How do you decorate a whole room for christmas?

[Guinevere]

I feel like I can find neat ideas, but I have no skill about putting them together. Any suggestions?

[PeterPan]

Guess I'm subbing here, lol. I always need to do better. I think my trouble is getting caught up on one angle and not missing the others. Like I think the *effect* is more there when you have layers, like sound plus smell plus textures plus the visual... 

[Guinevere]

Smells bother me, unless it's cookies ;). The sound is children.

 

So talk to me about textures, and visual.

[PeterPan]

Well that's why I want to talk smells! I used to have MCS (chemical sensitivities), so I'm with you about not burning candles, etc. But really, smells *do* create a layer of homey-ness and texture. My house tends to have NO smell. I have all hard surface flooring, leather couches (not upholstered), etc. You just walk in and there's nothing. Now it's kinda nice, but even a fresh air park has a SMELL to it, kwim? So I've wondered about non-offending ways to get a homey Christmas smell. Like someone was saying they made lots of cinnamon ornaments for a tree. I thought that might work for me. I eat cinnamon, so a faint wafting smell of real cinnamon might work. Stuff like that.

 

Sound, haha. My ds has autism and he hums a lot. I need to do more with quiet background music or something. My dd was this queen of making quiet tracks in iTunes to play on the speakers. My MIL did some kind of yule log music station on her tv that would plus music and show a fire. I don't actually have a tv on the main floor, except for a tiny one in the kitchen. Even the yule log screen without the music or with the music muted would be pretty and cozy. Now I'm wondering why I don't have a tv, hmm. My dh has one for football in the basement. I guess a girl can dream. :D

 

Textures. Well I just brought out an afghan from my MIL's I didn't realize I have, and it is kinda making that space seem more cozy. I picked out an artificial tree (well two) that seem textural and cozy. Pillows slide on my couches, so even though I LIKE them they don't work very well. 

 

Visual. Colors, layers of textures. Garland and greenery. I'm pretty smart with the greenery, because it's pretty much idiotproof. Looks good if you just stick it out and looks good if you do more with it. My step father does this gig with greenery and hanging zillions of little ornaments from it. I used to have a bunch and dd BROKE them all, like every single one. Sigh. Now I'm going back and trying to collect tiny ornaments again and make a spot to put greenery and hang them. To me that kind of display has a lot of texture and draws you in to examine the depth.

 

The other thing I find challenging is deciding whether to focus on a single room or spread out your efforts. Efforts spread out don't always feel like you get anywhere, but you don't necessarily have money to go whole hog, all the way, in every room right away. I've been wanting to make Christmas quilts, holiday quilts for a long time. It's sort of moved up on my mental list recently. I think something like that can be festive and a fun way to cozy things, if all the bedrooms get fresh cozy blankets or quilts. Even rag quilts or fleece tied quilts would be fun.

[TheReader]

For me, I focus on the room that is possible to decorate, which in my house is the dining room. It's the front room of the house (you don't walk right into it, it's on the side, but it's what you see from the doorway), and it's easy to decorate. 

 

I have holiday table runners I've made, and various candles (that I don't light) that go with the color scheme. I don't change the paintings/photos/artwork on the walls or anything like that, though I know people who do. For Christmas, though, I put the Christmas table runner, and then my collection of nativity scenes on top of that, down the center of the table. 

 

On the little nooks/half wall/room divider things that are between the entry and the dining room, I have Christmas candle holders (look like lanterns, but with pine tree cut outs) with red candles inside, and a red framed mini easel chalkboard that gets a Christmas saying written on it, and a little house-shaped sign that has a Christmas saying. I don't light the candles, so the smell is faint (and I can keep reusing them).

 

In the living room, which opens to the kitchen, we put the tree up in the far corner, and then on the wall kind of at the opposite end of the room, I put a few things on the bookshelf there. I do take down/rearrange a little bit of the "everyday" stuff (and this year I'll change the runner that I have there usually for a seasonal one), put up a nativity and an advent/countdown calendar thing (last year the boys made their own version of a Lego one, we'll probably use that again) and maybe add a string of twinkle lights lying on the top of the shelf. It's a low shelf, so you can see all the stuff. 

 

On the stair ledge/rail/thing which is in the kitchen, I hang the stockings and some sparkly green tinsel. We hang up the stockings as decoration, and then they get taken down and filled on Christmas Eve, so that's another easy way to add some decor to a room. If we start getting Christmas cards I'll put those on the photo display board I have in the kitchen, too, and swap out the photos I have there right now. 

