Festive Home Decor Tips for Designing the Perfect Holiday Atmosphere
The holidays are here and most people are in a celebratory mood. From the music coming out of every speaker and the decorations in every home and shop window, to the fact that you can’t really take two steps without crossing paths with one Santa or another, everything around us is designed to make us feel cheerful. It’s a joyous time, when you get a few days off work and are encouraged to spend it with those you care for. It’s therefore no wonder that people want their homes to reflect the emotion and the spirit of the holidays as well. So, here are some tips for decorating your home to create the ideal holiday atmosphere for you to revel in.
Decorate your Christmas tree
When it comes to the holiday season, probably the most festive home decoration is the Christmas tree. Not only does it make your living room look lovely during the holidays, but you get to spend some quality time with your family around it. First, the very process of decorating it is a merry one, especially if you have kids who love putting up ornaments on the tree, plus it’s where you open your presents on Christmas morning, when the whole family gathers. You can choose decorations in one or two colors, or you can go with all the colors you can think of. It’s your tree and there are no rules. Finally, to fully enjoy the magic of your tree, you should put up some string lights on it and turn all the other lighting in your home off.
Light some candles
Across religions, candles are often viewed as symbols of faith and spirituality. However, even if you’re not religious, you’ll definitely make your home more festive and inviting by lighting some candles in any of your rooms. The key is to dim your everyday lights or turn them off altogether, so that the candle light can create the perfect ambience. To make the whole atmosphere more pleasant, choose elegantly scented pillar candles, so that you can enjoy their smell as well, even when they aren’t lit. Some of them even have the snowflake effect. You can place them anywhere you see fit, decorate the space around them with a few Christmas bulbs or put them on a candle holder. You can put smaller candles in glasses of various shapes and colors or get a lovely candelabra for a vintage appearance.
Make your furniture festive
Another way to add some Christmas charm to your home is by making your furniture more seasonal. For example, you can make your living room more cheerful by adding some Christmassy throws and pillows to your sofa or tablecloths on your coffee table. They can be red plaid cushions, throws in white and silver, while your tablecloths could come with any type of Christmas-related print. Consider changing the upholstery on your dining room chairs into something with a certain celebratory vibe to it, like black and white checkered linen with a dash of green or red. Even your shelves could have a fresh holiday look if you put a garland or a tinsel on them and accentuate them with a few red and green books. In addition, a plush rug in silver, white or anything else snow-like will round up your living room Christmas décor beautifully.
Bring in some plants
The most Christmassy of all plants is the Christmas tree, which you should buy in a pot, and then plant it somewhere after the holidays. However, there are several other plants associated with the holiday season. One of them is poinsettia. When buying one, make sure it has the tiny yellow flowers in the middle of the red leaves, or they won’t make it to the end of the season. Potted plants like cyclamen, rosemary or frosty fern will also do the trick. Another holiday must-have plant is the mistletoe, which you should hang above your door, or doors if you’d like to increase your chances of getting kissed. Last, but not least, there’s holly, which you can use to decorate anything from walls and windows to shelves and even mirrors.
Use food as decorative elements
One thing everybody loves about the holidays is the food. However, as much as the taste and the smell of it add to the festivity of the season, there is more you can do with food. When you bake your cookies, decorate them, put them on a nice plate under a glass dome and display them on your table as an edible form of decoration. A nicely arranged fruit bowl with citruses can also make your living space look homelier and jollier, especially if you stick some cloves into whole oranges and leave them there for a couple of days. Not only will they smell wonderfully, but they’ll be a delight to eat. And let’s not forget candy canes you can use as ornaments in any part of your home.
After decorating your living space for the holidays, take some time to play your favorite Christmas songs and unwind in the comfort and the warmth of your home. Happy holidays!
