Learn how to decorate your home for the holidays while keeping it safe and cozy. Get tips on cleaning, protecting your floors, and more
The holidays are almost here, so it’s time to prepare your home for the festive season. Boxes upon boxes of vibrant decor spill from your attic crawl space, awaiting your designer touch. How can you best arrange things to suit the celebratory mood?
Preparing for the holiday season is a blast, and it helps to create a cozy atmosphere of hygge that lasts until March ushers in the spring. However, you risk damaging your walls or even putting family members in harm’s way if you use the wrong approach. Are you seeking dos and don’ts? Here’s what to keep in mind while decorating this year.
1. Start by Cleaning
Before you start putting up your holiday decorations, deep clean your home. Once the decorations are up, you won’t want to dust or vacuum around them.
While spring is a popular time to clean your house, refreshing and disinfecting at the beginning of winter has many benefits. A thorough cleaning routine can protect your family and holiday guests from the spread of germs during cold and flu season. No one wants to spend the holidays sneezing, so be proactive and reduce the risk now.
2. Prepare for Visitors
You might get anxious this time of year if you have white rugs. All that foot traffic can have you keeping a shampooer on speed dial — and such services don’t come cheap. What can you do to protect your flooring from the additional demands of excess feet, snow and ice?
Why not make setting up a shoe removal center near your entryway your first order of decorating business? A simple rack is all you need, although a bench is a nice touch for guests with mobility issues who might otherwise struggle to kick off their dog covers. You can keep a few heavy-duty plastic shoe covers or extra socks for guests who forget the rule and hesitate to go barefoot.
3. Keep Kids and Fur Babies Safe
The holidays are fun for the whole family, but some decorating choices can endanger the youngest and furriest members. For example, poinsettias are poisonous to dogs and cats, so consider opting for silk models over the real deal.
You probably wouldn’t want your baby snacking on a flower, either — but it’s the little things that should concern you the most. Those hooks you use to hang ornaments on the tree are easy to swallow but can lodge in your youngster’s throat. Consider keeping such items on upper branches only or using string to dangle your various baubles.
Furthermore, stick to non-breakable ornaments to avoid anyone getting cut by broken glass. Before hanging lights, check to ensure the cord isn’t worn or frayed. Ensure you keep your tree well watered and secured in a heavy-duty holder to prevent it from toppling if Junior uses it to brace themselves when taking their first steps. Although it should go without saying, please don’t leave young children unattended.
4. Create a Theme
Getting festive sure sounds like serious business, doesn’t it? Don’t worry — there’s plenty of time for fun, too. You can start by playing interior designer and inventing a fun theme for your holiday decor:
- Classic green and red
- Silver and gold: Remember the famous tune from the “Rudolph” holiday special?
- Blue Christmas: Blue and silver touches can transform your home into a winter wonderland.
- Farmhouse Christmas: Think lots of checked table coverings and homemade, rustic decor.
- Candy Christmas: Let the sweet stuff steal the show. This theme might tempt the youngest family members — you decide how often they may swipe a cane off the tree.
5. Avoid Decoration Damage
As much as you want to get creative with your design, you have to take your decorations down at some point. When you do, you don’t want to leave your walls with unsightly nail holes. What are your options?
Double-sided tape can damage your paint job unless it’s designed for hanging. Your best bet is Command-style products intended to do no harm. You can also find plastic clips for hanging light strands and garlands.
6. Engage All Your Senses
Decor entails more than what meets the eye. Who hasn’t closed their eyes and inhaled the rich aroma of baking cookies after coming in from the snow? If you want to set a mood, engage all your senses.
Play with more than holiday string lights. Consider changing some of your bulbs to LEDs in various tones to create a festive effect. Put some soft music or carols on to play in the background — you can find free videos on YouTube that loop nearly endlessly. Use your smart TV to set an auditory scene.
Essential oils can make your home smell cozy, especially if you don’t bake and have an artificial tree. For example, eucalyptus smells similar to pine and could boost your immunity this cold and flu season. Cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla evoke cozy nostalgia for holidays past spent in grandma’s kitchen.
What to Keep in Mind While Decorating This Winter
It’s nearly that time of year. How will you prepare your home for the holiday season?
Keep the above tips in mind while decorating this holiday season. You’ll create a festive ambiance while protecting those you love and inviting a spirit of hygge into your home.
Cora’s passion is to inspire others to live a happy, healthful, and mindful life through her words on Revivalist – wholeheartedly convincing them that everyday moments are worth celebrating. Cora has spent 5+ years writing for numerous lifestyle sites – hence her sincere love for both life and the beauty of style in all things. Keep up with Cora on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
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