A good place for ideas is to flip through catalogues such as Pottery Barn, William Sonoma and Crate and Barrel. I find most of their stuff too pricey, but I look for ideas and find other decs I can use instead of theirs. I buy lots of decs at TJ Maxx and Home Goods. I check out craft stores for their decorating ideas too. If I find something I really have to have at the more expensive places, I wait for the after Christmas sales and try to snag them then. Good Luck and have fun!

If you have a FP mantle, I think that is the part I like the best.
Then I have some pretty silver and clear ornaments that I hang with fishing wire in my windows.
{{!gwi}}
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I head to the woods. Lots of greens, winterberry, pinecones. Then I dress the wreaths and boughs up with some silver or gold ornaments, and candles on the mantel. A real tree too that we cut ourselves.

I also love to have amaryllis and paperwhites blooming on tables and in the foyer.

We do electric candles in the windows and a light shining on the front door that has a green wreath on it. Simple and nice....we live in a replica of a house built in the 1700s and it goes well.

And of course a deep fresh snow helps! A fire in the fireplace, and plenty of good food and drink and we are set.

I have found Martha Stewart to have some good ideas for inspiration. I love her Thanksgiving centerpeice of a thick sheaf of wheat tied with an elegant ribbon. I'm going to be heading out in a bit and seeing if I can mimic the same look with some dried grasses that are out in the garden.

I go to the local dollar store and buy bags of red velvet bows and use them all over my apartment they really POP!!!
Christine

Like barb, I enjoy using lots of natural greenery, etc., which makes a big impact without using a lot of "doodads." Of course I have the doodads too, but they're limited. I have a collection of Santas -- all types, made from everything from wood to glass, sizes from 2" to about 14" -- that I group together on a mantel or shelf. I prefer to have a few groupings rather than random things scattered everywhere. I focus on my mantel, the tree, and the entry (inside and outside).

My big new idea this year -- I bought a 28" square ornate silver frame, just the frame (no glass). I'm hanging it over the mantel and inside the frame, hanging a 20" fresh wreath.

It's easy to get overwhelmed because there's SO much stuff out there, and so many different styles. I love looking through my Christmas decorating magazines, which I keep; I have them going back years now. Don't try to do too much, even a few things can make your house look very festive and it makes sense to see how your style evolves, especially with a new renovation.

I love browsing on line. The holiday forum here has a lot of ideas and some people keep inspiration albums. I also like some of the commercial sites like the one I've posted below. As others have said, the catalogs from places like Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn can be fun, but there are lots of cheaper ways to get the same look. Don't buy anything that you don't really love--if it isn't instant lust you may end up regretting it later, especially when you find something that's perfect.

Have fun with it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Better Homes and Gardens Christmas decorating ideas

Thank you for giving me some great ideas for tomorrow!

I listened to barb & sue about outdoor greenery for my Thanksgiving table today, because I did not have a clue what to do.
I got out my crystal candle sticks and Grandma's dinnerware and glasses, which I am thrilled to have. Then we went out in the yard
and found some greenery to put around the candles. I am happy with how this last minute decor turned out!

{{!gwi}}

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lovesummer, tomorrow I will be checking out the link you put up!

rafor, I will also be getting out those magazines to check them out more closely.

Keep all of the great ideas coming! You all have already made my Thanksgiving table decor a breeze!

Very nice job!!!!

Tomorrow HGTV starts their holiday decorating shows. Some of their stuff can be over the top or way too modern for me, but you can often pick up a new idea or two that will work in your own home.

doonie - your quick tablescape looks great!

I like to decorate with poinsettias. I buy several and place them here and there. Place several together or separate. You can put them on the floor, the tables, mantles - just about anywhere. Then, everywhere you look, there's a little bit of red that says "Christmas", but it's quick and easy decorating! :)

Nice Thanksgiving table doonie!

The best places for inspiration for "tasteful elegant decorating stuff" are usually the high-end sites altho taste is subjective. I prefer those sites for inspiration over dollar stores. However if one is creative a high end style *might* be doable with dollar store items and some talent.

I also collect ideas from blogs all year and make a list of things I might like to do. This also often establishes a color scheme altho that is limited by items I now have as I'm trying to not buy a lot more deco's. I've sometimes painted pine cones, twigs, and empty picture frames to coordinate with my chosen colors.

For the last few years I've been using non-seasonal items and embellishing them with seasonal decorations. For example this year I've been thinking of using my collection of green and clear glass fishing floats in a large bowl with some seasonal greenery. Maybe add some little clear lights if it needs more. One year I used green and clear glass insulators as decoration on the mantle. Adding a few decorative Christmas picks or garlands takes non-seasonal decor to a new level.

