10 Easy Holiday Decorating Tips

10 of my favorite easy holiday decorating tips that are quick, simple and instantly bring a holiday vibe to any space in your home.

The holiday scene is starting to rev up around Duke Manor Farm. We started putting lights up outside last weekend and I put a tree up in the Living room. This year I decided to step back from any planned holiday home tours, and just do my thing, on my own time. I must say the stress of not having any decorating timelines feels terrific.

Most years I put this grand plan together with colors and themes for each space. This year I decided to take some pages from my holiday playbook and repeat some of the ideas my family and I have loved.

Holiday Decorating Tips

Use what you have

For this tree, I took out every colored ornament that I had in my holiday stash and put it on the tree. With no thought or design in mind, I just hung colored ornaments. I call it my color explosion tree…and I really liked how it turned out.

Before buying new holiday stuff for your tree, look at what you have in the christmas bins and work it. Chances are you will come up with something pretty special.

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Make Something

I love it when I can make something for my holiday decor that is simple and will save me money. For the year I used pink on my tree, I whipped up some pretty pink stockings to tie it all together. You don’t need huge sewing skills for this project and it takes no time at all. Click here for the stocking tutorial.

Create an instant arrangement for your table

I love to use battery-operated lights in my holiday decor. You can place them in lanterns, on garlands, and in bowls. That’s why I did to create this look on my living room table. Grab your favorite bowl, and fill it with evergreens, and a few glass ornaments. Top it with a strand of fairy lights to create a magical arrangement for your table.

Make a stocking holder

Instead of hanging stockings on the mantel, I used the towel holder that we made for around the pool. This idea would be perfect for a space without a mantel or a small space. For this project, you need a fence post and some hooks. It’s easy and any beginner could make it. All the details are in this post.

Use Scarves or throws

This idea of using scarves and throws to add a splash of color to a space works any time of the year. I find that they work better than traditional table runners because they are not so heavy, cost less, and a lot of times they are wider than most ‘true’ table runners.

I used this black and white scarf one year on my holiday table…and then again in the winter when it’s cold. 🙂 You get it, let your decor serve as double duty.

Share your memories

This should be something we all do, particularly during the holidays. Take those cherished holiday possessions out of the bins and display them around your holiday home. My husband gifted me the Department 56 Snow Babies figurines when we first started to date. Although he stopped that years ago (when I had my own babies) I create a snow globe using a cake pedestal and dome. I also hang my childhood stocking on the tree along with all those treasured homemade kid ornaments.

Make the most of small spaces

Make the most of your small space when it doesn’t give you much room for decorations. In our guest room (which is now a homegym) I placed a holiday pillow on the bed and a wreath on the footboard to instantly create a holiday vibe. I used a coordinating burgundy ribbon to tie it all together.

Partner with your day-to-day decor

I’m no longer a fan of removing all the day to day just to decorate with holiday decor. Too.much.work. Instead, I will partner with my day to day decor and add in the sprinkles of holiday stuff. In this case I filled the wood bowl we typically use for tv remotes, with colored ornaments for the holiday season. You don’t need to completely remove or rearrange your home decor to add in the seasonal stuff. It should all work together.

Use baskets

I love using baskets or outdoor containers for holiday greenery. I placed a fresh Norfolk Pine in a basket that was tall enough to conceal the original container it came in. Since my growing zone is Georgia is too cold for a Norfolk (they prefer warm temperatures), I treat them as a houseplant when I pick them up during this time of the year.

Go minimal and simple

A collection of candlesticks, garland, and a winter print sets the tone for this holiday mantel. What I love about this design is, once Christmas is over, I will just take down the garland and have a look that will take me through the winter months. You can see more of this holiday home tour here.

I hope some of these easy holiday decorating tips will guide you and inspire you as you decorate your home this season.

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