreath with holiday them ribbon and add a bow and /or lights
Place ball ornaments in a clear vases or bowls and place them throughout your home.
Tip # 2: Pick a theme that can be added to over the time.
Since we are the Snows, we have evolved to a winter wonderland theme with snow snowballs, snowmen and flocked trees, garland, and wreaths. I just change the color of the “base” ornaments (see tip #4) each year.
Tip # 3: Shop at your local discount stores for accessories
Dollar Stores, General Dollar, Five Below all have great cheap holiday decor. You can find baskets, candles, candle holders, ribbon, fillers, and ornaments at these type of stores for much less than shopping at your
Tip #4: Buy ornaments in bulk and layer them with your sentimental tree decor
Stores like Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart, and Target offer 25-100 count ornament sets that come in various color/texture combinations. I love using these sets as the base of my design. I add our sentimental ornaments to this mix to gives it a customized and luxe look. I like decorating my tree like I design my outfits, mix expensive pieces with less expensive pieces. The expensive decor should be the items you will use annually.
Tip #5: Scented candles
Add holiday scented candles in the house to get you and your guests in the spirit. My go to scent is Cuban vanilla 3-wick candles from #Pier 1. This scent makes me think someone is baking some cookies or cake in my kitchen.
Tip #6: Holiday plants
Place holiday plants (live or faux) like Christmas trees, poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, and amaryllis throughout your home. It gives a pop of color with no effort and little investment.