From what you've said you already have a multi-color scheme going in a traditional style so I suggest you use the items you have that you like and supplement with some seasonal greenery - either real or faux plants, flowers, and branches. It's really not necessary to decorate every horizontal surface altho lots of people like to.

Here are some links that might inspire more ideas:

http://www.zgallerie.com/t-holiday.aspx

http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/templates/Silo.jhtml?itemId=cat10860731&parentId=cat000000&masterId=&menuPath=cat000000_cat10860731&navid=topNavSeasonal

http://www.gumps.com/HOLIDAY+SHOP/

http://www.sundancecatalog.com/category/home+decor+catalog/deck+the+halls.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=all

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/accessories/christmas/

http://www.thelennoxx.com/?p=9698

http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/decorating/slide-show-merry-mantels-under-10-00400000008115/page13.html

I'm glad I checked back this morning. Doonie, very pretty!!

Pretty sure I can replicate this for way less than 12.00! A little glitter and some of Mother Nature's free gifts makes for easy decor!
Kath

Here is a link that might be useful: Really? $12.00?

This is funny! When you live in FL, you can't just run outside and cut stuff. BUT, we have 12-18" pinecones that are lovely! I've thrown so many way, but this may be the year that I search the church yards for them.

That Thanksgiving table is lovely!

I don't buy anything from those high dollar stores or websites. They're way over priced and they have just the "usual" Christmas decorations.

You're on the Christmas decorating forum, right? There's a ton of inspiration over there. They also have a Christmas Inspiration album made by various posters. Not stores.

There are many Christmas stores online where you can get elegant items at the fraction of the cost of the large stores.

Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Joanne's, Target...they sell a lot of things you can make in just a few minutes.

Save-on-crafts.com is my all time favorite!

Amazon now has their Holiday store up and I got some great deals from them. Big items too. I think the most I've spent on any one thing this year is $25.

Here's a "doo dad" I made in just ten minutes. I got the idea from the Christmas forum.

Below is the link to Sangaree's Christmas album she's worked on over the years. The pictures are from various posters.

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas Inspiration

This year, my mantra is "less is more." I've collected vintage Christmas decor for years...Shiny Brites, hand painted glass ornaments, old felt decorations with the hand-sewn sequins, mercury glass garlands, and TWO old shiny aluminum trees. I have enough to decorate several houses. It's obscene, really.

Now, we have a house full of kittens. I do love my kittehs, but nothing is off limits to them. Everything is a cat toy. EVERYTHING. So, no fancy fragile do-dads for us. And those shiny trees? I can just imagine the bill from the vet!

So, I have an old fake tree that probably used to be white, but now has turned sort of a soft cream color. I bought a whole load of shatterproof plastic ornaments in red, silver, and aqua, and a glittery (nonbreakable) star for the top. I'm going to use a large swatch of aqua faux silk for the skirt.

For the front door, I bought a large wreath at a thrift, fluffed out the branches, and wired silver and red (plastic) balls to it. Then I added a big honkin' red bow. Done!

Last year I found a pair of those pre-lit topiary trees on clearance. Wired the rest of the plastic balls to them, added a red bow on top, and stuck them into old galvanized pails, and set one on each side of the front door. Added more great big red bows to the lights on the garage, and...Done!

I just put out one of my vintage tablecloths on the kitchen table, and if I'm feeling really froggy, will try to find some red Christmas-sy towels for over the sink.

And that's it. I feel no need to try and make the whole house into a Christmas showroom, or try and keep kittens out of the whole mess. I think if you can do something on a mantle, front door, and tree, that's plenty. And much easier. And cheaper.

I am really liking the variety of ideas! Keep them coming!

franksmom, we have a new puppy this year, so I will probably be utilizing some of your decorating wisdom!

Start a couple traditions that you add to every year.

In 1967, my parents started buying a sterling bell with the date on it. They stopped in 2004 because the bell got very expensive and smaller, but I found another maker and picked up again with 2009, and will buy them at some point for the missing years--so now I will have 40. Its currently about $100 a bell, but once a year that shouldn't be too big a deal--don't go out to dinner twice or skip a pair of sneakers.

I have bought hand blown ornaments for the office I work in for about a dozen years, and get myself a couple too. Sometimes I buy mine when they are on sale after Christmas. I only have about a dozen or so myself but its a dozen really nice ornaments that will only grow in number as time goes buy. They have grown to expect them at work...I couldn't get them anything else.

