Photos By: Unsplash

Having a home that is appropriately adorned for the times of year is always a pleasant experience. A cozier and more friendlier atmosphere is the result. It might be challenging to create an atmosphere reminiscent of a Winter Wonderland.

To find out the best winter decorating tricks, real estate agents recommend these decorating ideas.

Use Evergreens to Add Life

It’s easy to bring the outside in with you by decorating with evergreens, holly, and pine cones. But then, what do you do with them? The limbs of leyland cypress, spruce trees (blue spruce is our favorite), and pine trees would all work well in the creation of a wreath or garland. Pine cones, holiday ribbon, or a narrow band of burlap would all work well as an accent for either.

Alternatively, you may purchase miniature evergreens in pots and adorn them with ribbon, lights, and holly berries for a splash of holiday brightness. Evergreens and their accessories can be used in a wide variety of decorative contexts. Pinterest is also a fantastic resource for inspiration.

Decorate with White Birch Logs

You may fake a fireplace even if you don’t have one by furnishing the room in similar fashion. White birch logs are easily gathered, tied with twine, and stored in a wicker basket. Alternately, you might place them in a planter, surround them with evergreen branches, and top it all off with a gold ribbon bow.

If you’re handy with power tools, you can make a log into a tea light centerpiece by drilling holes big enough to fit the candles.

Light Your Way with Lanterns

Do you agree that lanterns have a way of making even the coldest of places feel a bit more welcoming? If you use flameless LED candles, they’re safe enough to be used everywhere, including on the stairs! The three of us like taking lanterns of varying heights and arranging them artistically on the table for dinner. Fairy lights, LED pillar candles, evergreen trimmings, and more all work well within the lanterns.

Browse Second-Hand Shops for Unique Finds

Thrift stores have much more to offer than simply retro clothing and antiques. It’s the best location to find gently used decorations at a low price. It’s possible to get not just winter-themed seasonal decorations, but also other goods that may be utilized to spruce up your home for the season.

Imagine some logs in a red wagon or old milk jugs with a snowflake-decorated black and red gingham ribbon.

Create a Cozy Seating Area with Textiles

You can’t go wrong with a nice book, a hot cider, and a cozy blanket. But, even if you don’t actually want to snuggle under a blanket, fuzzy blankets, quilts, and afghans are wonderful ways to make a seating area more seasonable. Pillows and cushions are always a good choice, too.

When picking out pillows and cushions, it’s also important to use fabrics that are appropriate for the time of year. Among them are wool, linen, flannel, mohair, tartan, and crushed velvet.

Make Your Home Feel Welcoming with Winter Decor

Even while you might not be spending as much time as our northern friends do inside their homes wrapped up in blankets and sweaters, that does not mean that your home cannot be cozy and pleasant. Here are a few easy ideas to brighten up your home in preparation for the next winter season. Once you get started on decorating the space, it’s feasible that you’ll come up with an original approach that’s all your own.

Photo: Bloglovin’

Follow our easy step-by-step guide to help you plan your fabulous dinner with all the trimmings and minus the fuss!

Your Guests

The most important thing, and the first step in our plan, is knowing how many people to cater for. Once you know this, everything else will fall into place. You also need to find out about people’s food preferences and if any of your guests have allergies, so you don’t have any grumbling or unexpected hospital visits on December 25^th!

Photo: Occa-Home

Pre-dinner Prep

Once you know who is coming, you can start to plot out your seating arrangements. Is your dining table big enough for everyone to comfortably sit around it – and have you got enough chairs? Is it a case of emergency chairs or can you borrow or buy seats?

Photo: AM Dolce Vita

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”#f71e5b” class=”” size=””]BDB Tip: You may also want to consider what type of decorations you will have on the table, which may interfere with your dinner. A large floral centrepiece may not be such a great idea if you have a tight table. Re-think your decorations and make sure everyone comfortably fits.[/perfectpullquote]

It’s also a good idea to check your home appliances ready for the big day. For example, is your oven clean? Are your hobs up to scratch to cook your Christmas meal or do they need to be repaired?

Make a First Impression

The first thing your guests will see when they arrive to your home is the front entrance and foyer room. To achieve the perfect front door this Christmas, take a look at our post here. To get your entrance in tip-top shape, de-clutter and remove any furniture or knickknacks that you may not need or will interfere with your décor. If you have an old shoe rack, a worn out rug, and a whole wall hanging with dog leashes, it may be time to stash this in the laundry room until the holidays are over.

Photo: Traditional Home

Next, decorate your entrance in a holiday spirit but make sure to keep it tasteful not tacky. Stick to designer approved Christmas decor, such as a trendy color scheme like white, grey, and silver to keep things looking chic and stylish. Garland draped around a large mirror at your entrance and even icicle ornaments hanging from your chandelier add a nice, festive touch to welcome your guests.

