So my dear friends, grab a cup of hot cocoa and let’s take a tour of our home’s and the ways we created our Christmas vibe for 2024.

Here’s our living room before we dressed up our house for the holidays…

Decorating our home takes a few weeks and my house gets inundated with boxes of holiday decorations. It’s all process of the creating the holiday cheer in our home, and it’s well worth it.

I always say I’m going to start early every year. There are so many birthday celebrations in November. Plus, we commit to a fundraiser for JDRF and The Little North Pole. I feel like I’m scrambling to get things done for the holidays.

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Speaking of JDRF and The Little North Pole is a holiday spectacular event that happens across the street from my house. Our friend Joe Mure, Jr, and along with 50-100 friends and neighbors decorate his house which is now know as The Little North Pole.

He has been putting up this display for decades to raise money for children with Juvenile Diabetes. Joe has given millions of dollars that he has raised over time to JDRF. Such an amazing cause.

They start November 1st. On the first Saturday of December, the street is closed off for the big event. Thousands of people from all over attend to celebrate in the event.

Trucks of food, DJ, a stage is set up for celebrities, rising singers and dancers. Such an amazing holiday event for our neighborhood.

After the entertainment performs, a helicopter comes swooping down and up show Santa is arriving.

Finally the Santa is brought in by convoy of fire trucks. He sits on the stage and gives thousands of toys to children that are anxiously has been awaiting his arrival. It is truly a wonderful experience!

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Onto my Holiday Home Tour 2024

Our mighty Christmas tree

Let’s’ begin our 2024 holiday home tour with our 11 foot Christmas tree. Every year we go to the tree farm in search of the perfect Christmas tree. We come home with the widest and the tallest tree we can squeeze into our living room.

Once the tree is set in its place, starting from the top we weave the lights through the branches in and out to the bottom. The tree is filled with twinkling lights with a couple of elves helping me, (my other elf is a bit camera shy :). The tree looked beautiful with just lights.

Except, I am not the simple type of person when it comes to decorating for Christmas! I love a tree filled with beautiful ornaments, trinkets that can tell a story or ones handmade with love.

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without a nod to cherished memories. It’s all about embracing family heirlooms, handmade decorations, and nostalgic touches that makes our home unique.

I love bows and they are having a moment this year, I couldn’t wait to incorporate it into my decor.

This year, I chose modern sophistication mixed in with our usual nostalgic decor. Think ornate gold accents, shimmering glass ornaments, along with lush velvet ornaments draped on our tree. Last year, I created a woodland theme which I absolutely loved, but I went a little different this year.

My friend had this keepsake ornament made to treasure our incredible trip to Italy in 2022.

I made these ornaments last year and love the way they turned out…

 A touch of timeless elegance on the mantel

One of my favorite places to decorate is our fireplace mantel. I started with hanging the garland an asymmetrical way on the fireplace.

Adding clusters of silvery, champagne colored ornaments in varying sizes on the garland gave it such an elegant appearance.

I’ve been wanting to try this clustered ornament look for a while. I really love the way it turned out.

I added extra oversize ornaments to the bottom of the garland for a bold statement.

Sentimental Nostalgia

We have our little “memory tree” filled with little wooden ornaments saved from my husband’s childhood. I can’t believe these adorable ornaments are around 40 years old!

Miniature Christmas Villages

Create your own little village finished with glowing lights, snowy rooftops, and tiny figurines. We had our village for many years and have been adding to it whenever we can. But, I can’t fit anymore to it so I have to refrain from buying anymore.

There’s something so special about our little Christmas village. Little kiddos come to our house and get mesmerized. They play with the little figurines as if they were part of the village. Adults are also captivated by imagining the quaint village come to life.

Console table styling for Christmas

Our entry console table is dressed with the most beautiful faux pine stems. We arranged them in bunches to add volume. These bushels hang on the mirror with gold bells and a few stems lay on the table. Added these gorgeous hand blown teardrop glass lighted decor and candlesticks to add a warm and cozy glow.

