Holiday Decor 101

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Decorating tips and tutorials from Emily Riddle of Gathered Living

Now that we are safely past the controversial time frame in regard to holiday decorating (how early is too early!?), hopefully we can all agree that adding a few simple home decorations is a great way to help kick in the holiday spirit. On the following pages, we’ve teamed up with blogger, interior design consultant, shop owner and decor expert Emily Riddle of Gathered Living to provide some tips for cozy and personalized holiday decor.

You can find additional decorating tips, sign up for decorating services or join Riddle’s decorating club at www.gatheredky.com.

Creating a Showstopping Holiday Porch

Whether you have a sprawling front porch or a small doorstep, there are so many creative ways to transform it into a showstopping entrance for the holiday season. Adding any combination of lights, garland, small trees and planters, lanterns, wreaths and rugs will elevate your Christmas curb appeal. Deck out your entrance this holiday season to be as cozy and welcoming as possible by following these simple tips.

Note: Since these items will be exposed to the elements and left outside, I like to be as thrifty as possible and often find pieces to use at peddlers malls, garage sales and secondhand stores.

• Before beginning, decide on your overall theme and color scheme for the porch so everything is cohesive. This will help you shop and keep everything looking pulled together throughout. You can work with the existing exterior colors of your home or choose a bright and colorful theme or try something classic and simple. You can also allow your theme to be inspired by a favorite find – maybe a special wreath or doormat.

• No matter the size of your porch, a wreath on the door and garland around the door are a great place to start. Whether faux or real, pre-lit or plain, you can’t go wrong with a simple winter greenery wreath or garland. I like to add a little embellishment to my wreath by hanging it by a pretty ribbon and tying on some Christmas bells. The same applies to the garland around our door. This can be as simple or elaborate as you like, and you can really customize it to your other decor with ribbons, florals, fillers, ornaments and more! I prefer to have lights on my garland, as it really highlights the entrance nicely and adds a nice glow. You can also add wreaths and garlands to your windows, railings or other areas, too.

• Just like when decorating the inside of a home, I like to begin by placing the largest objects first. It helps to have some kind of tall plant, sign or statement piece on each side of the door to build the rest of your decor off of and to help balance the visual weight so that everything isn’t close to the ground. (If you have a smaller porch, one side of the door will definitely suffice for this.) I used two pre-lit outdoor Christmas trees for each side of my entrance and placed them inside my usual porch planters. These really anchor the entrance area nicely and are about three-quarters of the total height of my door, for reference.

• Lanterns and pre-lit trees are easy ways to fill in the porch decor. I collect pre-lit trees in various sizes and sprinkle them throughout, in various thrifted and repurposed planters. (I don’t add any ornaments or decor to my trees – I leave them bare with the lights for a more natural look.) To light up your lanterns, you can use battery-operated candles, real pillar candles, citronella candles or battery-operated twinkle lights. Place these wherever you have a hole or need a filler item, like beside a planter, next to a door or on the side of a step.

• If you have any chairs, benches or seating on your porch you can add a holiday pillow or two or a throw blanket for some fun pattern, cozy texture and color.

• A stack or bucket of firewood or firewood holder filled with firewood is very holiday appropriate and another inexpensive and easy way to decorate your porch for the season. If you have an odd space that just needs a little something, this is the perfect way to fill it in.

• Create variation and depth by incorporating items like old wooden crates, boxes, tables or stools as risers so you can place things at different heights and they aren’t all sitting directly on the porch. This is an extra step that can (literally) elevate your overall setup. You can play around with which items you place on the crates versus on the ground until you find the perfect balance.

• A fun doormat can really add a pop of color to your space. I actually layered two doormats on top of each other (the bottom one being just a little larger) for an extra dose of pattern and texture. A great way to make more of a statement is to layer a cute holiday doormat over a larger rug (usually 2-by-3-feet or 3-by-5-feet, depending on size of your porch). I kept in mind the overall color scheme of my wreath and plants when choosing the rugs, so that everything would coordinate and blend. My porch is covered, so I’m able to use a vintage indoor rug underneath for layering, but you can also find lots of washable, outdoor options in the sizes listed above.

