New ideas for traditional holiday decorations

If you are a regular reader of this column, you may recall that this time last year we were right in the middle of our remodeling project. Our house was torn up, and holiday decorating was the last thing on my mind. This year is a whole different story. My kids are excited to have a house to decorate, and they are holding me to my promise to decorate in a big way. We did have a Christmas tree last year, believe it or not, just to keep a bit of tradition. But it was much smaller than usual and it was covered in construction dust. For my kids, though, it was better than nothing.

This year I will be hosting several family get-togethers, so holiday decorating has jumped to the top of my list. I will also be helping a few clients decorate their homes, displaying their decorations in fresh new ways. I've compiled some ideas for you to try in your own home this year.

Ideas for color schemes-

Try to coordinate your holiday decor with the existing color scheme of your rooms. You may already have a color scheme that adapts easily to traditional holiday colors, but if you don't, here are some color combinations you might consider:

• Dark green, burgundy and gold
• Cool, icy blues and lavenders paired with silver
• White, blue and silver
• Bright purple, red and gold
• Ivory and gold
• Bright red and lime green (for a contemporary, whimsical look)
• Monochromatic scheme-- use varying shades of one color, such as all red, all green or all white.

Ideas for glass ball ornaments-

• Tuck ornaments into garlands arranged on your mantel or dining room table.
• Display a collection of ornaments in a large glass hurricane, vase, or bowl.
• Tie ribbon to the ornaments and hang them from your dining room chandelier.

Ideas for garlands-

• Instead of the usual pine garland, use lengths of tulle, large wired ribbon, or swags of beautiful fabric. Adorn each swag with an ornament, silk greens or flowers, or large bow.
• Hang clusters of beaded fruit, tied together with ribbon, evenly spaced on your stair railing.
• When I was a child, we would make garlands by stringing together popcorn and cranberries and making construction paper chains. How about revisiting those old traditions? Try using new materials such as elegant papers, wrapped candies, beads or buttons.

Ideas for candles-

• Wrap tall pillar candles with sparkly ribbon. Tuck in a sprig of silk greenery, flowers or berries. You can also wrap candles with beaded garland.
• Place pillar candles of varying heights on a pedestal cake plate. Surround the candles with colorful marbles, small ornaments, or even artificial snow. Tuck in a sprig of holiday florals.
• Place votive candles inside beaded napkin rings. Use these at each place setting for your holiday dinner. You can also tuck votive candles into a garland arranged on your mantel or dining room table.

This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper Group papers on Nov. 12, 2005.

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All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna Jacoby.