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Also, added a few pine cones and gold ornaments to my DIY air dry clay bowl.

This year’s Christmas decor trends are all about blending elegance, nostalgia, and a sprinkle of personal charm. Whether you go all-out or keep it simple, the best part of holiday decorating is making your space feel like home.

I hope you’re able to add some of my inspiration to your holiday decor this year or save for next. I would also love to see how you bring the magic to your home!

Happy Holidays! ????

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• Christmas Mantel 2024
• Best Christmas Mantel Decor yet

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Hello Friends! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Now that Christmas has come and gone, it’s time to take down all decorations and store them away till next Christmas. I have some easy ways how to organize and store Christmas decorations. Sharing these tips with you so that next Christmas will be hassle-free to decorate.

This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission on your purchase.

Once the magic of Christmas is gone, we long for our homes to get back to normal. It’s easy to just take the decorations down and haphazardly throw them in bins and worry about it next Christmas.

However, I have a few simple ideas that can make it easier for your next year’s Christmas decorating. You’ll be glad you took the time to put your decorations in order.

10 best and easy tips to organize and store your Christmas decorations

#1-first I start with the proper storage bins. There are so many great storage solutions available. I prefer large clear bins so that it’s roomy enough and easy to see what is inside the bins. They are also easy enough to stack on top of each other to use up space above.

These 4-pack- 91-quart set of clear storage totes are perfect, you can clearly see what is inside. These durable 27 gallons are a great size because they are deep enough to stack decor on top of each other.

How to store your Christmas lights

#2-Storing Christmas lights

One of my husband’s many jobs, when he was young, was a professional outdoor Christmas lights installer. Part of the job was to take down the Christmas lights as well for clients. The best tip he showed me was an easy way to store the Christmas lights. The trick is to keep the outlet side out wrap the lights like a ball of yarn and plug at the other end. When done wrapping, plug them into the outlet side. This will keep it from unraveling and neat. This way when you’re unraveling to string the Christmas tree you can plug into the extension cord or outlet and trim the tree while unraveling the ball of lights. Trust me it is a game changer, it makes it so much easier this way. this tried and true way makes the Christmas decorating process to be seamless.

Best storage solutions

#3- Wreath storage holders are a great way to keep your wreaths safe without damage. I love this one for my ornament wreath. This wreath holder is also good for storing thicker wreaths.

#4- Don’t throw out the original packaging, they are the best to reuse. At times, the original packaging has a styrofoam cut-out that fits just right for the ornaments or the decor for protection.

I reuse the original packaging for my Christmas village and delicate ornaments. They are cut out specifically for them to keep them, fit like a glove.

#5- Use large bins to store wrapping paper if storage space allows.

I love wrapping paper, and I have so many that it can last me a lifetime of Christmases. Every year I get more and more. It’s a problem! I’m working on it, ????!

I use long bins like this to store all my wrapping paper, tall Christmas decor, and Christmas bags. These bins are extra long and deep, perfect for long items.

#6- Separate and label the storage bins

Label all the storage bins so that it makes it easier to know where everything is for the next time.

#7- Separate ornaments by color

One of the things I do with my round ornaments, I separate them by color.

For me, this makes it easier to create different decorating styles each year. One year I may want mostly silver and gold and another year I may want all blues or reds. This year I used silver and gold, so the only bin I needed to take out of storage was the bin with silver and gold, easy peasy!

Declutter your holiday decor

#8- Purge your Christmas decorations

It’s always good to go through your Christmas decor and see what’s not being used or broken. Get rid of all the unwanted decor, maybe donate it or just toss it in the garbage. Make room for more like me!????

#9- Prepare for winter decor

Before storing away all your Christmas decorating, see what can be used for transitioning into winter decor. Faux wintery stems are a great way to replace the greenery from the Christmas tree and mantel. Pine cones in a bowl are a nice winter look as well.