Holiday Garland Tips

Nothing dresses up a fireplace and makes a statement like a stunning holiday garland with all the trimmings. I love to put together layered holiday garlands that are customized to fit the other decor and overall color scheme in the room. Think outside the box from traditional red and green – there are so many unique ideas and options that can match any style or decor!

Tips for making a layered holiday garland that pops:

• Use a relatively plain “base” garland that extends the full length of your mantle to build on. My garland actually has six total garlands layered together for a full and dramatic look. I chose to use the off-white, thicker garland as my base, layering the gold magnolia on top of that and then adding the thinner, more decorative garlands like the wood beads and pompoms as my final layers. You can manipulate, bend and pull through some of the branches from the base garland to make the garlands look more like one.

• Incorporate strategic draping so your garlands have a natural feel and movement. I use cup hooks to hold my garland; you can also use command hooks if your garlands are lighter. I place three cup hooks on the mantle: one on each end and one in the middle. I drape the garland in between the hooks so it makes a shape similar to a W. I like to drape more on one side to make it slightly asymmetrical, but this is not necessary if you prefer a more symmetrical look or don’t have garlands long enough to drape extra on the side!

• Choose a few decorative garlands that fit your decor style to weave in and layer on top: Wood bead garlands, tassel or pompom garlands, floral garlands, ornament garlands and felt garlands are just a few examples. You can drape these similar to your base garlands or drop them slightly higher or lower for a little contrast. (As an alternative to layering lots of decorative garlands, you can add embellishments by sticking in some floral picks, hanging ornaments on your garland, tying or weaving in some pretty ribbon or adding natural elements like fresh greenery or pinecones!)

• Add some battery-powered wire lights for a subtle glow without all the cords showing – I stuck my battery boxes inside the stockings to disguise them. These are such an easy way to add a little magical glow even in areas where you don’t have an electrical outlet.

Holiday Bedroom Decor

If you’re looking to go the extra mile with your holiday spirit, extend the decor to your bedroom! There’s nothing cozier and more magical than a holiday bedroom filled with all the warm textures, twinkle lights and greenery. No matter what kind of decor you have in your bedroom regularly, you can transform your space into the cozy Christmas bedroom of your dreams with just a few simple additions and swaps. Here’s how I like to create my cozy holiday bedroom look each year:

Pile on the cozy textures.

Your bed is the centerpiece of the room, so naturally this is a key place to add holiday touches. A large wintery blanket in Christmasy colors, jewel tones or wintery textures like faux fur, knit or wool, and a couple holiday-themed pillows, can go long way. Another way to add a little holiday flair to your bedding is to add or swap out your usual quilt for a heavier flannel, plaid velvet quilt in a beautiful holiday color or print.

Add a wreath over the bed.

This is such a simple way to add holiday cheer to your bedroom and can also create a great focal point for the room. If you already have a mirror or piece of artwork over the bed, don’t be afraid to layer this right on top.

Sprinkle holiday greenery throughout.

Greenery garlands (faux or real) can be added around your headboard, on top of a dresser, around a mirror or even around windows. Simple winter greenery without any embellishments is classic and can be used year after year, but you can also customize your garlands and greenery to fit the theme and colors of your room by adding additional floral picks, ornaments, fillers, warm white string lights and more.

Add a Christmas tree (or two!).

A Christmas tree is one of the easiest ways to add a magical glow and cozy feel to any bedroom. If you’re tight on space, opt for a pencil-style tree, which can fit just about anywhere. My bedroom Christmas trees are a very affordable option from Michaels stores, and I stuck them inside of a basket to make them a little more unique. Besides lights, you don’t have to even worry about decorating these either – I added some simple wood-bead garland, but other than that, just left it simple and bare.

Add any of these items and you’ll be on your way to a cozier Christmas bedroom that you can enjoy throughout the holiday season and continue to add to year after year.