Come on in
Drape a Christmas garland of rustic ornaments and holly over your front door. If you live in a colder climate, be sure to choose ornaments that can withstand the winter elements. For a modern visual pop, place a topiary on each side of the front door and trim with a monochromatic color scheme. We like the shimmer of all metallic ornaments for the holidays.
Once inside, welcome your guests with an entry console table dressed for the holiday. Wind a leafy garland down the center of the table, tucking candles and red and green ornaments along the way. Include kids or grandkids by asking them to collect pine cones that they can add to the display.
Look up higher. If your entryway has a chandelier, hang colorful globes between its regular crystals to add a dash of fun and color to the fixture. For a more traditional feel, find a mistletoe decoration to encourage friendly greetings as guests enter your home.
By the fire
The fireplace mantel is a natural stage for holiday decorations. Start by draping greenery the length of the entire mantel. Next, at each end, cluster a few glass cylinder vases and hurricanes. Couple them together so you have a variety of shapes, sizes, and heights. Fill each vessel with ornaments grouped by color or texture. Use the rest of the mantel to display a mix of holiday cards and pillar candles.
Mantels are also the perfect place to display Christmas collectibles, such as nutcrackers, snow globes or Santa figures. Try arranging the nutcrackers so that the largest pieces are on each end of the mantel with smaller ones closest to the center. Hang a Christmas wreath, decorative mirror or other holiday wall art above the center of the mantel. Scatter miniature poinsettias, ribbons, candles and greenery along the ledge to complete the look.
On the coffee table use a low bowl to display additional Christmas ornaments. Throughout the holidays invite your guests to choose one to hang on your tree, and be sure to ask them about their own favorite Christmas ornament ideas. Cluster glass cloches filled with ornaments to add more height.
At the dinner table
Instead of a floral centerpiece, place a pillar candle in a large glass hurricane at the center of the table. Surround it with a collection of ornaments—we like ones that reflect the glow of the flame, such as clear glass orbs, or gold and silver Christmas ornaments.
If your look is more minimal than traditional, fill a large vase with bare tree branches and delicately hang ornaments off each limb. White ball ornaments, for example, are both elegant and sleek when paired with bare wintery boughs.
When it’s time to eat, invite guests to the table by placing an ornament at each seat as a place card. Hand write names on a cardstock tag and attach each tag to a globe. Use twine for a rustic look or a silk ribbon for a more refined place setting.
Where you least expect it
Use a small ornament tree to display your collection in a powder room or guest bedroom. In the family room, or even on a stairwell landing, hang an ornament chandelier with a mix of ribbons, cards and Christmas ornaments for an unexpected celebration.
Take the opportunity to bring your holiday decorating into the kitchen—ornaments are the perfect fit for the space. Weave a petite evergreen bough in the light above your dining table, and hang red ball ornaments using pretty ribbon or clear line. Embellish tops of kitchen cabinets and other tall storage furniture with a bunting made from velvet ribbon and ornaments in a contrasting color.
That’s the thing about the holidays—if you’re lucky, it finds its way into every nook, cranny and room of your home.
