- Quick to set up, quick to take down - There are still only so many hours in a day and it isn't going to change for the season!
- Keep it cheap - I'll give to a good cause instead of paying big bucks for decorations. The method is to shop the end of season sales. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
- Incorporate Nature - greens, pine cones, berries, etc.
- Avoid Kitschy - This one I will break for something that catches my fancy but I prefer decorations that add holiday spirit without being curtsey.
- Tradition and family trumps all - even things that don't match my style. The ornaments my kids made for me go on the tree. The special decor from family is used.
- Keep storage in mind - I do have some storage space so this isn't a strong rule but I truly appreciate holiday decor that folds flat, stores small.
How do I meet these guidelines?
Here is what I did today - Christmas balls. No secret I love spheres and have blogged a lot about them. I have large tub of Christmas balls purchased at the end of the season when they are close to free. I scatter them through out the house....
Nine hang from my candelabra.....
In the evening, with the candles lit, it truly glows.
I fill clear bowls with a variety of colors and sizes and place them around the house....
I fill cylinders with balls and place them in tight spots to add a touch of the holiday spirit....
Yes, even the bathroom needs a little sparkle.
All this takes about fifteen minutes to set up and fifteen minutes to take down in January. They do take space to store but I just put them in plastic grocery bags all gathered together in a Rubbermaid Storage Tub placed at the top of the garage until next year. Even the mice don't bother them!
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©2011 Ashbee Design, Marji Roy
Great decoration ideas and photos!
ReplyDeleteLiving Christmas trees are fun but I have a warning for you if you do choose to get a real tree: My aunt had her house burn down because the tree caught fire! She gave a child a candle to hold and she got busy doing something else, next thing she knows the front room is ablaze because the child had lit the Christmas tree on fire. Keep fire AWAY from real Christmas trees, especially when they are dry! Dry Christmas trees burn VERY fast!