I love getting creative and having fun with our holiday decor. The end result is a holiday home that looks nothing like the neighbors’ and brings a smile to the face of everyone who walks through the door. Here are 5 ways you can inject some personal flair to your Christmas home:
1. Make a statement with letters.
I love taking plain cardboard letters from the craft store and using them to make a festive holiday statement like this colorful “JOY” display hanging in our window. These letters are so versatile and easy to work with! They come in various sizes in plain cardboard form, and you can spray paint them, wrap them with ribbon or yarn or cover them in scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, or fabric. I even used them to make a DIY marquis sign for my kitchen! The chalkboard sign hanging over our wine rack is another fun way to make a statement and let your sense of humor shine.
2. Celebrate the season – and put some of your favorite Christmas memories on display – by swapping out photos in frames for favorite holiday pictures from previous years.
I used this spot on our kitchen sideboard to display some family favorite memories from past Christmases including me and my daughter Kate decorating our tree when she was almost two, a family walk in our beautiful snowy weather, baking Christmas cookies, and a Daddy/daughter dance party when Kate was almost three years old. We don’t see these photos throughout the year, so it’s fun to pull them out during the holidays to reminisce and enjoy.
3. Put your Christmas traditions on display!
Whether your family enjoys caroling, ice skating, reading holiday books at bedtime, or writing a letter to Santa, showcase your favorite holiday traditions by turning them into a decorative display. For the family who loves Christmas caroling, you can hang framed sheets of your favorite holiday music on the wall, decorate a tree with all music-themed ornaments, or make a wreath for your front door using pages from a song book. If your children enjoy writing letters to Santa, set up a little desk or table with paper, pencils, crayons and holiday stickers so they can sit down and write or draw whenever the mood strikes.
We have a tradition of doing an advent calendar with our daughter to count down the days until Christmas, and I created it to be a large display hanging on our wall. Every morning Kate comes skipping down the stairs excited to see what the day’s activity or treasure is going to be. It’s so much fun!
4. Speaking of fun – be sure to get the kids involved with the decorating, too!
Ever since she was born, Kate has been fascinated with Christmas trees, and on her second Christmas, she claimed a tree in our home and decorated it all on her own. That first Christmas tree was filled with fun and colorful ornaments…and bracelets, necklaces, and wads of crumpled up construction paper. She even stacked holiday cards we’d received in the mail among its branches!
It was beautiful. Since then, we’ve set up two Christmas trees in our family room, and Kate has the most wonderful time every December decorating her beloved tree all on her own. It’s the highlight of our home!
5. Hoping to save money this holiday season?
Look around your home for materials you can repurpose to create your own unique decorations! This year our holiday home features ornaments made out of sticks and ribbon, painted pinecones, and even cookie cutters. I also put some skeins of yarn I had to work to make yarn ball ornaments, pom pom garland, and yarn-wrapped styrofoam cones that look like Christmas trees. Who knew a few skeins of yarn could decorate an entire home?
I hope these ideas inspire you to have a holiday home that fits the unique personalities of your family! Please visit the Homes.com Idea Gallery for even more holiday inspiration!
Want to see more of Dusty’s holiday home? Visit her 2014 Holiday Home Tour at her blog All Things G&D!
Dusty Rogers is the blogger, mother, maker, decorator and drinker of the wine at All Things G&D - a lifestyle blog where home décor, DIY and organization, healthy meals and kid-friendly snacks, party planning and entertaining all happily play together in the sandbox. Dusty lives in Madison, WI with her husband Greg and their daughter Kate, and she spends her days balancing high maintenance tendencies with a desire to keep things simple.
