Greetings! Now that our bellies are full of turkey and mashed potatoes, and the memory of dead giraffes and mouse remains are behind us (well, the smell lingers on, but nothing a few gas masks and candles can’t handle) we in the U.S. can join everyone else and fully turn our attention to Christmas! Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! While doing a little research, I found some holiday inspiration for those of you pulling out all your decorations this weekend!
Last week we looked at some unique holiday lights, and if you missed it, the week before we looked at some easy garland to make. Now let’s look at some ideas for themes and trees in general.
So sit back and drink in the inspiration as we fully escape today into Christmas! All of these photos came from Better Homes & Gardens online except where noted.
The top photo (above) shows a cute idea for a white tree, tie on colorful Christmas candies! This would be so cute in an entry or kitchen.
A red & white theme always works for Christmas.
A simply decorated tree works for country & contemporary themes.
Warm greens & whites are a holiday look that is easy to accomplish.
Play up contrasts for more interesting holiday compositions
Coordinate your holiday colors with your every day colors for a pleasing and festive look
Repeat color and shapes for bolder statements
Combine a mostly white scheme with hints of color, and use over scale decorations
Organic elements make beautiful decorations combined with ribbon
Fill in with florals and sparkling shiny leaves
Make your own decorations using cookie cutters (photo from Martha Stewart online.)
Play with horizontal and vertical lines and vary sizes of ornaments
Be unique! Here they added frames, lampshades, mirrors and topped the tree with a chandelier!
Think beyond a star, try feathers or a pheasant tree topper!
Or try making a topper from things you have in your craft supplies!
Use vintage ornaments in new ways. Try putting dowels in tree toppers to create centerpieces.
Put trees on table tops to give some visual drama or elevate a smaller tree to more important status.
White trees with colored ornaments can be a fun change.
Don’t forget to decorate outside! These laminated paper stars make an outdoor tree festive.
Just a quick inspiration break, I am already packing up autumn and the snow outside really helps in my Christmas decorating! Hope you had a great day yesterday:>)
Wow,
I can’t believe that I am the first to emerge from tryptiphan overload and comment. Nice pictures and some beautiful ideas to start the season. First things first though, time to remove and store all the autumn/harvest decor. Or maybe time for a nap.
Janet
beautiful ideas !!!!
beautiful ideas
Gorgeous pictures!! I am truly inspired. Love those cookie cutter decorations. Thank you for the lovely ideas! :o)
Hi Melissa, gorgeous post! A lot of inspiration to work with, thanks for putting it all together like that :) Now it has mede us re-think our decor!! Uh-oh, we see a dangerous shopping day coming up soon for some new baubles!! Have a lovely weekend :) J & J
Hi Melissa,
I love the way that you put all of those ideas together. Lovely ideas for Christmas. Do you have any ideas on special touches that I might be able to use for Chanukah?
I am glad that your Thanksgiving turned out well!
Thanks,
Debbie
I love all of these ideas Melissa. But I can’t wait to see your home. Somehow I get the feeling it will be better than all of these!
Love,
Julie
Beautiful post…wonderful timing! We got the outside lights done today & now I’m ready to ‘deck the halls’. It’s time to make a few changes…thanks for the great ideas!
Hi, Melissa, OK, that totally got me in the mood! I really love so many of those pictures, so very pretty. Love the tree topper spires…I saw some of those in a Mary Carol book & love that look. I may have to be on the lookout for some vintage (and new) ones to collect. Those are so pretty grouped together. I see lots of inspiration. I’m busily putting glitter & metallic paint on my pinecones this week….fun, fun, fun! Can’t wait til everyone is decked out for Christmas.
xo,
Rhoda
All of these are lovely! I have featured some BH&G decor on my blog too :-)! Great minds think alike!!
Penny
What an incredibly inspiring site! Thanks so much for visiting my blog and clueing me in to your existence. I’ll be stealing some of your great decorating ideas for the holiday. I love your style!
Great post!
Sandra Evertson
Melissa, all these ideas are gorgeous. Idyllic rooms!!!
