Try these 5 expert-approved tips for holiday decorating

FALLBROOK – It’s getting colder outside – the holidays are coming, and it’s the time of year to transform the home into a festive wonderland. Decorating for this particular season brings such pleasure; although sometimes, it can be overwhelming too. But there are ways to make it feel less like work. We asked some experts on tips to make decorating for the holidays merry.

Use what you have.

Before rushing to the nearest store and spending any additional money on holiday decor, take stock of current inventory. Discard any broken items or anything past its prime and set aside things to use this upcoming season.

Cindy Murphy of Murphy’s Design said, “If you don’t check your existing stash first, you end up with no theme or cohesiveness and a box of extra stuff in the basement. Before setting it all up, I also do a thorough cleaning first.”

Get wrapping.

Use gifts as décor before giving them to friends and family.

“Make them beautiful and enjoy them yourself for as long as you can.” expert event planner David Stark said.

Select a coordinated group of papers, bows and adornments that complement the theme.

It doesn’t have to be expensive.

People may say “It’s beginning to cost a lot like Christmas,” but it doesn’t necessarily have to. Reuse the decorations from last year. Check out Christmas gems at a local dollar store. Go to craft stores for cheaper holiday decor versus big box stores. Families can even get creative and make their own decorations using natural items found outside like pine cones, branches, etc.

“I love incorporating natural elements like garlands, pine cones, fruit and flowers, like narcissus or white poinsettias. I like to buy one white poinsettia plant and cut the blooms off and put them in water all over the house. They last longer than the season and are so pretty,” Lauren Liess said.

Less is more.

“The holidays are about tradition and family, and if it feels like you’re just creating a picture-perfect photo versus a memory, then maybe it’s too much,” Cindy Murphy said.

This season can be about extravagance, but if a home becomes overwhelmed with too much decor, it can distract from the really beautiful and special pieces. Tone down the themes, such as all whites or all blues, or the traditional reds and greens and consider tying together specific themes with complementing colors. For instance, use a winter wonderland as inspiration and use both white and blue items. Or go Scandinavian-inspired using neutral colors and natural textures.

Don’t forget the outside.

Try to keep an aesthetic vision connected between the outside and inside of the home.

“They should, again, relate, and it’s all about what you see from the inside out,” interior designer Megaan Pelaar said.

Make the home’s exterior as festive as the inside. Get inspired by gorgeous greenery, twinkling light displays and other outdoor Christmas decorations that bring seasonal cheer right to the doorstep.

Remember that this season is all about making memories and getting to see and bond with family and friends. Ask for help from friends or family and decorate together. Take a deep breath and enjoy the process of decorating.

This article first appeared on Broadpoint Properties’ website, https://servingsandiegocounty.com.

Submitted by broker associate Elisabeth Hartig Lentulo, who can be reached at (760) 532-1057, [email protected] or http://www.ehlentulo.com. CalBRE #01904564