The first rule of decorating for Christmas is that there are no rules. Your approach to Christmas decorating can and should be unique and designed to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for making new memories.
That being said, Christmas decorating should not wait until the last minute. The closer you get to December 25th, the more time you will want to spend enjoying the company of your loved ones, rather than decorating. We find the best time of year to decorate is the last half of November, which avoids a rush and allows you time to turn your focus to family well ahead of the big day.
Here are five tips to inspire your Christmas decorating vision.
Choose a consistent theme. Christmas decor is what you make of it. But a deliberate approach avoids a jumbled look. As your family and guests move throughout your space, the Christmas decor should reflect a consistent theme or look. You can help arrive at the unifying theme by asking yourself what Christmas means to you. Is it about enjoying the outdoors? If so, build outdoor elements into your decor. Is it about celebrating nostalgia and old memories? If so, make your childhood wooden toboggan and antique snowshoes central focal points.
Anchor your decor around a few focal points. You need not decorate every square inch of available surfaces. Start with a few spots that will draw the eye and make guests feel welcome. For instance, the front entrance-way, dining table and gathering spots like the living room are great parts of the home to use as focal points. Include a scented candle in the bathroom.
Decorate your entrance to offer a glimpse of what awaits inside. Too often, indoor spaces get all the Christmas decor love. Give your exterior spaces more than strings of Christmas lights to set the tone for guests from the moment they arrive. The front door and porch in particular offer great opportunities. This can include a simple wreath, a pair of wooden cross-country skis or snowshoes or battery-powered lanterns or candles.
Bring the outdoors in from the cold. Bring a bit of the winter wonderland indoors, whether it be pine, spruce or cedar boughs, lengths of birch or other elements that bring natural colour and texture to your decor. If you need some inspiration, give us a call or simply stop by.
Bring your dining table to life. A few simple touches can make your table a key part of your Christmas decor. This includes placemats, tablecloths, napkins and centrepieces. Like the first tip about picking a consistent theme, take the same approach to your table. Feel free to drop into our store to check out our table décor.
HillTop hosts an annual Christmas Open House to help our customers find their inspiration for Christmas decor. Whether it is finding you a few accents, developing your consistent theme or doing the decorating for you so that your home or cottage is ready for Christmas from the moment you walk through the door, we are here to help.
This year’s Christmas Open House at HillTop is on Saturday and Sunday November 17-18th, 2018. We hope to see you there. If you can’t join us in person, check out the Christmas/Winter section of our online store.
