How to Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays

By Lorena Roberts on December 1, 2017

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Now that Thanksgiving is over, the holidays are upon us! If you haven’t put up your tree or made your holiday potpourri, don’t worry. There’s still time to get your home ready for the holidays. It can be a bit overwhelming, and maybe you don’t know where to begin. Lucky for you, I have some helpful tips.

There are a few ways to go about this. First, decide what kind of holiday decor you want to in your home. Maybe you’re a mini version of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” or maybe subtlety is more your style. Regardless, holiday decorating can go hundreds of different ways. Your first step is to decide what kind of decor best matches your style.

via Pixabay

Subtle style calls for subtle decor.

White lights can add coziness to any room. And even better — they’re pretty cheap! Use strings of lights to line doorways or stair railings.

Electric candles in windows are another subtle holiday touch that can make any home feel just a bit more homey.

Simple wreaths can bring so much holiday spirit to any front door. Without making it too “loud” by adding in all the extras, try just a simple green wreath at the entry way. It’ll add quite a bit to anyone’s holiday spirit.

Instead of a twelve-foot tall tree, look into something more petite. A small tree with a few decorations will add holiday spirit without overwhelming your guests. If you decide to decorate the entire tree, coordinating your ornaments will suit your style.

Scents can add a lot to a room without having to be overwhelming. Lighting a candle or two in your living room or kitchen will make your guests feel warm and invited. Candle warmers are a great investment for the holidays, as are electric wax melters.

A bit more than subtle decor.

If you’re more on the expressive side when it comes to celebrating the holidays and you’re interested in decorating more heavily than the subtle suggestions above, here are some ideas before you dive into putting up every holiday decoration you can find at your local superstore.

Decide on a theme: do you want to stick to reds? Golds?

Decide on your main attraction: will it be a huge tree? An ornately decorated wreath? What’s your favorite part about decorating for the holidays?

When you set up the room, keep an eye out for how your holiday guests will feel. You would never want them to feel overwhelmed by your excitement for the holidays. But you also want to feel that you’ve expressed that excitement through the ways you’ve decided to decorate your home.

All-in, willing to spend some money, decor.

Some people love the holidays so much, they change the entire look and feel of their house as a whole. My parents did this throughout my childhood, and I always said I would never decorate for holidays once I had my own house. But there’s something about being in a home that has completely embraced the spirit of giving and happiness.

Changing the bedspreads on each of your beds to something more “holiday” styled will instantly give each room a facelift. But this is quite the monetary investment. Additionally, adding holiday placemats and table decorations will turn your dining room into a Christmas-dinner ready room in an instant.

If you have a fireplace, invest in some cute snowmen for the hearth. Decorate bookshelves with small holiday gadgets. Fold red and green blankets over the backs of your couches. Dig through all of your DVDs for those quality holiday movies you and your family truly enjoy.

Pinterest-ing holiday decorations for every nook and cranny of the house can be a daunting task, but well worth-it if that’s what you enjoy. It’s exciting to decorate for the holidays once you figure out your game plan.

Plan ahead.

If you’re short on money (like most of us seem to be this time of year), try to plan ahead. The best time to buy holiday decor is when the holidays have just ended and stores mark down the prices. If you stock up for the following year’s decorations, you’ll save money in the long run.

Do a little at a time. Don’t let yourself get too overwhelmed and feel like you have to have the entire house decorated in a day. If you do a bit at a time, you’ll not only feel like you’re accomplishing more, but you’ll enjoy the act of decorating. When your guests come over, they’ll appreciate the time you spent making your home truly feel warm and welcoming during the holiday season.

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