Tips and tricks for holiday decorating this season

While many do not want to think about the December holidays until Thanksgiving is over, others cannot wait to start unboxing their Christmas lights and other decorations. My holiday spirit start date varies from year to year, but for 2023, I am unable to hold off for any longer. That being said, I have many decorating tricks up the sleeve of my ugly sweater. 

First, find a day, usually on the weekend, when you can dedicate your time to decorating. The best decoration strategies come from the right mindset and the right mood. Next, hit play on a holiday movie or music playlist and start bringing out the seasonal boxes. 

I was fortunate enough to get older decorations from my mother that she does not use anymore, but for those who do not have previous decor, a good place to start is a thrift store. Some of the best holiday decorations can be bought for affordable prices at stores such as Goodwill, Again Thrift, or Salvation Army. Recently, I spotted an array of fake Christmas Trees in the very front of Again Thrift. Places such as these are where you can buy what I call “shelf decorations” which are decorations that can stand alone and be placed on any shelf with not much strategy involved. 

For those who want to go all out, my highest recommendations are fake-flower bouquets and fake snow. Bouquet flowers can be bought at Micheals or Hobby Lobby. Most bouquets include red and white poinsettias mixed with pine cones and silver or gold mini branches. Some bouquets are already pre-made. Then, place the bouquet in a vase, oversized mason jar, or tall metal decorative bucket. Then, with your choice of seasonal ribbon, tie a bow around the body of the container for an added effect. Finally, place your finished bouquet display at the top of a shelf or in the corner of a desk or countertop. 

Fake snow can be found at Micheals and is purchased in bag form. It is fluffy white material that can be stretched or torn apart. I normally place this in thin strips above the tops of my cupboards and cabinets. However, after moving to an apartment with no space above them I decided to place the fake snow around my TV on top of my TV stand. 

Small Christmas villages have become more popular in recent years. However, it takes a certain amount of space to be able to pull this off. This works well on top of a shelf or bookcase. It could work even better with a big plain surface, bookcase or shelf fully dedicated to the village so that it is not clashing with other items and vice versa. 

My biggest piece of advice is to have fun with decorating. Grab a friend who can match your enthusiasm and ask them to lend a hand and make a fun day out of it. Perhaps they can also lend a bit of creative decorating direction as well. 

Write to Grace Anderson at andersongrace117@gmail.com

Header Photo: It is now time to begin decorating for Minnesota’s favorite holiday: Christmas. (Alexis Darkow/The Reporter)