Defrosting Your Big Bird

If you bought your turkey in advance and froze it, you will need to allow plenty of time to defrost it. Don’t think you can get away with taking the turkey out to defrost on the big day. Allow a defrosting time of around 11 hours per kilogram of meat and if you need to keep it in the fridge, allow two days for it to defrost. Make sure to place your turkey at the bottom shelf so that any juices do not drip and contaminate other foods in the fridge.

Christmas Eve Prep

When Christmas Eve arrives it’s time to kick back with a drink and watch some festive TV. However, you can’t escape chores completely as you want to spend as much of Christmas Day as possible with family and not trapped in the kitchen or decorating.

Photo: Cmwyn.com

Trimming sprouts and peeling potatoes can be done on Christmas Eve and stored overnight in your fridge. You could save even more time by getting out your best crockery and setting the places around the table.

[otw_shortcode_quote border_style=”bordered” background_color_class=”otw-pink-background” color=”#ffffff”]Suzy’s Tip: Thinking of placing fresh arrangements around the house? Fresh evergreen branches look best when picked or bought the day in advance. Hang them around your front door frame, wrap them around your stair’s banister, and even place them above your kitchen cabinets and let them hang slightly at the sides.[/otw_shortcode_quote]

Christmas Day

With all your preparation work complete, cooking Christmas dinner and welcoming your guests should be easy.

Photo: Michelle Jennings Wiebe

Always preheat the oven at the required temperature and leave your turkey outside of the fridge for around 30 minutes before placing it in the oven. After the turkey has been roasting for around a quarter of an hour, begin to prepare your tasty treats such as mini sausages wrapped in bacon, Christmas biscuits, and stuffing cakes, before placing them in the oven for around half an hour.

After all that’s complete, you can relax as dinner is served! Merry Christmas!

Photo: Vale Garden Houses

The holidays present a special opportunity for decorating your home. You can create a new style for the season and help everyone get into the holiday spirit at the same time. It really only takes a few key pieces or a few key changes to make a big impact. Follow our guide on a few small things you can do to impress your guests for the holidays:

Make the Tree Your Centerpiece

A lot of people put up their Christmas tree wherever they can find a space — which often ends up being in some corner where there’s not a lot of room. Your Christmas tree is the centerpiece of your holiday celebration and the decoration that gets the most attention. Make it the centerpiece of the room, as well.

Move furniture if you need to, or put items in the attic or the shed to make room. You shouldn’t have to store your couch, but you might have to lose an accent chair or buffet table. Make sure there is plenty of room on all sides of the tree, and arrange your remaining furniture toward the tree. Imagine the tree being the star on a stage and the rest of your furniture and decor being the props or the audience.

Add Garland and Greenery throughout Your Home

So many holidays are related to the seasonal foliage they elicit, such as spring daisies for Easter or brightly colored mums at Halloween and Thanksgiving. For Christmas, the options include pine garlands, pinecones, and poinsettias. 

Photo: Regina Gust Designs

Add pine garlands to your fireplace mantle and along a few key shelves. Sprinkle pinecones around decorations. Make a pine wreath and mount it on your front door. Flank your entry way with two large poinsettias.

Don’t overlook the bathroom! Put a small pine garland over the toilet or a towel shelf, and add a bowl of pinecones to the vanity. 

Create a Tablescape

The next most influential part of your holiday celebrations is the dining room table. It is where you will serve your big family dinner and where you may host plenty of dinner parties or cookie swaps. Create a gorgeous tablescape that will not only make the dinner seem more special but that will also enhance your home decor.

Photo: Susie Watson Designs

Not sure what a tablescape is? It is a well-decorated table setting that includes a table runner, individual place mats and place settings, and a row of decorations down the center of the table. The decorations typically include one centerpiece, surrounded by candles and smaller items. For the holidays, you might have a gold poinsettia at the center, surrounded by candlesticks and small glass bowls filled with pinecones and glass Christmas ornaments. Be creative to put together a tablescape that reflects your style.

Replace Art Pieces

You likely have a lot of art on your wall throughout the year, including family photos. Enhance your holiday decor by replacing some of these pieces with holiday themed art. Don’t go crazy and replace every single piece of art in your house! Just choose a few key pieces, such as the picture hanging over your mantle or a few pieces in your hallway.

Photo: Kipnis Architecture + Planning

The holidays are a magical time of year — partially because of the decorations associated with them. Make your home come alive with the spirit of the season and impress your guests by making some of these simple changes to your décor!