Assign storage bins for specific decor

#10- Storing delicate ornaments

Have a container For all delicate decorations. It helps to separate the ornaments by delicates and shatterproof in mind. Wrap each delicate ornament in bubble wrap or paper to keep them from breaking. Place the heavier ones on the bottom and the lightweight ones on top.

It’s not necessary to wrap the shatterproof ornaments, so I just place them in the bins.

Reuse ribbons and gift boxes as much as you can. I have separate containers for all the ribbons and bows, this makes it easier to find when they have their own assigned bin. I also have a separate bin for all the gift boxes and gift bags.

Check out these great storage solutions

Try a few new storage ideas to make your decorating next year easier and hassle free.

Thank you for stopping by and hope you keep in touch!

We’re a studio in Berlin with an international practice in architecture, urban planning and interior design. We believe in sharing knowledge and promoting dialogue to increase the creative potential of collaboration.

We’re a studio in Berlin with an international practice in architecture, urban planning and interior design. We believe in sharing knowledge and promoting dialogue to increase the creative potential of collaboration.

Even the bitterest fruit has sugar in it.

– Terry a O’Neal

The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.

– Molière

The post How to organize and store Christmas decorations appeared first on Houzewize.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! There’s something so magical about twinkling Christmas lights throughout the house during the holiday season. I wanted to bring that magical feel into my dining room with a beautifully lit Christmas tree. Today it’s about tips to creating an elegant flocked Christmas tree with a beautiful glow.

Last year was the first year that we had two trees in our house, one faux and one real. I am so thrilled that we decided to get a second tree and a faux Christmas tree. We always get a large real tree for the living room but always have to get it later so that the tree doesn’t dry out before Christmas. Having the faux Christmas tree made it easier to wait for the real tree. We had the joy of decorating a tree earlier.

Adding a tree in the dining room elevated that magical feel in the dining room. Last year, traditional reds and plaid adorned the tree and were placed next to our Christmas village. I loved the look! This year I placed it against the baby seal black wall in my dining room for a striking contrast, it worked!

I used budget-friendly baubles to create the elegant flocked Christmas tree. Ornaments don’t have to be expensive to create an elegant look. The sparkle of the ornaments gives an instant richness. I added the beautiful blue/black feather-wrapped ornaments for a little contrast as not to make the tree look too flat.

I wanted to have the tree look like it was covered in beautiful ornaments and just have sweet twinkling lights shining through to give it a magical glow.

What you’ll need…

Prelit flocked tree

Ornaments in different sizes and colors of choice

A base for the Christmas tree

Tree skirt

How to fluff the flocked Christmas tree

Step 1 – If you have a prelit Christmas tree, make sure all the lights are working properly. If they are not, replace them and re-string them.

Step 2 – Place the bottom section of the tree on the base if you are using one or on a tree stand. My tree came with its base attached to the bottom section so I skipped this step. I wanted to give the tree height so I placed it on top of a barrel and covered it with white faux fur fabric.

Step 3 – To fluff the tree, I simply straightened each branch and made sure there aren’t any weird bends in it. Separate each branch to fan it out to cover as much area as possible. This will ensure you’ll have a beautiful full tree.

Step 4 – Add the other sections to the bottom section and make sure they are secure. Then just fluff and straighten each branch like the first section till it looks beautiful.

Step 5 – Gathering accents that fit your theme will help you achieve a cohesive design. I used simple budget-friendly shiny round ornament in different textures and colors to create the look I want.

Step 6 -Cluster three baubles of the same or different sizes to add visual appeal to the tree. This will help to create a full and lush elegant Christmas tree.

I hope these simple tips help you to create a beautiful elegant Christmas tree.

Happy decorating in this holiday season

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Hello friends, is it December already where does the time go? I know the hustle and the bustle of the holiday season has started for many of us already. I am trying to take it slow and enjoy the moment as much as possible. Generally, we wait till after Thanksgiving to start decorating for Christmas. Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am in full Christmas decorating mode. I love decorating for the holiday season. Today I want to share with you my Christmas fireplace mantel decoration.

