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Decked for the Holidays |
| Here are 12 ways for the 12 days to deck your house for Christmas: |
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Making an entrance
Your entry area is the first thing you see when you approach your home and the last thing you see when you leave. Replace your door mat with a festive one for the holidays.
For the winter months, create an arrangement in your outdoor planters and urns, using spruce tops, holly, berries, branches and artificial florals. Adorn the pots with bows or wreaths. Place several to add color and spark to your front door |
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Let there be light
There's nothing like the glow of candles and soft lighting to set a festive, intimate mood. If you don't have a fireplace or prefer not to use the one you have, create a candlescape. Any size candles will work, votives, tapers or pillars. Set votives down a staircase for extra twinkle. For those with small children and pets, use strings of white lights for sparkle and shimmer. For a tabletop display, weave a string of lights with a vase brimming with ornaments, florals, pine cones and/or fruit.
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Bedazzle the bath
Add some fa-la-la to the bathroom, especially those powder rooms that will be used by your guests. Nothing will make them smile more than seeing a few decorative touches on towels, vanities and even windows. A lamp, votives or a string of lights work wonders as night lights in the bathroom. |
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Open up your rooms
Get moving! Sometimes all you need to do is move some furniture to the basement temporarily to find space for extra guests. Children love wide swaths of open floor to romp and play. In the kitchen, move out some chairs, because we all know how we love to congregate in the
heart of the home.
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A Common Thread
Center your holiday decorating, entertaining and gift-giving around a theme. For instance, a Far East theme would include Asian ornaments for the tree and tabletops. Even your holiday menu and tablescape would have a definite Asian look. And finally, wrap your gifts, using Asian elements. For instance, we gave our package the look of a kimono.
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Showcase Your Collectibles
Dust off those villages and other collectibles and show them off for the holidays. Place your pieces in unusual areas, such as a china cabinet, atop your kitchen cabinets, for display. Back light your productions for maximum effect.
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All Things Bold, Beautiful
Use small Christmas trees as centerpieces, nothing is more dramatic. When it's time for serving, it's easy to lift the entire tree and place it elsewhere. Use dolls, sleighs and other pieces to complement your trees.
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Chandelier Chic
Chandeliers deserve a little attention, too. Garland, velvet roping, beads and crystals all add a little extra punch to your chandeliers. If you have little shades, change them out for the holidays. If you use garland, be sure to keep it away from the lights, which get very hot.
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Sitting Pretty
Dress up your dining room and kitchen chairs with wreaths, slipcovers, garland, whatever suits your fancy. Ribbons tied into bows are an inexpensive way to change the look of the chair. Holiday picks or florals give a bit of class to wreath frames.
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Pillow Talk
Swapping pillows on your sofa or loveseats is a fast and easy way to deck a room for the holidays. Buy inexpensive pillows or slipcovers to make your colors or theme. An even easier approach: Turn your existing pillows into "gift packages," using fabric ribbons and bows. Group several on one end of a sofa, under a tree, or place them on a bed for a festive look.
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Card Tricks
Holiday cards will be arriving and soon, you'll be wondering what to do with all of them. Use the cards to adorn a hallway, or make a wall display. Take some of the cards and place them on a wall in a tree formation. Even the kids can help with this simple project. Once the holidays are over, you can take them down and save them the best ones for next year
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Kitchen Magic
Enhance your kitchen with a little decorative trim. Little touches are all you need. If you have a pot rack, for instance, wrap with with garland made of bay leaf or some other herb, then top it with pepper berries or holly. A true delight for all the senses.
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