Today’s guest post comes from blogger, designer and DIY extraordinaire Carrie Waller of Dream Green DIY. She’s here with ten fun, inexpensive ideas for turning your home into the ultimate holiday haven, so get ready to take notes, folks! Take it away, Carrie…
As a DIY blogger and freelance writer by day, the holiday season is arguably my favorite time of the year. With it comes the excuse to play with festive heirloom accessories and fill our space with just a touch of exaggerated flair. Although (let’s face it) gold trinkets and carefully arranged vignettes are a year-round obsession of mine, Christmas allows me to really think through the details that make a cheerful statement. By incorporating vintage finds and a few budget-friendly buys, this year I’ve been able to create a space that speaks to our style and truly celebrates the season, too. Read on for ten tips and takeaways to get the look in your own home.
Photos by Chelsea Laine Francis
Choose your favorite color palette, regardless of tradition.
There is no hard and fast rule that says your holiday palette has to be red and green. I used to find myself resisting Christmas decorating until I realized that I could make the scheme work for our house’s palette of blue and yellow, rather than against it.
Have a bar cart or drink station ready at all times.
We keep our bar cart (a lucky second hand consignment store find!) stocked with tasty cocktail fixings year-round. That way, we never have to rush to restock and style come holiday party time.
Incorporate classic metallics.
If there’s one time of year when shimmer and shine is a welcome addition to your decor, this is it! Whether you try your hand at mixing metals or keep your palette selective, metallics have the ability to add near-instant seasonal appeal to your space.
Play with pillows.
Incorporating a collection of holiday-themed pillows is an easy way to take your living space from “familiar” to “festive.” Scour places like Etsy for Christmas time pillow covers (think: plaid, gold, etc.), which can be zipped right over your year-round pillows, then folded and tucked away after the holidays.
Keep it simple.
When it comes to Christmas tree decor, I like to keep things pared down. Two spools of blue wired ribbon act as our garland, while a collection of blue, gold and silver (non-breakable!) balls fill in the gaps. Finished with string lights and a star, it’s all our space needs to feel full of cheer.
Countdown the days in thrifty style.
For this year’s advent calendar, I grabbed a $10 garden trellis from the hardware store, flipped it over, added brass hooks and then numbered tags. On the back of each tag is my husband’s name, or mine, so that we alternately get to dig into a basket of candy in honor of the countdown to Christmas.
Decorate with ornaments.
I’m a bit of a vessel hoarder, so we have lots of treasured bowls and boxes scattered throughout our living space. As soon as the holiday season settles over our home, I tuck our everyday fillers away and restock the bowls with an armload of hook-free ornaments.
Shop in the clearance section.
As we near the big day, items at our favorite Big Box stores end up with deeply discounted price tags. That’s the best time to swoop in and stock up. Building your collection slowly from year to year will help you save money and avoid the rush.
It’s all about the (frugal!) details.
Finishing off a holiday-ready tablescape doesn’t have to be stressful. I incorporated a set of discounted Home Goods gold and white dishes alongside our everyday gold flatware, then topped each plate with a white linen napkin. The perfect finishing touch? A sprig of sweet-smelling eucalyptus.
Shop vintage.
This tip is something I encourage year-round, but especially so during the holidays. With retro holiday decor having a major revival, I scooped up a set of $1 vintage gold mice and a collection of old bottle brush Christmas trees. After setting everything on leafy branches cut from the yard, we could call our centerpiece done.