 

I have Fiestaware dishes, so will also swap around the colors currently in use to be the ones that fit with the season. 

 

It still feels like not that much compared to some (my sister in law goes all out and her house looks great, but that's just not me), but it sounds like more effort than it is when I type it up like this. 

 

I may or may not buy seasonal themed/scented handsoaps for the guest bath or swap out hand towels in there and in the kitchen; I usually don't, but maybe I will this year. That's about the extent of it, for me. One of these days I might do Christmas quilts, but so far I haven't. 

[PeterPan]

Reader, tell us about your ds' lego advent/countdown calendar! :)

[TheReader]

Reader, tell us about your ds' lego advent/countdown calendar! :)

 

Oh, gosh....they outdid themselves! 

 

The boys all worked together on it. The base was a 3D gift box, with a front wall that came off and I think maybe the sides opened as well. The top came off for sure. 

 

On top, they put a 3D number built from lego, counting down to Christmas. Each day, either at night after we'd gone to bed, or 1st thing in the morning whoever was up first, they would change the number and the scene. So we would lift off the lid in the morning and open the front/take off the front wall, and there would be a new scene they had built. 

 

A Christmas tree, or a stocking, or a snowman, or just something silly or wintery or whatever. 

 

Some mornings they'd skip or miss a day, but we just went with it and enjoyed it. I've mostly failed at keeping up with any kind of actual one with stuff to do, so it was super fun to let them take the reigns and lead the way on it.

[JIN MOUSA]

I would probably start with some inspiration. I like using Pinterest for this. And the idea isn't to copy it exactly, but to get an idea of what kind of feel you want, and what are some specific ways to get that feel. 

 

I think in putting things together visually, it helps to stick with a unified color/theme. It doesn't all have to come from the same section of the same store, but should be cohesive. Some example color/theme ideas:

 

- red, silver, and white

- natural greenery, white, burlap/twine

- teal, white, red

- all white/cream/silver in different textures (shiny ornaments, fluffy tree skirt and pillows, sparkly wall decor)

 

Those are just some ideas, and I think it's nice to come up with something that coordinates with the room you want to decorate. So what kind of colors and materials are currently in that room? I also think it's nice when it more or less "goes" with the rest of your house. So if your house is super-glam and fancy, then something shabby-country probably wouldn't fit, and vice versa. Like the color/theme, it doesn't have to perfectly match, but just fit in and make sense together. 

 

If you don't already own the decorations and are planning on going shopping, I'd identify some areas of the room where you want to put decorations - areas that are already blank, or where you'd be willing to temporarily move something in order to decorate. Maybe take pictures of the areas and write down some key measurements. 

 

When shopping, I'd go somewhere like Michael's or Hobby Lobby or World Market, that has a lot of different options and see what jumps out at you. Think about not only different colors, but also different textures. And I have a tendency to overbuy, then return anything I end up not using. 

 

Next, it's a matter of spreading things out evenly in the room. Obviously a tree can be a stand-alone focal point, but if for example your room doesn't normally have any red things in it, and you get three decent-sized red things, you want them kind of evenly spaced in the room, not all together. 

 

I love thinking through things like this, and if you want to give more information (what room, what's already in there, what do you want it to look/feel like) I can look up some specific items.

[Guinevere]

Thank you, Jin Mousa!  I need to think about the answers to your questions.  I don't really know?  I guess that's the problem.

[JIN MOUSA]

Thank you, Jin Mousa!  I need to think about the answers to your questions.  I don't really know?  I guess that's the problem.

 

Lol - yes, for me that's a recipe for buying too much stuff and then feeling like I have no idea what I'm doing with the room and that none of all these cute things make sense together ...

[Guinevere]

Ok, so the room I'd like to do first is a darker blue.  It's currently decorated with our dining table, two bookshelves, and a whole lot of kid stuff.  There is no other furniture, and nothing is (yet) on the walls.  It's a darker room, because it is a townhouse, and only has windows on one side.  It has a wooden floor.  This is a rented house, and since we will be moving in the summer, I need to follow these rules:

 

1.) Don't accumulate much stuff.  We don't want to have to move it.

2.) Kid friendly.  Whatever I get will be played with and moved around, so just accepting and planning for that will make everyone happier.

3.) Don't attach much to the walls, or create holes or other issues to fix when we leave.  Also, no painting.

 

I do like natural materials (like wood, or things that are found outside).  Other than that, I really don't know?  

[Liza Q]

We decorate our living room pretty simply but it is over the whole room. I have fabric and decorative bowls/frames/etc on all the surfaces during the year and I remove it all and use Christmas themed stuff instead. So it's just a matter of swapping out the stuff.

