The best part of preparing for Christmas festivities is decorating your home. Making a big cup of hot chocolate, pulling out the ornaments and stockings from storage and spending the weekend nesting sounds so wonderful, doesn't it? If you've thought about going all out for Christmas, go ahead and commit to all the trimmings. And don't worry about fitting this goal into your hectic schedule, either — it's possible to make your place holiday-ready without employing a team of elves in the process. Here are 10 decorating projects to help you deck the halls in style.
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Get Ready for Santa
The most important aspect of your Christmas decor concerns Santa Claus — you gotta make sure he's set for his moment of the year. If you have kids in the family, get them to help with decorating this milk bottle. And don't forget about a plate of cookies!
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Light Up the House
For the next month, it's totally acceptable to have string lights anywhere or everywhere. If you need some in the dining room or kitchen, consider this wine bottle project. The light looks so pretty that it's totally cool to keep them out all year long.
Set Your Tablescapes
Seemingly countless dinner parties and get-togethers means that you need to have your dining room place settings on point. Add in some of these twig balls to add dimension to your standard candle display, and you'll be set.
Up the Coziness Factor in Your Living Room
Hold up on donating that pile of last season's sweaters you meant to deal with after Cyber Monday, and upcycle them into Christmas decor instead. A cluster of sweater trees would look so cute and cozy on a fireplace mantle or mixed in with books on a shelf.
Upgrade Your Tree Situation
If you go for a real tree every year, then you know that the stand cramps your Christmas style. This year, hide it and the water reservoir in a pretty galvanized bucket. Pro tip: spray paint the bucket in your favorite metallic shade before you get started.
Play Tree Dress Up
Yep, your tree can also be stylish beyond ornaments and tinsel. Make a chic tree skirt (complete with tassels!) to really give your Christmas tree the star treatment. Don't forget to take a few photos of presents nestled on the tree skirt for Instagram.
Make the Yard Festive
If you really want to take your Christmas decorations to the next level, then you can't forget about your yard and porch! This wooden Christmas tree is a great start. You deserve a break from shopping for presents and the non-stop cooking, so don't feel guilty about taking the afternoon to craft and paint.
Bring Out Frosty
You can still have a snowman on the front lawn, even if you live somewhere that makes the possibility of a white Christmas nearly impossible. All you need is a tomato cage, a paper lantern and some craft supplies to get Frosty up in no time. Don't worry, he won't melt.
DIY Sweet Lawn Decorations
Here's another lawn dec idea: PVC pipe candy canes. Set them up in rows leading to the front door or grouped by the mailbox. Feel free to switch up the spray-painted stripe colors, too.
Put a Wreath on It
You can't forget to make a holiday wreath to hang on a door or accent wall. This version is also made out of PVC, and it's a cool deviation from the traditional greenery. When you set out to decorate for Christmas this year, you have tons of new ideas that you can put together in no time.
