We had so much fun doing this issue’s Design Sting, that we thought of a great way to share your Christmas cheer — and in our case, glitter — with your friends.
Before we could start decorating the fireplace and hearth, we had to sort through all of our holiday decor and determine which items met our three categories: Earthy Neutral, Updated Classic and Retro Pop.
Which meant, of course, dumping all of our decorations into one living room. Christmas had most definitely exploded!
Earthy Neutral: We drew from our warm-toned decor and rustic textures to create this clean, wintry look.
But it was fun to look at everyone’s decorations from years past and dream up new schemes for next year. My friends host a cookie swap each year, so why not have a holiday decor swap?
It’s so easy – just call four or five of your friends, ask them to bring over decorations from Christmases past, offer some festive treats and music, and suddenly decorating isn’t so stressful anymore.
Updated Classic: We took our favorite ornaments and sentimental pieces and arranged them in a more modern way — less is more for this look.
Already decorated this year? No worries. Use that dreaded first week of January to take inventory and have a post-holiday swap party. It would be a great way to catch up with friends you may have missed over the busy season, and clean up will be much more fun.
Retro Pop: Take fun, bright colors and give your mantle the mod treatment.
Of course, you’ll need some tempting treats, beverages and candies to help your swap party out. Here’s an easy party mix recipe that will get you in the spirit to swap!
Image via Taste of Home
- 2 cups Honey-Nut Cheerios
- 2 cups chow mein noodles
- 1 cup honey-roasted peanuts
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup holiday milk chocolate M&M’s
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
- 1/2 cup vanilla or white chips
1. In two wide-mouth quart jars, layer all of the ingredients. Cover jars. Decorate with fabric and ribbon. To serve, pour into a bowl and stir to combine. Yield: 7 cups.
Kim A
Kim is a public relations pro by day, homebody by night. Kim worked as a newspaper features writer for more than a decade and she has written hundreds of stories on others' homes. But she is still discovering her own style. Kim and her husband are renovating their late-1950s home, making it their own. For Kim, staying home is a destination. She frequently entertains friends and family, so keeping it simple and comfortable is important (with the exception of her closets – her shopping and bargain-hunting habits take up some serious space). Kim’s perfect place is snuggled up in her PJs eating a homemade meal in front of the TV with her husband.
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