Five Tips for Decorating Your Home for the Holidays

Decking the home for the holidays brings out so many warm feelings and fun family traditions. Growing up, my family always decorated the tree together and shared responsibilities for decorating the house. My job was placing candles in each window and my brother helped set out the snowy town scene. While festive decor is often dictated by our traditions, there are also some great tips to follow to create your own Winter Wonderland! Check out my quick five tips for decorating the home for the holidays:

1. Pick a theme.

When decorating your tree and the different spaces throughout your home, it's best to follow a general theme. Sticking to a theme helps your decor match seamlessly room to room and allows you focus when purchasing decor. You can follow themes based on color palettes, shapes or decor styles, such as classic, modern chic or Scandinavian. I've always gravitated towards simple white lights, lots of natural pine with a hint of red. This year, I've really been into simple Scandinavian decor. If you like that too, check out my Pinterest board for inspiration!

2. Forage for decor.

Your decor style may be different than mine, but I think any holiday style can benefit from adding a few spruce clippings in a jar or vase. That hint of natural pine adds simple sophistication to any space. It's so fun to forage out in your yard or local forest (or even the clippings of your tree if you get a real one) and get creative with little arrangements. Just be sure to harvest responsibly (find tips to do so here)!

3. Add simple touches to warm any space.

Placing candles in the window or a wool blanket over your couch can make any space feel warm and inviting for the holiday season. Even an arrangement of candles with foraged pine can transform a blank space into a festive nook in a matter of minutes.

4. Wrap gifts early.

Last year, I wrapped my gifts to family and friends early and used them as decor around the tree in my living room. The display looked so lovely! This tip also made the night before Christmas a lot less stressful.

5. When in doubt, craft.

Scott and I's first Christmas was a bit bare because we were just starting to collect our holiday decor. I didn't realize the millions of little decorations that my mom had took years and years to collect, and I'd have to do the same. I bought a few special ornaments from a local shop in Providence and decided that I'd get a few more each year until I had the perfect collection. To make up for what I lacked, I crafted. Even if you already have a ton of decor, I think it adds a special touch when someone crafts garland out of dried fruit or adorns their door with a homemade wreath. Ruth and I will be doing a few crafts this season, so stay tuned for some DIY posts to inspire you!