Kathysue's Christmas Decor Formula In 10 Easy Steps

via Martha Stewart

When it comes to decorating for Christmas I realized I have  somewhat of a formula. 

After years of decorating there is a method that has evolved.


Today I am going to share with you the easy formula that I use when decorating a home for Christmas.

There are 10 key elements you will always find in my Holiday décor........

Choose three key areas to highlight your holiday décor.

Look at the main focal points in the areas your guest will be seeing.  This is where you  need to concentrate  your Christmas decor. 

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If you have Christmas décor sprinkled heavily everywhere it begins to look cluttered, and messy, and to be honest it defeats the purpose of making your home festive, and welcoming. 

Try to highlight these three areas………

Porch

Dining Room

Family/Living room mantel

Make an introduction

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Remember your porch, and front door are the first introduction your guest will be greeted by. Make their first introduction a representation of what they are about to see, and experience in your home.

Choose a color scheme and have it flow from room to room.

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Looking at the color scheme above you would not need to use each, and every color in the three areas of your home you decide to decorate.

For instance, let’s say the above is on the family room mantle. Then in the dining area you could use a combination of three of the above colors, making one of them the dominant color and two others accents.

Maybe blue is the dominant with green and raspberry the accents.

Next your porch could be just the blue and green. Doing this will make the colors flow effortlessy from space to space.

Use a piece of art, or a pillow to set the theme, mood, or color scheme.

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Using pillows or a Holiday framed piece of art is such a fun and easy way to set the mood for your home. I have found Etsy and Furbish to be a wonderful resource for both pillows, and original artwork.

(unfortunately this pillow is no longer available from Furbish)

Declutter before you decorate.

This is a big one for me. I have seen so many homeowners plop down a figurine, or some greenery among their everyday décor, and before you know it, they have a cluttered looking room, and wonder why their home never pulls together during the Holidays. 

Since we are trying to add a Christmas spirit to our home sometimes our everyday elements will not work.

However, sometimes they will work, but you will have to be the judge of that. Personally I just find it easier to work with a clean slate instead of trying to fit it ALL in!!!

Use a word or Christmas saying somewhere in your room.

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I love typography, and have it displayed with letter P’s throughout my home on a daily basis, but at Christmas time I choose a phrase, or a word and us it in my décor.

Try to find a spot in your home where it can be a focal point and set the mood, and/or theme for your Holiday décor.

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This is where you could use a piece of art or even a pillow with a Christmas saying or word on it. (dear lillie is a great online shop to find wonderful pillows and art pieces with wonderful sayings on them, HERE!)


Have a signature wrap that you use from year to year as your base.






Black and white awning stripe is my favorite paper, but you can pick what speaks to your own style. 

The other thing I do is choose one paper that is a stand-out that will help set the mood and wrap a few packages 3-5 and place in front. 

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Stand-out papers can often be expensive so using it strategically is a cost saver.

It is almost like choosing different fabrics for your pillows and co-coordinating them on your sofa or bed.

Use good quality ribbons.

I prefer a good quality double faced satin, velvet or grosgrain ribbon.

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It is so easy to tie a simple loop bow, and it always looks elegant, and appropriate. I like my bows to drape, or sag a bit, no stiff, or over done bows please!

Create a festive ambiance!

Have soft Christmas music playing in the background.

Candles and soft ambient lighting, even in the day time!!

Add a pleasant Christmas scent. Nothing over powering. So many of the candles people purchase can knock your socks off. 

Try to choose a scent that evokes Christmas memories not one that is too sweet, or even noticeable, just one that lingers in your guest memory of your home.

Keep the Memories going…


This is actually the most important, so I saved it for the last! 

Every year our boys, wives and Grandchildren get a special ornament in their stockings.

When the boys were first born each Grandmother chose a themed ornament to give them, and for every single year of their lives they have received a new ornament. (you can read about our tradition here.)

I can not tell you how important these ornaments have become to each family member.  To this day my boys still love their stockings the most, even more than a gift.

Remember: Choosing your color, art piece, word, or pillow  can be your jumping off/starting point for this years decorating.

So there you have it!! 

Kathysue’s Christmas Décor formula!!!

Hopefully this post will inspire you to come to terms with what is really important to you, and your family, and help you express it in your own personal way.

“Enjoy the Process!”