Quick tips for festive décor

Quick tips for festive décor Shake up your holiday decorating routine with these 5 easy DIY ideas

After years of the same holiday decorating routine, it can feel like you’re just going through the motions — put up the tree, string the lights, hang the stockings — over and over again. So shake things up this year!

“Unlike the commitment you make to more permanent interior design, the holidays allow you to try on a ‘look’ just for the fun of it,” says interior designer David Stark, of David Stark Design and Production in Brooklyn, New York. “Your design does not need to last for years and years, and your décor can be silly or seriously elegant, but at worst, it’s a six-week commitment which alleviates a lot of design pressure! It’s a great time to experiment and most of all, have fun!”

Make traditional holiday décor fresh and new with these five creative and simple do-it-yourself decorating ideas:

1. Simply merry centerpieces

Create a cheerful centerpiece for your holiday table by simply filling a bowl or vase with seasonal materials like cranberries. “Surrounded by candles, you have an instant and chic table centerpiece!” Stark says.

You also can do the same with an assortment of colorful ornaments. It’s an easy way to use those extra ornaments that don’t fit on the tree.

2. New spots for lights

While your tree is a natural home for a string of lights, that’s not the only area that can benefit from a little extra brightness. Add a touch of festive glow to any part of your home — along your mantle, wrapped around a wreath or incorporated into a centerpiece.

3. No mantle? No problem

Stockings can be hung with care just about anywhere. If you don’t have a fireplace, try hanging your stockings from the banister, from a coat rack, the knobs of a dresser, back of a chair, or even the hooks of a hanging pot rack.

4. Quick & easy tree skirt

Even details as small as the tree skirt can make a world of difference to your décor. Bring new life to a plaid blanket or hit up your local thrift shop for inexpensive fabrics to fashion a brand new spot to place bundles of beautifully wrapped gifts.

5. A touch of greenery

Fresh winter greenery is the perfect complement to any holiday décor scheme.

© CTW Features