Christmas Decorating

One of the joys of the holiday season is decking the halls and decorating the home with twinkling lights, trees, garlands, candles, stockings and other ornaments of the holidays. Whether you're looking for quick and easy ideas for dressing up one room, or are getting ready to beautify your entire house, we have the photos and tips to inspire you. Read the tips below or visit the following pages:

Quick & Easy Christmas Decorating Ideas

Simple tips to spark your imagination.

Christmas Decorating Ideas for living rooms and family rooms.

Living and Family Rooms

Drape decorative Christmas throws or blankets on couches and chairs.
Display Christmas pillows or decorate existing pillows with ribbons or bows.
Fill a glass bowl with Christmas ornaments to place on coffee tables or end tables.
Fill a large, glass brandy snifter with pine cones, gold sleigh bells and red beads.
Hang special ornaments from ribbon and suspend on curtain rods to display in windows.
Arrange Christmas books (classic story books, craft books, recipe books, etc.) in stacks and display on coffee or end tables.
Create a collage of children's Santa photos through the years and display on mantels, pianos, bookcases or table tops.
Display collections of Christmas figures (Santas, nutcrackers, angels, etc.) on mantels, sofa tables, end tables or book shelves.
Spray paint floral branches or tree branches from your yard white, then use spray adhesive to add white glitter to the branches. Display small branches in vases on table tops, or arrange large branches in urns or flower pots to stand on the floor and hang ornaments from the branches.

Dining Rooms

Display Christmas dining linens, such as tablecloths, placemats and napkins.
Create your own holiday tablecloth. Cut a Christmas shape - tree, star, wreath - from a sponge and use metallic fabric paint to stamp patterns on a white or cream tablecloth.
Drape garland from chandeliers.
Hang ornaments from chandeliers.
Hot glue small Christmas decorations to plain napkin rings to dress them up.
Create napkin rings by using individual artificial floral stems of poinsettias to wrap around napkins.
Wrap Christmas ribbon around the backs of dining chairs and affix on the back with large bows or pine cones and fir sprigs.
Make a centerpiece out of a 3-tired plate stand. Lay fir sprigs on each plate and add Christmas ornaments on top and tea light candles.
Purchase inexpensive placemats in solid colors and use fabric paint and holiday stamps to stamp designs on them.
Arrange candles on decorative plates and surround with ornaments or greenery as centerpieces.
Scatter glass beads around holiday centerpieces.

Christmas Decorating Ideas for fireplaces, mantles and stairs.

Fireplaces and Stairs

Decorate fireplaces with draped garland and bows.
Hole punch pretty Christmas cards and suspend in the garland along fireplace or stairs.
Lay evergreen branches along mantle and add holiday-colored candles and ornaments on top.
Hang stocking from fireplace mantle with stocking holders or small cup hooks.
Decorate mantles with collections of Christmas figurines or a nativity set.
Display Christmas photographs along fireplace mantle.
Place poinsettias or red and white carnations on either side of your fireplace.
Display small Christmas trees in urns or planters on either side of your fireplace.
Place favorite stuffed animals on stairs and decorate with Santa hats or bows of Christmas ribbon.
Decorate stair newel posts with Christmas bows or wreaths.
Place poinsettias, small decorated Christmas trees or houseplants hung with ornaments on stair landings.

Bedrooms

Tie Christmas ribbon around existing toss pillows.
Decorate beds with Christmas blankets and pillows.
Use solid red, green or patterned Christmas sheets.
Suspend ornaments on ribbons from curtain rods.
Add lights and small ornaments to bedroom plants.
String clear icicle ornaments along the tops of mirrors.
Hang Christmas bells strung on ribbon from door handles.
Display tabletop Christmas trees on dressers or nightstands.
Drape garland around mirrors or along tops of curtain rods.
Dressed stuffed toys with Christmas ribbon and Santa hats and display on beds.
Decorate bed posts or the corners of your headboard with large Christmas bows.
Display collections of Christmas candles on dressers or nightstands.
Add holiday garland or baskets of greenery to the top of armoires.
Hang a Christmas wreath above your bed's headboard or attach to footboard.

