If You Have Only 1 Minute To Make Your Space Feel Like Christmas

Do you need a last minute festive touch for a room in your home? You didn’t have much time to decorate for Christmas this year? Maybe you  prefer simple Christmas decorating ideas? Or are you a believer that many small ideas are the key to a grand Christmas décor? Either way, this post is for you! Each of the decorating tips takes one minute or less and will give you the instant Christmas feel. Try one (or all) and enjoy the holidays!

1. TURN ANY PRETTY VESSEL INTO A CHRISTMAS CENTERPIECE:

This is obviously no invention of mine, but it’s the simple things that make a difference and those that we tend to forget; a pretty bowl (either glass, ceramic, wood or metal) with a few ornaments and a few (real or faux) pine sprigs takes only a minute to put together but gives instant festivity into the space. This year, I’ve repeated this effortless idea in more than five spots around the house.

2. ADD A CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT IN THE MOST UNEXPECTED SPOT:

Chose a Christmas ornament (or two) in a color that will stand out, and place it where no one would expect to see it. I added two tiny Christmas ornaments in the bowl where I keep the garlic heads, in the kitchen. Try this idea in other spots too, like in the bathroom between your makeup, in the guest bathroom with the individual guest hand towels, on your desk with your office supplies, in a bowl of (wrapped) chocolate and so on …

3. MAKE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS YOUR BEST FRIEND OF THE SEASON!

For instant Christmas, just “drop” a string of Christmas lights on the back of a console table, on a buffet, along the back side of your desk or your night table.  Use lights with green wire  on dark furniture and lights with white wire for light color furniture.

Here, on the console table in the study (photo from last year):

In the family room, behind the TV, for an amazing movie night ambiance, this year:

And why not, inside the closet that I have turned into a music station/china storage:

On the buffet in the dining room, in 2013:

On my daughter’s desk in 2015:

4. ADD A MINI STRING OF LED LIGHTS:

These are so convenient and they’re becoming better and less expensive by the year. They now come with a remote control and a timer. I just bought a couple and I’ve scheduled them to automatically turn on everyday at 5pm and off at 11pm  ~ hide their small mechanism behind a pine sprig or an ornament. Add them to any type of Christmas décor and they will brighten the space instantly.

Here, on the coffee table, this year,

and on the entryway console table:

Inside a basket and between the wood logs for the fireplace, in our home in San Francisco in 2015:

5.  LIGHT UP THOSE CANDLES!

Whether it’s just you alone in the house doing the dishes or cozying up on the couch with a book, or if you have a crowd to entertain, make sure to light up a candle or two, or many! Most of us decorate our homes with candles/votives etc., but we tend to forget their main purpose. Their flame will warm up the space in a split second.

Here, above the kitchen sink this year ~ and it certainly makes kitchen chores more enjoyable!

And on the dining table last year:

6. SEASONAL FRUIT ON DISPLAY:

No matter the season, I always use fresh fruit in abundance to decorate a space. For this time of the year, I like to use citrus { for some reason I have associated oranges and mandarines with Christmas, not only because they’re in season, but also maybe because an elder in my hometown of Volos, Greece often told me that all they would get for Christmas in their childhood was a single orange }.

This year, cuties from the super market in a fine two-tier pedestal stand, along with some fresh green leaves from the garden give the season’s color and scent to the space.

I also like to decorate with pomegranates which are in abundance in December. Here is an idea from 2013 that I really liked and which is super easy to do: make a stenciled monogram on a pomegranate as a place card to indicate where your guest will sit on your Christmas table ~ more details, here.

7. ONE PINE BRANCH WILL DO:

If you’re lucky enough to have a small pine tree in your backyard that you can reach and can cut a branch or two, then you can easily fill a vase and call it a day. If not, fill a vase with some cut some greenery from your yard or from your balcony and add a faux, but good quality, pine branch in between –  This is an easy Christmas décor at a very low cost – note: if you’re mixing fresh and faux greenery, use a non-transparent vase to hide inside a jar with water for the fresh greenery; then, place the faux branch inside the vase, but out of the jar. 

This year on the living room side table:

8. SHOWCASE YOUR SWEETS

Whether you’ve spent an entire day in the kitchen baking your family’s traditional Christmas sweets or you’ve decided to go with a store-bought box of cookies, don’t hide the sweets! It’s a shame to have them sitting in a Tupperware or in the store’s plastic container! Showcase them on your prettiest stand and they’ll become truly precious!

This year’ s Greek traditional sweets.  For the purpose of this photo, I have removed the glass cloche. 

9. RED IS FOR DECEMBER

Use red ribbon in abundance during this time of the year! Here, I’m adding pieces of red ribbon on a faux cypress tree that sits year round in the house. And it instantly looks like a mini Christmas tree!

And here’s a funny idea from 2014 when I added red bows to some of our ancestors picture frame:

10. Use A Gift Box To Wrap A Gift

Forget all about wrapping paper rolls, tape and ribbons! I’ve done a lot of sophisticated gift wrapping over the past years, but this year I have no time to spare. I’m using a gift box for every single gift, along with a rich ribbon and that makes a present beautifully wrapped in no time! Note: keep and re-use the boxes when gifts are exchanged within the family. Also, in lieu of a gift tag, I’m using paper doilies this year, which are fun, easy and inexpensive. I used a thin marker to write the name of the recipient on each doily. 

11. MAKE THE SILVER SHINE

I know that this sounds like a dreaded chore, but it really takes a minute to have one silver item polished. So, if you have any silver or silver plated item(s) on display anywhere in your home, take that one minute to make them shine again – This is the one time of the year that they deserve to glow!  I use this product along with a couple of cotton pads to make my silverware shine.

12. LET THE MUSIC PLAY

Press that “ON” button on your stereo, your computer, your home or car radio – whatever source of music you are using – and listen to some beautiful Christmas songs! One of my favorite song? Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song, 1961.

photo source: ThoughtCo.com

So my friends, which idea are you trying today?

I wish you all a beautiful, peaceful and full of joy 2017 Christmas!