5 Tips for Decorating for Christmas

Do you hit a wall with decorating? I mean, I think we all hit a wall at some point or another, but do you hit a wall when it comes to decorating for Christmas? I do. No joke, as much as I love decorating for christmas, and anticipate it all year long, there comes a point ohhh about 2/3 of the way in to decorating our home for Christmas that I hit a wall. It’s kind of like when you have a christmas cookie, and then another, and then another, and then you make a cup of coffee, because what wouldn’t better than a hot cup of jo to accompany said christmas cookies, then you have a few more, and all of a sudden you hit that wall of christmas cookie overload, and suddenly you’ve had too much. I know they said that too much of a good thing can never be enough, but clearly those people have not eaten their weight in christmas cookies. Yet somehow a few hours later you find yourself craving said cookies. Friends let me just tell you the struggle is real! Well, I think the same can be said when it comes to decorating for Christmas.

We search high and low for the perfect christmas decor. We pump ourselves up into thinking “this years decor is sure to be better than the years before” or “this will be the year I knock it out of the park” only to find ourselves creatively burnt out and you’ve only just put up the tree. Let me just say you are not alone. In fact, I hit that certain point every year when I’m decorating our own house for Christmas.

I figured that perhaps I might not be alone in feeling this way, I call it “the holiday decorating paralysis” and I’ve put together 5 Tips to help you and I get through the holiday decor blitz. Because let’s face it, sometimes just the thought of doing all that decorating for just 1 month can seem completely daunting and a waste of time. But I’m here to tell, you are not alone, and to offer some tips on how to get through it!

1. Put on your favorite holiday tune! Nothing gets me in the mood more than when I listen to my favorite holiday songs. Sometimes all I need is to hear my favorite holiday song to get me in the mood to decorate for Christmas, or BACK in the mood, lol. It’s amazing how much music can influence us, and motivate us to get moving, so this one can be highly effective. If you don’t listen to holiday music when you decorate for Christmas I highly recommend it, it’s an instant mood changer. And if you have hit the “wall” in decorating for the holidays, put on your absolute favorite holiday tune and stop and listen to it. Then listen to it again, and again if you have to until that second wind of holiday decorating hits you. Here are a few of my favorites :  “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas ” – performed by Judy Garland    “To Be With You” – by Sara Groves  ” Love is Christmas” – Sara Bareilles   “I’m dreaming of a white christmas” – by Bing Crosby    “Winter Song” – by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Micaelson
2. Take a Break. Sometimes we just need to pause and enjoy the scenery around us. I mean this can end up being the busiest time of year for most, and nothing can hinder creativity more than being overloaded with a mountain of to-do’s. Pause, walk away, get out and enjoy some holiday festivities, watch your favorite holiday movie, then come back to creating that magical holiday wonder throughout your home. I take the same approach all year long, when I have hit a wall and the creativity just isn’t there, I know I need to pause, walk away, and take a break from what I’m doing. Sometimes I just need to get out and take a walk.
   

   Make some holiday cookies! Try my softest Gingerbread cookie recipe.

   Do something completely different and away from what I’m working on, so that when I come back I am refreshed. Trust me, it can do wonders for your decorating as well! I can always pick out my bare spots or areas that need to be re-worked so much better with a fresh set of eyes on it.

3. Focus on one small area. Sometimes all I need to do is create a simple holiday vignette to get back in the holiday decorating spirit. Sometimes when we have a big task in front of us, or don’t feel like the end is in sight, in can feel overwhelming. That can certainly be the case when it comes to decorating for the holidays. So when I start feeling overwhelmed by what I have left to do, I focus on one tiny area, and finish it. This way I feel like I’ve completed something, and I have a sweet little holiday vignette to cheer me up. I pause and enjoy what I’ve created, and if I still need time, I wait and start on a new area the next day. Sometimes taking a break in between is all the motivation we need to avoid burnout.
   

   Create a Christmas Village. See more here.

4. Start Sooner – Often times in the past I’ve felt like what’s the point? Why am I putting all this effort into decorating when I’m just going to turn around and take it down in a few weeks? Well in case you missed the argument published by PopSugar, found HERE, studies show that decorating earlier for Christmas can lift your spirits all season long. And I couldn’t agree more. When you start earlier, you don’t feel as rushed, and honestly it doesn’t feel as pointless, because your decor is up all season long, not just for one month out of the year. And if you’ve seen any of my christmas home tour posts over the past few weeks/years, then you know I’m all about the “winter” decor vs. “christmas” decor. Of course yes there are some things that are truly christmas decor in our house. But I find when I put our tree up before thanksgiving, that I enjoy the holiday season that much more, because I’m not rushing to get things done. Honestly it feels just as good as when you get your Christmas tree shopping done early, so if that’s any indication to get the tree up sooner, I don’t know what is 🙂
5. Clean & Purge before you start! Now I know this last tip isn’t really about decorating, but if you let me explain, I think you’ll see it can have a huge impact on how you decorate for Christmas. I’ve been there where I’ve wanted to get my Christmas decor up so badly, I was impatient and didn’t do some much needed cleaning and preparing my spaces ahead of time. Not only does this make your dust bunnies seem larger than life when you go to take down all that extra holiday decor, but it can also make the rooms in your home feel more claustrophobic than ever! I mean we’ve all been there right? When our homes where in such need of a deep cleaning it just felt icky to sit in your living room? I swear the debris on my living room rug would just stare at me until I got the vacuum out. Well I have found that I am much happier decorating a freshly cleaned room, than a dirty one. Sometimes it’s hard to bring more “stuff” into a room, until we declutter a bit too. I keep a spare bin nearby and put all of my everyday items in, that way when I put out my christmas decor, it’s not stuff on top of more stuff. I find that visually this also keeps things looking neat and tidy, and less like I’m going to be swallowed up whole by my christmas decor. So before you bring your stuff out, or maybe even if you’ve already started decorating and are finding yourself in a slump, bust out the windex and mop for a little cleaning session to refresh not only your home but your mood too! 

That’s it! I know it’s only 5 Tips, but I feel like they are power-packed, and honestly help me out a lot when I’m in the midst of trying to decorate our home for Christmas, and partake in all things the holidays have to offer. It can be a lot, so lets not let our christmas decorations put a funk on this happy season, but add to it!

To see more holiday decorating inspiration, be sure to check out all my Holiday Decorating HERE.