Tips for Simplifying Christmas Decorating
Reasons why simplifying Christmas decorating will add more meaning and joy to your holiday season this year.
Now that it is the first week of November, I’m shifting into “the season to be jolly” mode …aka… holiday mode.
I know it may seem a bit early to start blogging about the holidays, but when you’re a DIY decorating/lifestyle blogger with projects to create, photograph and then write posts about, I need to do it early enough so that come the day after Thanksgiving, readers can reference the ideas and have time to create for themselves.
Last year, when I was putting my Christmas decorations away, I vowed to take a step back this Christmas… to only decorate in a way that would make the holidays – Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day feel magical, but not overwhelm me.
The time has arrived… the holiday season is 18 days away and I am going to take my own advice.
When we moved to the lake house, I purged quite a lot of Christmas decorations and did so again when I put the decorations away last year. I held each item in my hand and if it no longer had meaning in our lives… I placed it in a box to take to the thrift shop.
Going through this process, I discovered that it wasn’t all the decorations that made it feel like the holidays for me. It was more about the memories of family all around me and the atmosphere I created for us to enjoy it all with music, food and events. I am still going to create a festive atmosphere, but one that is more pared down and less decorated.
Perhaps you feel the same way? Thanks to the internet and especially social media, we’re all bombarded with the most polished and highly edited sides of other’s holiday decorations and perfect Thanksgiving table settings and decorated Christmas trees, mantels and homes.
I have been yearning to unwrap all these perfect expectations and take the pressure off myself and inspire you to do the same, whatever it is that will make the holidays feel festive and magical for you and your family.
This year, I am passing on the “I have-to this, this, and this… holiday checklist” that follows a certain script and instead, looking at what will make the truest version of the season come to life for me.
When I broke it down to figure out what makes Christmas feel wonderful and magical, here is what was on my list. These items are what I am going to focus on this year.
White Twinkle Lights on the Christmas Tree
Since I was a child, every Christmas tree my family has had was draped with twinkle lights. Not blinking lights, but mini lights that twinkle. There is a huge difference between twinkling and blinking strands of lights. Blinking is when whole light strand blinks on and off.
Twinkling is when only a few lights per strand slowly blink on and off at a time, not the whole strand. It creates a magical atmosphere. I like to turn all the lights off in the house and sit by or even lay under the tree and enjoy the magic the twinkling lights create in the room and on the ceiling. Here are the strands of lights I use: Twinkle Lights
This year I also want to focus more on who is around my tree and not what is on it in the way of ornaments and garland. I may go rogue and keep the tree quite simple. :-)
My retail display background sometimes takes over when I get Christmas decorating ideas. Big and grand was our goal. We had to create impact! I follow my ideas and instinct. This was the case with finding a dead Christmas tree back in 2014 at the Christmas tree farm where we bought our tree.
Bringing this dead tree back to life was pure joy, but it was a second tree to decorate that year. I want festive, pretty, but simple this year.
Candles in the Windows
In the rooms other than my living room where the Christmas tree is, I like to have a candle in each window at night.
When I am in the room, I use real candles, but for other rooms, electric candles create the same holiday magic for my family…
…just like the song from the movie, Home Alone, Somewhere in My Memory.
I made this canvas for my guest room two years ago. You can find out how I made it in this post: Getting The Guest Room Holiday Ready
The guest rooms where my daughters sleep when they come for the holidays don’t have windows. Instead they have sliding glass doors that look out to the lake. Candles in their bedroom windows were a must when they were growing up and still are for them as adults.
I had to tweak the window thing a little to make the candlelight magic happen by the glass doors for them. Making my children, no matter how old they get, still feel the magic of Christmas will always be one of the most important things for me to do every year.
Christmas Music
When you read my Christmas blog posts where I share photos of my house decorated for the season, one very important thing is missing in each photo. That missing element is that you can’t hear the Christmas music playing in the room. For me, Christmas music is part of the decor.
Christmas music in my house is playing… All. The. Time! I think the music is more important to me than the Christmas tree. I even have it playing in my car on Sirius – The Hallmark Channel, channel 70 started this past week. So far I like the type of holiday music they are playing.
When I am home, I play dozens of Christmas CD’s or playlists on my phone from traditional to current day musicians. You can find out my favorites here: The Sounds of Christmas
Christmas Movies
Not the Hallmark variety, but classics from the 40’s and 50’s like Christmas in Connecticut, Desk Set, Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life. Plus a few from recent years: While You Were Sleeping, Home Alone, A Christmas Romance, A Holiday for Love and The Santa Clause.
I get excited just thinking about spending a relaxing afternoon or evening with a fire in the fireplace and the twinkling lights on the tree watching a favorite holiday movie.
Baking Christmas Cookies
I may not eat all of them, but I enjoy making cookies to then put out on the kitchen counter for all to enjoy or to pack up to give to family and friends. Ed’s favorites are called Pecan Cherry Cookies. Mine are Almond Cookies – made with vodka. :-)
An afternoon of baking in a warm and cozy kitchen with Christmas movies or music on in the background truly makes it feel like Christmas in my house.
City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks
Silver Bells is one of my favorite Christmas songs. I love the line… city sidewalks, busy sidewalks.
Christmas shopping in NYC was something I always enjoyed doing growing up with my sisters and family over the years. Now that we are in South Carolina, I can’t get into NYC as easily.
I do miss spending the day Christmas shopping in NYC, but this year I have planned 2 days to spend strolling the streets of the two nearby cities to me, Columbia, SC and Greenville, SC. I know there won’t be any snow, but I hope the streets are dressed in holiday style, even if it is just a little bit for me to shop for a few more gifts I need to buy.
Doing my Christmas shopping all year long so I don’t have to rush around buying just any ole thing to give to family and friends is one way to enjoy the holiday season more. I store everything I buy in one of the guest room closets. This week I will take it all out to see who I still need to buy or make something for.
Natural Elements
Moving to the shores of a large lake with nature all around me has made me appreciate decorating with natural elements such such as small touches of fresh greenery and DIY natural Christmas decorations.
Not garlands…I will never use fresh pine garlands inside… ever again, they make too much of a mess and dry out way too fast for the expense. But hanging a simple cedar wreath, pine branches in a vase or centerpiece are doable and create a festive holiday vibe.
Over the next few weeks, I will share how I implemented each of these items into my home and life. In my next post, I will start by showing you how I am going to decorate the fireplace mantel with a pretty, simple and crafty DIY project.
What Can You Do To Simplify Your Christmas Decorating This Year?
Are you yearning to enjoy the holidays more in “your own style” this year? Discover even more Christmas Decorating ideas.
How to do it with confidence? The idea is to let go of the things about the season that don’t bring you joy anymore so you can create a holiday festive feeling that is right, just for you and your family. It could be anything from not bringing out bins of holiday decorations to saying no to invites that overbook your schedule. You are the boss and can decide on the plan that will make you enjoy the joy of the season.
Follow your heart, listen to yourself and focus on what really matters.
If you know what you are going to do this year, share your holiday decorating musts in the comments so other readers can benefit from your ideas and may want to begin implementing them in their homes this year.