This year my mantel got a simple asymmetrical swag of Garland. As much as I loved our last year’s Christmas mantel, I’m really smitten over the way this one turned out. Last year, I added real pine branches and leaves to my faux garland to make it lush and full. Although, the real branches were beautiful they dried up before Christmas and made a mess, so I decided to use faux branches for the mantel this year.

I went to Michael’s craft store to get a few decorations and I was thrilled to find these beautiful evergreen and eucalyptus branches. They looked and felt so real I couldn’t pass them up. They were a perfect alternative to the real branches to complement to my faux garland.

Bringing in natural elements to your fireplace also makes it more interesting and beautiful. So I added a few foraged finds such as dried hydrangeas from my yard and pine cones that I have picked up along the way to create a natural look. Topped it off with a few ornaments to add a bit of sparkle.

Here’s how I created this beautiful lush garland for our Christmas mantle.

Supplies needed

1-6 foot garland

3 eucalyptus faux branches

6- evergreen branches

Floral wire

lights if the garland is not pre-lit

wirecutter

Small Ornaments

Pine cones, dried hydrangeas, or any natural elements you would like to add

Command hooks or nails to attach the garland to the mantel

How I created the Christmas fireplace mantel decoration

1- Attach the command hooks or screws to the mantel

2- Fluff your faux garland by separating the little branches and make them look fuller.

3- Cut the individual stems from eucalyptus branches

4- Attach the garland to command hooks

5-I placed the evergreen branches and the eucalyptus stems throughout the garland

6-Added ornaments to give it a little spakle

7-Placed a mirror for over the fireplace for a reflective element and dressed it with a few branches

8-Hang stockings on the mantel to complete the look

On top of the mantel, placed a mirror and simple white glass trees and a cute bird give a cheery display.

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful holiday season.

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Hi everyone, I love Christmas trees that looks like snow had fallen softly on its branches. How about you? To bring that look inside, I decided to get a faux flocked Christmas tree this year. I found the perfect spot in my dining room but the tree has to be slim because of the limited space. My husband found a beautiful pre-lit flocked tree in the ideal size at Home depot. I am so excited about decorating a flocked Christmas tree, I have so many beautiful ideas.

Of course we still get the real tree that looks like the Rockefeller Center tree as we do every year for the living room.

We go to a local market that has gajillion trees to choose from. Which has become our tradition that we do together as a family. I’ll share how we decorated the real tree in a few days.

How to decorate a festive flocked Christmas tree

Fluff the tree and Check the lights

Once you take the Christmas tree out of storage you’ll need to fluff it to look natural and fill any holes in the branches that you may not want. Also check the light to make sure they are working.

if you’ve had your flocked Christmas tree for a few years, it may start to shed some flocking. You can add more flock yourself with spray snow or flocking powder. While adding the flocking powder, spray the branches with water so that the flock can adhere to the tree. Let it completely dry before decorating.

Adding ribbon

After the flocked tree is prepped, it’s time to make it beautiful with ribbon and baubles.

If you are adding ribbon, the amount of ribbon to add will depend on the thickness of the ribbon and the overall look you want for your tree.

Being that my tree was a slim tree, I used mostly thin ribbon with hints of red and black wider ribbon. I cut 12″ strips of the buffalo plaid ribbon and curved and tucked into the tree. This technique uses significantly less ribbon while appearing have the perfect amount.

Putting on the ornaments

I used red, silver and a few white ornaments on my flocked Christmas tree. What would Christmas be without the color red? It is so striking against the white snow covered branches.

Place the largest ornaments first, this will help to guide you to where to place the smaller ones. Then you can add your special baubles at the end. You can see some of my home made ornaments here.

I used a large finial ornament as the topper, I love the way it looks.

Happy decorating…

Thank you for stopping by…

More ideas on how to decorate flocked Christmas trees…

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