With school concerts, holiday work parties and last-minute shopping, it can be hard to find time to relax and truly soak up the Christmas spirit.
When you do get a moment to spare, you want to spend it at home in a festive atmosphere — Christmas music playing in the background, a cup of hot cocoa in your hands and holiday decorations everywhere you look.
Here are nine holiday trends that won’t take much time away from your already busy life — these are easy to pull off and will make your home look and feel like Christmas.
1. Spruce it up
To make room for your Christmas tree and other decorations that take up space, consider moving some of your furniture and other belongings into storage. When you call Closetbox, a team will arrive at your door to whisk away your belongings to a private vault, where they’ll be stored securely for as long as you need.
When it’s time to put the house back in order after New Year’s Day, Closetbox will return your items (and place your Christmas decorations in storage until you need them next year!)
2. Crystal in focus
Add a little glitz to your home with ice blue, silver and green crystal decorations, says Liz Toombs, a certified interior decorator and the president of Polka Dots & Rosebuds Interiors.
This year, you’ll find crystal icicles, snowflakes, flocked trees and greenery to decorate your home with.
3. Metallic accessories
Instead of the traditional green and red Christmas accessories, consider adding a metallic touch to your home with copper, rose gold, champagne gold and oxidized silver accents, Toombs suggests.
“It was a big year for metallics and this will carry into the holiday season,” she says.
Make your own DIY metallic decorations by spray painting branches with silvery paint and adding some silver glitter, she suggests. Pop them on your tree, place them in a tall vase or use them in your table centerpiece.
4. Simplify while traveling
If you’re planning to travel for Christmas this year, why not rent your holiday decorations? Simplify your already busy life and let someone else bring the tree to Grandma’s house or to your Airbnb.
Thanks to a service called Babierge, you can have a Christmas tree, stockings, holiday games, children’s books and dozens of other items delivered to wherever you’re staying.
“Our mission is to delight traveling families, and one way we do that is to consider what gear they’ll need to enjoy the winter season holidays,” says Trish McDermott, a spokeswoman for the company. “Because no one is trudging through a crowded airport with a tree under their arms.”
5. Mini trees
Why stop at just one tree? This year, stock up on enough mini Christmas trees for every member of the family, suggests Bee Heinemann, an interior decorating expert at Vant Wall Panels.
“A fun holiday activity is to let each kid decorate a tree in their room,” she says. “Give each kid a small budget and let them have some fun. Then maybe Santa can be the judge for the best decorated tree.”
6. Throwback tree
Forget all the trendy, department-store ornaments and themed Christmas trees. Instead of glitzy store-bought ornaments and garland, pull out all the homemade ornaments your kids made at school or church and decorate your tree with family mementos.
Settle in for some genuine family time and make your own homemade ornaments by spray painting pine cones or stringing together cranberries for garland.
“The tree will definitely look different, but it will be the three that is remembered the most in future year’s stories and pictures,” Heinemann says.
7. Personalize it
Christmas is really all about spending time with family, right? Your decorations should reflect that philosophy.
Create an illuminated photo wall by hanging your favorite photos alongside Christmas lights, suggests Lucy Norman, a cleaning and home organizing expert with End to End.
“During the night, you will have a really warm source of light,” she says. “It’s a really affordable and effective trick to bring more life and holiday spirit into the bedroom or living room.”
8. Woodland designs
Woodland decor is super trendy this year. An easy way to incorporate a woodland feel into your home is to create a “mini-forest,” suggests Deemer Cass of Fantastic Gardeners.
“Gather some clipped evergreen tree twigs,” Cass says, adding that it’s best to gather branches from multiple evergreen species. “Arrange them in cups, which will give off the effect of a mini-forest. Cover with cotton pieces for an extra snowy effect.”
9. Perfect packages
An easy and gorgeous way to class-up your home during the Christmas season is to tie silky ribbons around your pillows, stairway banisters and chairs, Cass suggests.
Your ordinary household furnishings will look like Christmas presents — and it only takes a few seconds.
