15 Easy, Elegant Holiday Décor Ideas

Design Expert and TV Personality Libby Langdon offers festive décor ideas.

by Libby Langdon

Decorating for the holidays doesn't have to be intimidating. There are many ways to have fun with it. Check out these quick and creative ideas:

1. Seasonal Seating: Since chairs are always seen from behind, why not decorate the back of the chair? This can be done with a variety of materials. Start with whatever greenery may be in your backyard. Then use some good wide red ribbon and tie some sprigs of greenery to the chair back. Another option is to use some plaid ribbon and tie candy canes and herb sprigs to the back of the chair—or use sprigs of holly, brown twigs and gold ribbon. The bottom line is you’ll get the festive effect from a wide range of things that are available outside and around your home.
2. Ornament “Garden”: Take lots of different sizes of clear glass vases, pitchers and hurricanes glasses and fill them with different round ornaments. Display them all together down the center of your dining table, in a windowsill or on a buffet table. It’s a great way to showcase special ornaments if you’re not doing a tree, and it can also be a more contemporary way to decorate for the traditional holidays.
3. Nine-Second Napkin Ring: Cut small 4”-6” sprigs of any type of greenery (boxwood, evergreen, pine … or from the underside of your Christmas tree) and place a sprig on a napkin then tie it all together with a red ribbon. Although each one only took you nine seconds, your guests will appreciate them all evening.
4. “Resting” Wreath Centerpiece: For a last minute centerpiece, buy a wreath (or temporarily take the one off your door) and lay it down on your table. Throw a fat pillar candle in the middle of the wreath and you are done! The wreath can be real or fake, and it can be made of greenery, silk flowers or glistening berries. Fill the rest of the table up with small votive candles; let your wreath be the star of the evening.
5. Festive Frames: If you have a wall where you have several frames hanging together in a group, tie small sprigs of greenery (evergreen, boxwood, holly) with narrow red ribbon and rest one on the top of each frame just to dress up a wall a bit. It’s unexpected, quick and so festive to look at.
6. A Candy Cane Classic: Buy a bunch of big old fashioned candy canes and put them in a clear glass vase, glass bowl or a silver bowl, put some sprigs of greenery in the bottom of the bowl and let it fall out over the lip. This takes no time but definitely adds a punch of holiday pizzazz to any room.
7. Roses Raring to Go: Buy some red roses and set them stacked together closely inside a glass cylinder vase and don’t completely fill up the vase with water. You want the roses touching each other and touching the inside of the cylinder. Tie some wide ribbon around the outside of the cylinder and in no time flat you have a modern holiday arrangement that looks like it came from a fabulous florist.
8. Ornaments in Windows: Use pretty ribbon and hang ornaments in your windows. This décor step is so simple you can do it as you’re waiting for your guests to arrive.
9. Quick Colorful “Candlescape”: Buy five red or green pillar candles (chose one or the other, you want all the candles to be the same color) and get them in varying shapes and heights. Put them all together (with the tallest candles on the inside) on a platter or cake plate. Add some sprigs of greenery, berries or holly in between the candles. Then just light up the pillars for a fast but beautiful centerpiece.
10. Tall Vase of Greens: So maybe you missed out on getting a Christmas tree this year—but there’s still no reason to not deck your halls! Cut some 4’-5’ tall branches of greenery (evergreens, Holly), mix them in a tall, sturdy vase or galvanized bucket with tall brown twigs. Set some pinecones in the bottom of the vase to secure the tall branches from falling over. Tie a bright red ribbon around the vase and: voila! This is great idea for an entryway or next to a fireplace.
11. Star Candles: Spruce up your everyday candles with small gold stick on stars. It’s so simple to do, and it just adds that little extra sparkle that we all want during the Holidays.
12. Door Basket: If you don’t have time to make a wreath (and who actually does?), fill up a small (but deep) basket with different types of greenery and berries. Let some of it drape out over the edge of the basket. Secure a wide piece of ribbon about 20” long to the back of your basket and then secure it to the top of the door. Your guests will feel welcome and ready to celebrate the season.
13. Wreath Artwork: Wreaths aren’t just for front doors and centerpieces; they also add an instant holiday feel over existing artwork above a fireplace. Choose a lightweight silk or artificial wreath, wrap two lengths of wide gold ribbon the distance you want your wreath to hang down from the ceiling, then add excess to make a bow or tails to a tie. Loop the ribbon once around the wreath, tie a bow and hang from the ceiling so it’s in the center of your fireplace above your mantle. You'll see it so much more than the wreath on your door!
14. Garland Table Garnish: Get garland a few feet longer than the length of your table. Simply run it down the middle of the table and add some bends to it here and there. Mix white candles (pillars or tapers and votives) in the bends of the garland and you’ll have an elegant yet easy tablescape. You can also add pinecones and berries in with the garland for an extra touch!
15. Wide Ribbon Runners: Cut three pieces of wide (5”) ribbon in Holiday colors the length of your dining table.  Set down your tablecloth and lay the ribbon on top of the cloth down the center of your table allowing a 3” gap between each ribbon.  Anchor the ribbon “runners” by putting candles in varying heights and sizes on top of sections of the ribbon; this will keep the ribbons from moving around.