Beautiful variety of pics – almost, and I mean ALMOST, want to get my stuff out. But I am too full to move. Love, Esther
woW! some lovely ideas for Christmas!!
hope your Thanksgiving was blessed!
Those cookies cutter ornaments are too cute.
hugs.
Oh.My.Word! What wonderful idea! I especially liked the cookie cutter idea! I loved this post. The photos made me smile.
I will begin my decorating for Christmas in the morning. I’m excited, yet dreading it at the same time. I look forward to the end, when I can sit back with a cup of hot tea and just enjoy it.
Hugs!
Kat
Thanks for all the lovely ideas.
How nice it is to see all these different trees. I gatter that you is decorating your trees now at Dec 1? Well, in my home we’ve always waited until the day before (our) Christmas, on the 23rd that is. I think it’s very nice with the different celebratings that is around the world.
Hope you have a great Saturday.
Love Elzie
Hi Melissa, just us again! Come to our Blog, we have something for you…..
Great ideas…
I’m up to my armpits in decorations, going thru, discarding old, tattered ones and seeing if others are needed. What fun, what memories some of them bring to me.
bj
Thanks for sharing.
Nan
Love,love,love these ideas!Wonderful way to put me in the Christmas mood!Simply beautiful Melissa…
Blessings~Sharon in Stayton
Thanks for such great ideas!
Oh yes, it is so nice to be fully able to concentrate on the Joys of the Christmas Season! And what lovely ideas you’ve shared with us here. Thank you.
Mari-Nanci
I’m decorating for Christmas today . . . thanks for all the great ideas!
Yay!!! I’ve so missed visiting here!! Thanks so much for all your lovely cheerful comments you left me!!You always post the most fab photos!! I’m going to catch up on all your posts now with a latte beside me!xxx
Hi Melissa,
I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. These photos are such wonderful inspiration. Makes me want to start decorating my little silver tree and cozy up by the fire with a good magazine. And don’t forget the cocoa!
oxox
Jennifer
Maybe I can satisfy the urge to begin decorating by just visiting your blog and seeing all these gorgeous images. What a lot of variety!
Is that critter gone yet?
Hooray…back from a Thanksgiving trip and now on to Christmas! This post really puts me in the mood. We will be getting our tree next weekend, but I will pull out the decoration that are really meaningful to me (I have edited out the ones that were just Christmas clutter).
These are all so lovely! Must dig my holiday decorations out of the cave/wine cellar and try some of these!
Ooo, all of the pictures realy sparks the decorating desire. Thanks!
Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!
Rhonda
Oh, what beautiful, inspirational pictures! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and, remember, take a deep breath…
xoxo,
Mary
Absolutely beautful! We love that wreath juxtaposed against the white background! FABULOUS!!!
Have a very blessed day!
smiles, kari and kijsa
Iloved seeing all these wonderful photos, Melissa. And there among them, Mary Carol! I hope to see her, Friday.
I finished the dining room today. There is a tree in there, too! This evening J and I finished the breakfast room tree. I’m going with red and white in that part of the house, this year. I’m determined to finish all the decorating tomorrow, because my newest grandchild, Noah, is scheduled to make an entrance into the world, sometime Monday!
Pat
oh you almost make me want to dig out the decorations…it is usually my twig tree only the last few years…hard to justify all the mess just for me…but i want to make some artichoke decorations for sure…thanks for getting my bah humbug attitude undone…blessings, rebecca
Love, love, love all of these inspiration pictures. I’m looking forward to decorating my house this coming week.
Really great and inspiring pictures!!! I like them very much. Thank you so much for the inspiration.
Hi, Thank you for sharing the wonderful christmas inspiration, I have been searching for tree theme ideas……
Nice to meet you
See you again soon
Priscilla x
those cookie cutter ornaments are so cute! I wonder how hard they are?
Dear Melissa!!! Love the red crafty christmas star!!! What a lovely idea!!
Lovely! Great Christmas images to get us in the mood. I especially love the burlap-y stockings hanging from the mantle. Happy Holidays!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOh I love the green and white room. So pretty.
this is so fabulous to read!