Holiday Dressing Let Your Imagination Transform Your Home Into A Wonderland Of Garlands And Ornaments

Nothing brightens our holiday spirits like a home dressed up for the holidays.

While the family tree has traditionally been the focus of Christmas decorating, more and more people are spreading festive touches all around the home: garlands are hung over doorways, the home is scented with potpourri and candles, children’s rooms are decorated with ornaments and fireplace mantles are brought to life with wreaths.

A family’s ornament collection can be used to add luster to tabletops, to wreaths and to mirrors - virtually anywhere the imagination allows.

Consider these ideas as you plan to transform your house into a holiday wonderland:

That special holiday table: The dining room table is the setting for so many of our festivities and shouldn’t be overlooked when decorating. An arrangement of crystal bowls in the center of the table is a simple and elegant beginning.

In one, place ball ornaments, caps facing into the bowl to hide them, or tie a small bow with a color-coordinated ribbon onto the spring pin at the top of the cap. This is a great use for damaged ornaments.

In another bowl, add fresh fruit with evergreens, and in the third bowl add holiday-scented potpourri. In smaller bowls, place votive candles, which cause the cuts in the crystal to reflect lively sparkles. Together, the bowls form a veritable feast for the senses.

Another way to create a focal point for the table is with an eye-catching cornucopia centerpiece. Start with a grapevine cornucopia, spray it with gold paint and fill the center with holiday greens and/or dried baby’s breath. Place it on a table and arrange fruit ornaments to spill out. Mix real fruit and vegetables and dried wheat to make a fuller display.

Candlesticks can add a unique and festive touch to the table, or they can add a glow to a mantel or the top of a sideboard.

Wreaths, wreaths and more wreaths: What better way to set the tone for the beauty inside your home than by hanging a lavish holiday wreath on the outside of your door?

There are many ways to dress up this decorating favorite, from taking a simple wreath and highlighting it with a few favorite ornaments, to more elaborately dressing a large wreath to hang over the fireplace.

A plain or simply decorated wreath can be brightened up by attaching a glass beaded garland with florist’s wire. To add an extra-special touch and help the garland’s color stand out, attach a wide ribbon as background for the garland.

Another way to add intrigue to a wreath is to make a “nest” in its bottom center by bending up the sprigs. Then, take a favorite ornament and fasten the ornament to the nest. Clusters of like ornaments and groups of one color or one style (such as Santas or berries) help create a focus.

Wreaths can hang virtually any place - on the inside as well as the outside of your doors, on a wall or over the fireplace mantel. Again, let your imagination guide you.

Garlands of beauty: Using glass-bead garlands to decorate is one of the simplest ways to add sophistication and excitement to the holiday home.

One idea is to put a pillar candle in a footed bowl and spiral a garland around the inside of the bowl. Or tie together three strands of the same garland, or different garlands, and arrange them in the center of the dining room table or on top of a hall table.

Garlands can also be tied to a chandelier with ribbons, attached over valances or doorways, hung on mantels, wrapped around columns or run down banisters with real pine branches as support.

Home for the holidays: Nothing pulls everything together like the perfect, subtle scent. Make this the final touch for your holiday home.

Cut evergreen branches and arrange them in a large basket accented with ribbon or artificial berries. The baskets can be placed almost anywhere. They can serve as backgrounds for little vignettes, such as glass birds on one, and glass snowmen and skaters on another.

Taking the time to add these special touches to your home will bring a new vitality to all your holiday celebrations.