 

We have a small table on each side of the couch. I have Christmas themed table toppers (white with embroidery) and dark green tablecloths. We put candles and other themed stuff - it used to be small tree shaped things, lately it is a Christmas themed mickey and minnie set, in a few years it will be something else! - on the tables next to the lamps. We also put some of those those fake candles on the windowsills.

 

We have three bookcases over three cabinets. The top of the bookcases gets an fake-evergreen-type swag with white lights across the edge. Behind that we put toy soldier figurines. The center cabinet has a TV but the other two each get a themed placemat and a nativity. We have a sideboard and that's where we put our 3-ft tree with a tree skirt and a small Christmas village around it. We also have a tall stereo Cabinet and we put the Advent wreath/candles and extra candles there. The cabinets and sideboard have knobs on the doors so we hang stockings from each one.

 

Since we live in an apt we have no dining room so we have a table at the end of our living room. We put another evergreen swag with lights around the light fixture. And we put a Chrsitmas themed runner on the table and move it when we eat. And since we keep a white board for school on the far wall next to the table, we hang tiny Christmas stockings from the corners to make that festive too.

 

Basically, there is a not too big Christmas themed thing over a red/green/holiday themed cloth on every surface. We think it looks cozy and festive but not overwhelming. A big tree would be overwhelming!

[JIN MOUSA]

So with that information, I would probably focus on natural materials and lighter colors (white/cream/silver), as a balance to the dark blue walls. 

 

Some ideas:

- white paper snowflakes on walls, stick them on with ticky-tac or something similar - like 10 to 15 grouped kind of close together (kids could help! and nothing to hold on to after the holidays!)

- white/cream/silver textured table cloth, table runner, or placemats (if your kids won't use them to pull everything on to the floor in one fell swoop - mine would)

- some kind of wood tea light or votive holder as a table centerpiece, with battery-powered candles (some ideas  https://www.pinterest.com/handy1sworkshop/wood-tea-lights/)- this could also be a year-round thing

- not sure of your budget or religious beliefs, but a wooden carved nativity could really fit in, plus be kid friendly

- maybe for the bookcases or also for the table, get some nice clear plastic bowls/large vases and put plastic ornaments in them, using cream/white/silver (like this http://www.utrdecorating.com/blog/speedy-holiday-decorating-idea-festive-glass-bowl/, but within color palette, and all plastic)

Edited November 15, 2017 by JIN MOUSA

[Carol in Cal.]

I agree with the snowflakes.

I would put red felt on the tops of the lower bookcases, or if they are all tall, on one cleared shelf per case, and decorate those with doilies, plastic ornaments, cut outs of bells, and cut outs of stars. 

I would drape clear little Christmas tree lights across the tops of the bookcases, also.  And I'd put candles in holders up there, too.  Lots of them.  They don't have to match, but if you have set of 4 votives in purple or 3 purple and 1 pink, cluster them together to suggest an Advent wreath.

 

Stringing cranberries is surprisingly difficult, messy, and not for the faint of heart.  I recommend skipping that but getting the kids to string popcorn and put the strings on the shelves that you leave books on. 

 

Also, get round plastic ornaments from Discount School Supply and have the kids decorate them with Sharpies, or maybe just fill them with pom poms in assorted colors or with little notes crumpled up about things they are thankful for or love. 

 

There are Christmas window clings available on Amazon that look interesting but I don't have personal experience with them.

 

Voila, instant décor, and most of it is so cheap that you can toss it at the end of the season.

[PeterPan]

Oh, gosh....they outdid themselves! 

 

The boys all worked together on it. The base was a 3D gift box, with a front wall that came off and I think maybe the sides opened as well. The top came off for sure. 

 

On top, they put a 3D number built from lego, counting down to Christmas. Each day, either at night after we'd gone to bed, or 1st thing in the morning whoever was up first, they would change the number and the scene. So we would lift off the lid in the morning and open the front/take off the front wall, and there would be a new scene they had built. 

 

A Christmas tree, or a stocking, or a snowman, or just something silly or wintery or whatever. 

 

Some mornings they'd skip or miss a day, but we just went with it and enjoyed it. I've mostly failed at keeping up with any kind of actual one with stuff to do, so it was super fun to let them take the reigns and lead the way on it.

 

I hope you took pictures! It sounds marvelous! :)

[PeterPan]

For me, I focus on the room that is possible to decorate, which in my house is the dining room. It's the front room of the house (you don't walk right into it, it's on the side, but it's what you see from the doorway), and it's easy to decorate. 