My sister buys a Santa or two of some sort each year. She has a few dozen, and she will inherit my mom's couple dozen.

It makes for slow going at the beginning but it is a way to accumulate some really nice ornaments. One of my coworkers never puts the hand blown ornaments away: she hangs them on fishing line in a window all year.

If you have kids, get them a personalized and/or dated ornament every year that they can take with them when they get their own tree.

Fill in can be done with inexpensive ornaments in the mean time: a tree with a few silver bells or artglass ornaments filled in with plain colored balls can look really nice.

oohhhh....this thread is wonderful!
Thank you everyone for the links and pics you've posted.

Unfortunately, my home, inside and out, always looks like the house that Santa threw-up on.

The times over the last few years when I've gently brought up the "less is more" or "let's cut back a little this year" conversation, I was met with glares, raised eyebrows, whines from the grandkidlets and I might have imagined it but I think the furbabes even got in on the protests.

The pics on this post have me sighing....."if only..."

But the family (and furbabes) enjoy the over-done, Santa Throw-Up look so I will continue this tradition.
But let just one of those negative-Nellies decide not to help me pack it up, and I'll have the neatest, lovliest, "less-is-more" decor ever the following year. :)

I have six words:

Florist Wire and Hot Glue Gun!

Seriously....I haven't had an ornament batted off the tree in years.
At one time I had a ferret who would climb up the middle of the tree to get a better look at his surroundings from the top....of a 7 ft. tree.
Not a single ornie or bauble fell off.

Quite a few years ago we had a Mother Cat and her 3 boys. A friend of mine gave them a gift at Christmas. It was put under the tree and of course they found it, tore it open and had a treat and Sandy (the baby) would curl up under the tree, until the tree was taken down. Tree survived and they enjoyed the catnip.

Betty

Amity, LOL about Santa throwing up in your house!

I have a cat where she thinks everything's a toy also. But she's never bothered the tree for some reason.

I use Museum Putty for fragile items sitting on table tops.

Lyban, do you remember where you bought your silver cone trees? My mantel is silver, white and red and needs one more thing and a silver cone tree would be perfect!

Franksmom - I collect vintage Christmas stuff too! I started with the old shiny brite, and moved onto Victorian ornaments and the German figural candy holders. I have several plaster angels, unfortunately many are missing arms so I need to find some more. I really want an old feather tree.

But you can't go wrong with greenery and candles. I recommend beeswax - so much cleaner. Pine roping, holly springs, pine cones, etc. Best of all, after Christmas, you can just throw it back outside!

Just stopping in to see what everyone's doing for holiday decorating. Some great ideas.

Oakly - don't buy silver pine cones. Go for a nice brisk walk in the woods, collect the size you need and then get out your craft supplies. If you are looking for a totally silver look, use a can of silver spray paint. If you are looking to "accent" with silver - take a small brush with a bit of glue to the edges of the pine cones. You can then use either regular silver glitter, or find a craft store that carries some nice fine glitter, which will give you a bit of an elegant look.

Can't wait to see the rest of the comments.

I love the Mercury glass that's been so popular the past few years. Even more of it around this year.
A set of several mercury candlesticks is a good place to start for Christmas decorations.

Work, I'm not looking for pinecones, I already have a bunch but I did have to order them online.

This is Oklahoma, no pinecones but a lot of acorns. lol

This is what my no-frills tree turned out like. I didn't even put lights on it, because I thought the tree and ornaments would be pushing it anyway, without adding electricity to the mix.

And look at that cat!

Great ideas. I just wanted to add a hint for people that don't have access to fresh pine or don't feel like tromping around in the woods. Go to Lowe's or Home Depot garden center on a Saturday afternoon in December. They wrap tons of Christmas trees and always have stray boughs by the machine. They are happy to give them away so they don't have to dispose of them.

Oakley, I'd trade you pine cones for acorns any day :)

Kath

franskmom,

I love the kitty:) I have one of those too beneath my tree!

Ok. I couldn't resist...Here's my black kitty under the Traditional Christmas tree with the Ever Present Puppy Tail in the foreground!

{{!gwi}}

Hey, there's an idea for another thread - "cats under Christmas trees"! I have only put up one small 4' tree so far but two of my three cats are taking turns claiming it. Haven't taken a pic yet.

Hi Franksmom -

We are putting together a blog post about favorite Christmas decor and would like to use the picture of your Christmas tree in the post. Could you contact me via my profile page?

Thanks so much!

With best regards,

Tamara Amey
GardenWeb Community Manager

How cool is that? Tamara, I've sent you an email. Thanks again!