6 Stress-Free Holiday Decorating Tips
Yes, you can decorate your home beautifully for the holidays without completely stressing yourself out. “Queer Eye” star Bobby Berk offers simple yet stunning ideas for an elegant Christmas home.
Decorate with neutrals: No need to redecorate your entire place just for the holidays or create anything too themed. Rather than bringing in plaids, reds, greens, and the “traditional holiday elements,” I love to layer on the textures and drop in a few pops of metallics for that holiday feel. Just this small extra addition gives your space an inviting and cozy feel and makes it a little more festive.
Decorate with big impact items versus lots of smaller items: Focusing on a few big items means that you don’t need to literally “deck the halls.” Whether it’s a traditional tree, a garland over the mantel or just a few stockings hung from a bookshelf; create a big element that gives you a sense of the holidays but doesn’t require a lot of little items to pull it together.
Don’t try to do it all at once: Having to decorate your entire home inside and out is something that can overwhelm people and is definitely not necessary. Rather than trying to get it all done in one day, enjoy the process over a few evenings with your friends and family, and pick one element to work on together. Spreading it out not only gives you the opportunity to be with your loved ones but you will also enjoy the process a bit more.
Store things smartly to make installation easier: Storing all your holiday decor efficiently will save you stress when it comes time to actually decorate. Wrap lights on hangers to avoid tangles, keep items you will be displaying together in the same storage box, and label everything so you’ll know exactly where it goes. You’ll end up saving yourself time (and energy) that you can devote to enjoying the holiday season.
Skip the tree and go for cut branches instead: Rather than doing a big tree, head to your local tree lot and buy a handful of cut branches. Some will even give them to you as they are leftover from other trees. You can place them in a big vase on your table and enjoy them throughout the entire holiday season without having the mess and stress of an actual tree. It’s a simple way to make a big impact in your space.
Wrap your presents early and use that as decor: There is nothing more stressful than wrapping everything the night before Christmas just to have it all ripped open the next morning. Rather than procrastinating the task, start your holidays by grabbing two to three gift-wrap papers that work together along with a few different ribbons. Then wrap things as you buy them. Because they are all wrapped cohesively they will act as decor no matter where you have them in your home.
With your home decorating plans pre-planned, fun, and simple, you are sure to enjoy the holidays stress-free. For more holiday tips and tricks, please be sure to check out his lifestyle and design website @ BobbyBerk.com.
