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Community Corner

Decorating Tips for the Holidays

Interior designer offers ideas for decorating your home for Christmas.

Editor's note: This week we introduce a new columnist for Patch readers. Jennie Mitchell is a professional interior designer, and she will be offering tips, tricks and design ideas for your home.

The holidays are here! It seems like the clock and calendar have gone into overdrive. Most of us have a holiday “to do list” that seems to grow with each passing hour. 

I love the decorating, music and festivities, the twinkling lights, the baking, and the fresh scent of evergreen boughs. Alas, most of us do not have a team of elves to assist, so here are some easy decorating ideas to bring the festive holiday feel into your home.

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Wrap some boxes with beautiful paper and ribbons and place them in a chair or on a table in your foyer. Add more of these “gifts” to your guest room or even in a basket by the door to the garage.

Unadorned greenery and pretty ribbon adds a simple, easy holiday touch. Twist greenery around votive holders to make mini-wreaths. Add simple greenery and ribbon to an empty picture frame for a “wreath.”

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Wreaths are not limited to your exterior door. Other great locations include: the inside of the entry door; bedrooms; kitchen windows or on the side of the kitchen island; hung with a swagged garland above interior doors; hanging in front of a mirror. 

Lay glass balls on the dirt around the trunk of potted trees or plants.

Tie pretty ribbon around your accent pillows.

Fill tall glass jars or cloches with glass balls. Limit colors to one or two per vessel. Put a grouping of three vessels on a hall piece, or buffet and surround with greenery. 

Add one of these filled vessels to each end of the mantle and fill in between with greenery and a few scattered and matching balls. For variety, add shiny and dull balls and intersperse with painted pinecones and painted nuts. 

Tie pinecones, onto several cinnamon sticks. Add a pretty ribbon, a sprig of evergreen and a few berries. Place this bundle on a small tray that has been lined with greenery.

Just adding a bowl of oranges to your décor is said to inspire conversation and a relaxed feeling. Spray pinecones gold and place on a tray of greenery with kumquats and berries.   

Make a fragrant holiday arrangement with pomanders, pinecones, and holiday greens displayed on a transfer ware plate. Make the pomanders by scoring patterns on the oranges with a citrus striper, make pilot holes with a small nail, and then stud the oranges with whole cloves. You can add a few cloves or a lot.

For added interest, mix materials. For example, on your dining table – add crystal, silver and bronze candlesticks with white tapers to a spray of boxwood, pinecones, pomegranates, and berries.

You can have a great look but still keep it simple so there is more time to enjoy the holidays!

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