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Do try this at home: DIY decorating ideas won't break the budget and don't need a hot-glue gun
Christmas Color Combos
Considering something besides the traditional red-and-green color combination this season? HGTV suggests these “haute holiday hues.”* Green and Brown* Parchment and White* White and Brown* Kelly Green, Baby Blue and White* Violet, Brown, Bronze and White* Turquoise, White and Parchment* Hot Pink, Lime Green, White and Red* Bubblegum Pink and Purple* Robin’s Egg Blue, Red and White* Teal, Red and White
Local designers say holiday decorating trends come and go about every three years, "and right now we're between years, near the end of a cycle," says floral designer Michelle Sowder.
More than 400 women in search of holiday decorating inspiration turned out Nov. 5 to hear Sowder and designer Kevin Roberts, with Trees N Trends in Cleveland, Tenn., at their annual Christmas decorating seminar. The pair showed the crowd what's new this season.
"The news again this year is metallics - gold is big," says Sowder.
The designer suggests mixing gold, silver and copper or using metallic ornaments to update an aqua/blue holiday decor, which has been a popular alternative to traditional red-and-green for several years.
"The woodland look remains strong - but we're in the South so it might never go out of style," Sowder points out.
Lanterns and strands of lighted or mercury-glass pine cones are fresh additions to birch-and-snowy winter wonderlands.
A audible gasp rises from the crowd when Roberts drops a strand of mini-lights on the stage floor then stomps on them. It's an effective demonstration of Lumineo's brand-new, unbreakable cluster lights.
Here are some easy, DIY ideas suggested by designers at The Clay Pot in Chattanooga and Trees N Trends that will put the ho-ho-ho into ho-hum decorations. Best of all, not one requires a hot-glue gun.
Merry Modern Industrial
Homeowners who tend toward modern industrial or mid-century modern decors are not likely to go all-out bling and glitter in their Christmas decorations. Joe Jumper at The Clay Pot offers two cheerful ideas that add a pop of color but still blend tastefully with their surroundings.
Make a floating centerpiece using a large metal bowl about 12 to 18 inches in diameter. Fill it with water, add two bags of oranges, three bags of cranberries and a half-dozen floating candles. Jumper chose the "hockey puck" style of candle, but they can be found in stars and floral shapes as well. Floating candles are found everywhere from Target and Walmart to Hobby Lobby and Michael's, sold singly or in packs.
"It makes an easy centerpiece and it's fairly inexpensive. If you don't have a large, metal bowl you can use a punch bowl," Jumper suggests.
The centerpiece can be finished by encircling the base of the bowl in greens or "let it stand alone. It makes such a statement," he adds.
Box Up Some Boxwood
Choose either a narrow wooden box or a bowl of any size as a container. Soak a piece of floral oasis for 30 minutes, then cut it with a knife to fit the opening of container you've chosen.
Cut live boxwood in sprigs that are 6 to 8 inches in length and insert the sprigs like toothpicks, tightly covering the oasis.
Jumper suggests a "mantle hedge," placing a row of boxwood-filled containers horizontally across the mantle or grouping a cluster of bowls in different heights and textures. Finish the look with candles.
"Boxwood will dry a green color, doesn't shed like a lot of other Christmas greens and will stay fresh a long time. You could even take a small shrub straight from the nursery, put it in a painted pot, then plant after the holidays," says the designer.
Updating a Winter Wonderland
Home decorators found homespun happiness in birch limbs and forest creatures when the woodland trend hit town several years ago. Each season since, some new theme has updated the old look: burlap, chalkboards, birds, especially owls and cardinals.
This season the emphasis is on lanterns. Their nostalgic vibe adds to the rustic feel of a winter wonderland. Popular styles range from big, 2-foot-tall, glass-and-hammered-metal-framed lanterns down to 5-inch, whimsical ornaments that contain a Santa or snowman inside. And safety first: This season candles are flameless, battery-operated styles, some of which can even be found with scents.
Roberts suggests setting large lanterns on either side of the hearth or front door instead of topiary. Place place them on side tables or the kitchen table. Make a centerpiece by laying a decorative wreath on a table and inserting a lantern in its center. Cluster them, hang them on the Christmas tree or hook one to a lamp post.
Another trendy update to the winter woodland scene is pine cones. Look for them in battery-operated light strands and mercury-glass ornaments. A bowl of mercury-glass pine cones - perhaps with a battery-operated strand of white seed lights - is an easy, elegant table decoration.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.