Decorate with green for the holidays
The Christmas season is often associated with red and green, but sometimes it's nice to ease into the holidays one colour at a time. Instead of decking the halls with both red and green, simply introduce the colour green into your home. This is easy to do with evergreens and other natural elements for a splash of colour that will transition nicely into holiday mode come mid-December.
Colour expert and blogger Maria Killam (colourmehappyblog.blogspot.com) loves the idea of decorating her home with evergreens. Natural and inexpensive, evergreens add a beautiful touch of colour and a delightful fragrance to your home.
"Last year I held an open house in my home in December," says Killam. "I have a large cedar hedge in my front yard so I clipped some branches and put them in a vase for my dining room table. I loved the fragrant scent they brought into the house and as soon as I saw the effect on my table, I realized I could have started in November!"
Here are Maria's five super-easy ways to add a splash of green to your decor, simply by using evergreens from your garden or local garden centre:
1. For a contemporary look, place just one evergreen branch in a curvy vase and leave it in your powder room.
2. When you set the table for a buffet, instead of a fabric runner, use branches and then strategically place votive candles down the middle of the table for a cozy, wintertime look.
3. For a fresh coffee table centerpiece, take a natural, carved wooden bowl, line it in moss and then add walnuts and a nutcracker.
4. Fill three square or cylindrical vases with limes and line them on your mantle until they are replaced by your Christmas garland.
5. If you have a fig tree, (their branches are thick and shapely), cut some branches and spray paint them silver for a sculpted transitional arrangement on your entry console.
By starting with green, come December it's easy to add splashes of red to transition your living space right into the holiday season.
Here are 10 green things we love!
From all-season wreaths and garlands to other gorgeous green items, here are 10 pretty pre-holiday things to add to your decor!
Lit boxwood wreath
This faux boxwood wreath will add instant warmth to your home. Decorated with incandescent lights throughout, it's perfect not just for Christmas but all season long during fall and winter.
Available at: Pottery Barn
Price: $69