 

I have holiday table runners I've made, and various candles (that I don't light) that go with the color scheme. I don't change the paintings/photos/artwork on the walls or anything like that, though I know people who do. For Christmas, though, I put the Christmas table runner, and then my collection of nativity scenes on top of that, down the center of the table. 

 

On the little nooks/half wall/room divider things that are between the entry and the dining room, I have Christmas candle holders (look like lanterns, but with pine tree cut outs) with red candles inside, and a red framed mini easel chalkboard that gets a Christmas saying written on it, and a little house-shaped sign that has a Christmas saying. I don't light the candles, so the smell is faint (and I can keep reusing them).

 

In the living room, which opens to the kitchen, we put the tree up in the far corner, and then on the wall kind of at the opposite end of the room, I put a few things on the bookshelf there. I do take down/rearrange a little bit of the "everyday" stuff (and this year I'll change the runner that I have there usually for a seasonal one), put up a nativity and an advent/countdown calendar thing (last year the boys made their own version of a Lego one, we'll probably use that again) and maybe add a string of twinkle lights lying on the top of the shelf. It's a low shelf, so you can see all the stuff. 

 

On the stair ledge/rail/thing which is in the kitchen, I hang the stockings and some sparkly green tinsel. We hang up the stockings as decoration, and then they get taken down and filled on Christmas Eve, so that's another easy way to add some decor to a room. If we start getting Christmas cards I'll put those on the photo display board I have in the kitchen, too, and swap out the photos I have there right now. 

 

I have Fiestaware dishes, so will also swap around the colors currently in use to be the ones that fit with the season. 

 

It still feels like not that much compared to some (my sister in law goes all out and her house looks great, but that's just not me), but it sounds like more effort than it is when I type it up like this. 

 

I may or may not buy seasonal themed/scented handsoaps for the guest bath or swap out hand towels in there and in the kitchen; I usually don't, but maybe I will this year. That's about the extent of it, for me. One of these days I might do Christmas quilts, but so far I haven't. 

 

Something finally clicked for me with your description. You create *vignettes* or little spaces of interest where you tell a story or create a scene. I read that about landscaping too, that the most interesting yards were vignettes, not just one overall flow. Kinda makes me look at my house differently. I went through Hobby Lobby tonight for a bit thinking how I could create vignettes. I think before I was so overwhelmed with the overall that it hadn't occurred to me that it would be good enough just to make one successful vignette and that that would be something.

[PeterPan]

Ok, so the room I'd like to do first is a darker blue.  It's currently decorated with our dining table, two bookshelves, and a whole lot of kid stuff.  There is no other furniture, and nothing is (yet) on the walls.  It's a darker room, because it is a townhouse, and only has windows on one side.  It has a wooden floor.  This is a rented house, and since we will be moving in the summer, I need to follow these rules:

 

1.) Don't accumulate much stuff.  We don't want to have to move it.

2.) Kid friendly.  Whatever I get will be played with and moved around, so just accepting and planning for that will make everyone happier.

3.) Don't attach much to the walls, or create holes or other issues to fix when we leave.  Also, no painting.

 

I do like natural materials (like wood, or things that are found outside).  Other than that, I really don't know?  

 

See with that I'd just make a display on the table with some woodsy things and candles. I really like the new flameless candles. That way you could turn them on at night and go ooo pretty... You said the room was dark, so it would make it glow. :)

[Carol in Cal.]

Forgot to mention--do you have Christmas books?  Picture books, grown up books, fiction, nonfiction...

 

Stack them up from largest to smallest, wind a ministring of little red lights on them, and voila, instant, collapsible Christmas tree-like thing!  Be sure to put a star on top.

 

Also, do you know how to make those Danish cookie baskets to go on the tree?  Traditionally they are red and white, and they are very easy to make and fold up flat or can be discarded--seriously all you need is red and white paper and scissors.  Make a bunch of those and hang them or prop them everywhere.  Again, easy to toss before you move, and they make up so fast that you won't feel greatly invested in them.  Very VERY seasonal.

 

 

Edited November 16, 2017 by Carol in Cal.

[Jaz]

I like to take down pictures and art and replace with Christmas art on the walls. It really makes a big impact without any clutter!

[6wildhorses]

When my kids were little and played with the Christmas decorations, I bought festive stuffed animals, toy navitity sets, and a mailbox for letters to Santa. Now that my kids are older we use the mailbox to exchange nice notes/letters to each other. I like to buy decor at Michaels and Hobby Lobby.