Kitchens

Decorate oranges with cloves and display in a bowl on your counter top.
Hang a cinnamon broom with a red bow on the wall.
Decorate cabinet knobs with bows or non-breakable ornaments.
Make Christmas refrigerator magnets by hot gluing craft magnets to flat ornaments.
Display Christmas oven mitts and kitchen towels.
Tie ribbons to Christmas cookie cutters and hang them in your kitchen window.
If you have space above your kitchen cabinets, decorate with Christmas garlands or baskets of holiday greenery.
Add a Christmas cookie jar to your countertop.

Bathrooms

Fill a bowl with holiday pot pouri and small ornaments to display on bathroom counter.
Use Christmas craft ribbon to tie bows around guest towels.
Display Christmas soaps, towels and shower curtain.
Decorate your existing shower curtain by hanging ornaments or Christmas bells from the rings.
Purchase a plastic curtain and paint with Christmas shapes using craft or plastic-specific spray paint and Christmas stencils.
Purchase a solid-colored, fabric shower curtain and decorate with poinsettias, by cutting flower heads off of artificial bouquets and affixing with waterproof craft glue or a glue gun. Or use scrap Christmas fabric and cut into Christmas shapes and glue to shower curtain.

Around the House

Spray paint pine cones white or metallic red, green or gold and decorate with glitter and display in glass bowls or wicker or wire baskets.
Re-purpose wicker baskets. Spray paint if desired and decorate with holiday ribbon bows. Fill with Christmas ornaments, small holiday pillows or Christmas books and magazines. Display small baskets on tabletops and larger baskets on the floor.
Place electric candles in windows.
Suspend mistletoe from ribbon in doorways and arches.
Decorate large houseplants with lights and ornaments.
Coat plastic fruits in glue, cover with glitter or beads and display in bowls or hang as ornaments. Or paint plastic fruit with metallic silver or gold, then lightly coat in glue and cover with clear glitter.
Fill crystal or glass jars with candy canes or peppermints.
Wrap Christmas ribbon around existing plant pots and tie with bows.
Tie bows made of Christmas ribbon around favorite stuffed animals and display on beds, sofas, or stairs.
Wrap groups of taper candles with Christmas ribbon and display in the middle of a table wreath or on a decorative plate.
Frame beautiful Christmas cards in similar frames and create a wall collage.

Christmas Decorating Ideas for your Christmas tree.

Christmas Trees

Use metallic craft ribbon or ribbon with Christmas patterns as garland.
Create ornaments out of favorite souvenirs with ribbon and hot glue.
Decorate with homemade garlands of popcorn and cranberries.
String ribbon through handles of pretty teacups and hang as ornaments.
Insert family photos in small frames and hang as ornaments.
Purchase artificial flower bouquets (poinsettias, roses, magnolias, etc.), cut individual stems and twine flowers around tree branches.
Create ornaments from large pieces of costume jewelry by hanging from ribbon.
Purchase beads by the yard (pearls or colored beads) and use as tree garland.
String small pine cones and sleigh bells as garland.
Wrap tiny boxes in Christmas paper and hang as ornaments.
Add floral branches or feathers as ornaments. Attach with florists wire.
Hole punch beautiful cards from Christmases past and hang from ribbon as ornaments on your tree. Add sparkle to them with glitter glue or trim with scrap lace and ribbon.

Christmas Decorating Ideas for outside your home.

Outdoors

Create Christmas scenes for your porch or entrance with winter items such as ice skates, sleds, skis, sleigh bells, mittens and more. Decorate with evergreen and bows.
Display wreaths on street facing windows.
Hang wreaths and place Christmas welcome mats at entrance doors.
String garland around your entrance door.
Display poinsettias or potted winter plants with Christmas lights at your entrance.
Fill window boxes with boughs of fir and decorate with berries or ornaments.
Decorate your mailbox with holiday bows and wrap the post in garland or lights.
Add outdoor trees along with lights, wreaths and garlands to decks or large patios.
Decorate your house, shrubs and trees with lights and ornaments.
Decorate light posts and fences with garland and bows.
Wrap plastic boxes in assorted foil Christmas wrap and arrange in stacks on porches or under yard trees.

Christmas Shopping Links

BalsamHill.com: Highly realistic, beautiful, artificial christmas trees plus wreaths, decorations & home decor.
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