Tips & Tricks for Minimalist Holiday Decor

This Friday marks the beginning of October. That means one thing and one thing only…it’s time. It’s holiday decor and decoration time. Bring out the leaves and the wreathes and the centerpieces, etc.

If you’re like me, your home will be decorated from now till 2022. I don’t hate it, I do actually love it and look forward to the holiday season and decorating each and every year. Also, if you’re at all like me, tchotchke season can be a bit overwhelming. Most of your items are sentimental. With every year comes something new to add to your collection. You don’t even DREAM of getting rid of ANYTHING because it’s almost like tossing a memory.

I’m writing this blog to help ease the blow. To give you some decoration ideas that aren’t overwhelming, tips and tricks to help with the “stuff” that is now all over your living area floor, pulled from boxes in the basement. Let’s get decorating!

• candles – The “gold standard” of holiday decorating. Not all decorations need to be visual. Dive into the other senses. The smell of a fall scented candle can give immediate gratification to your desire to get in the Fall and Winter holiday mood. Light scents like: vanilla, pumpkin and cinnamon and your home’s cozy level will automatically double. I’m leaving the scents I go back to year after year below.

• add to what you already have – Toss some fall decor into a bowl that’s already out on a table or throw a blanket into a basket that’s already on the floor. Use oranges, yellows, reds or browns and add to what you’re already using to decorate. I have this beautiful fruit bowl on display in my kitchen. For now, I replaced the usual bananas with pumpkins. This automatically gave the kitchen a fall vibe and what better place to put pumpkins than in a kitchen?

• muted colors and tones – If your home already has a ton of color, play off the tones that you already have. If your decor is more neutral, add muted fall colors like warm browns and reds. Add green leaves and metallics. For our mantel, I added greenery and rustic reds along with metallic rose gold. I kept the metallic pieces all in the rose gold color, but you can also use golds or silvers as well.

• holiday towels – If you have one item and one item only, holiday hand or tea towels in the kitchen or bathroom are perfect. Simply replace what you already have out. Bonus points if you’re hanging them at eye level. Your eyes will attract right to the pretty holiday patterns on the towels.

• light! – tea lights in jack-o-lanterns or twinkle lights in mason jars will create a home-y holiday vibe. And they’re cheap and easy too.

• replace your non – holiday decor with your seasonal decor – don’t try to put everything out at once. Pack you’re non holiday decor in boxes for now and bring it back out once the holidays are over.
• keep items off the floor – too much on the floor can create clutter. Keep your decor above on mantles or table tops.
• use the “rule of threes” – while you’re decorating keep this rule in mind. This rule teaches that items look better in groups of threes (items in threes are more appealing to the eye). Use the same type of object in three different sizes. Example – group a small, medium and large pumpkin together.

Yesterday I reached out to my Instagram friends to see if they had anything to add. I will leave you with their tips and tricks as well. In the meantime, send me your decor pictures! I love chit chatting home and getting ideas from others :).

• decorate your home in “zones.” Pick one “zone” in each room to decorate for the holidays so it’s not too overwhelming.
• decorate with whites, burlap and tans
• keep clutter off table tops
• one in one out theory – buy one item, toss another
• fill a glass bowl with pinecones
• pick a theme for your decorations
• worry less about the decorations and do more activities to get you in the holiday spirit