Reasons Why It’s Never Too Early for Christmas Decorations and Tips to Get You Started
When should you put up Christmas decorations? Whenever you feel like it, I would say! Although the tradition of resisting putting up the tree before December 1st is a strong one in Australia, not everyone abides by it. My philosophy on holiday decorating, for example, is “the sooner the better”.
If you aren’t sure about early decorating, consider this: Scientists say that decorating for the holidays can make you happier. Considering all we’ve been going through in the least two years due to the pandemic and that we spent last Christmas sheltered in place, you could use a little extra holiday cheer this year. And why not start earlier than usual?
It Could Make You Happier
We tend to associate Christmas decorating with feelings of nostalgia and excitement from childhood, psychotherapists say. Even if this feeling can be mixed up with sadness due to the loss of a loved one, decorating can help people connect to positive memories of that friend or family member.
You Can Let Your DIY Skills Shine
If you are a DIY person, you’ve probably got tons of Christmas decor ideas saved on your phone or computer. You don’t want to be scrambling to paint and glue things the night before your guests come over, do you? Make a wreath now, a Christmas card display before all the holiday mail starts coming in and decorate ornaments for the annual exchange (combine your Christmas ornaments with an edible arrangement for a perfect gift idea). Chances are you won’t be able to resist hanging up your newly made decorations.
Enjoy the Christmas Mood Longer
We all enjoy shopping for Christmas decorations, the reason why we have boxes full of them in our basements and garages. Lugging all of these boxes out of the basement or garage can be kind of a bummer if you know you’ll have to do it all over again to put them away a few weeks later. Give yourself more time time to sit back and appreciate your efforts.
You’ll Have More Time for Other Holiday Traditions
People tend to pile up all the Christmas traditions at once, which can make the season more stressful than enjoyable. Putting your Christmas ornaments up early means you’ll have one less thing to fit in between cooking, holiday shopping and of course, wrapping gifts. You can use the extra time you will have to learn new wrap gift techniques.
How to Decorate Your Home for Christmas?
Looking for ideas to help you decorate your home for the holidays? Here are some tips to help make things easier and ensure you celebrate the festive season in style.
Pick a Colour Palette
Gold, silver, red, green and white are classic choices that look elegant in most homes. However, in recent years, there has been an influx of new colour options, such as cashmere brown. This colour is a very subtle, muted palette that looks very elegant and timeless. It can work beautifully with other colours such as dull mate golds or pearl creams.
Put the Christmas Tree at the Centre
The Christmas tree is arguably the main attraction of any festive interior. Should you go for a real or artificial version, totally comes down to your personal preferences. When it comes to decorating a Christmas tree, the best place to start is with a scheme and theme. Many like to coordinate it with their festive decorations in terms of colour. This way, the tree looks part of the home rather than looking like something temporary. There are no rules to what decorations to hang – anything goes and a tree with something different will look unique and interesting.
The Living Room
The living room tends to be the highlight of the house when it comes to Christmas decor. Many interior decor experts recommend transforming this room into a botanical wonderland with Christmas-inspired greenery. So, make a statement with plants and faux flowers. If you have a fireplace that you use in your home, real flowers won’t last much, but greenery like branches and eucalyptus will be more robust to the heat. For a lovely scent, consider Hyacinths. Keep them simple and white, remove the soil and place them in a vase so that the roots dangle into the water.
The Dining Room
You’ll want the dining room table to be the main focus of the room, and for this, candles are the best way to go. Gold accessories are opulent and make a table shine under candlelight. A white table cloth should be the base for arranging with greenery, flowers and candles. For safety, consider putting candles in jars or on candlesticks.
The Hallway
This is the first room that your guest will see as they enter your home, so consider adding a bit of festive cheer here. You can use garlands around the front door, both inside or out or if you have a console table, a vase with a simple branch with baubles hanging from it can also be a great welcome for your guests.