I love the holiday season, but I always found myself dragging my feet when it came to decorating. Why? Because I'm not a huge fan of fake skulls and cobwebs and Santa figurines. And most of the time, I was blinded by the blow-up witches and spiders, that I walk out empty handed. But over the last few years, my feet have been dragging a little less. I've devised a list of five easy-peasy rules for myself to get through the decorating season. And so far, so good!
I wanted to share my little list of advice with you and I hope it's able to help anyone else who is in the same kind of rut I was! And just to clarify: I am, by no means, an interior design expert. Just one momma sharing her advice with others!
1) Create a budget. Believe me when I say (and I'm sure many can relate), that it's extremely easy to get caught up buying anything and everything when it comes to holiday decorating. Know how much you're willing to spend, and stick to it!
2) Assign decoration "hot spots". Take a tour through your own home and pinpoint several spots that could use some holiday pizzazz. Place a sticky note on each spot you'd like decorations, and take a step back. Is every nook and cranny in your home filled with sticky notes? Or is the house still too bare? Consciously picking and choosing which spots you'd like to decorate will allow you to have a game plan as to what exactly you're shopping for (i.e. front entry way, dining room table, or mantle). Not to mention, it'll prevent you from overdecorating.
3) Shop for the season, not the holiday. I find that I get more "bang for my buck" if I decorate for the season that we're in, rather than a specific holiday. Choosing pieces that are more versatile will allow you to take them from one season to another, without having to redecorate every month from October to January. For example (and as seen in the photos) golden figurines, a wooden serving tray, and gold glass candle holders are perfect for the entire holiday season. I can switch out candles for a reasonable price, and gold is a wonderful and cozy holiday color that assimilates into the black & orange or red & green color schemes.
4) When in doubt, use a table runner. My table runners have never failed me! They are an inexpensive, yet fabulous way to add new life to your existent collection of decorations. They give an unexpected pop of texture and color, and always add a touch of cozy-ness to the room.
5) Shop in the unexpected places. Everyone (including myself) makes a beeline to the "Halloween" section of a store come fall season. But don't stop there! It's amazing what polished pieces you can find in other areas of a store. For example, the red flowers in the gold pumpkins are from an end cap display near the rugs in Target. And the pennants are from the dollar section at Target! Look outside the box when decorating for your holiday season, and you'll be surprised to see what you can find!
