Top Tips! Deck Your Halls

Capture the magic of a classic holiday season by following Jane Clyde’s stylish and totally doable decorating tips For me the holidays have always started on December 1, when the Christmas tree goes up and the box of decorations comes out. The nostalgia kicks in immediately, as I’ve had some of the baubles, stars and santas in my collection since I was a child. What I like to do is use memorabilia that I’ve inherited from Christmases past to decorate my home in new and novel ways each year. For most of us, a good holiday decor is built on tradition – there’s the (sustainably sourced) tree, a couple of themed centrepieces, candles and a wreath or two. But when working with these staples, you don’t have to play it safe. Meaning you don’t have to create the exact same atmosphere or look from year to year. One of the top decorating themes for Xmas 2023 is “excess”: glamorous, glitzy and big on bling, it’s as decadent as can be. Tr y that if you want, but to me it’s more interesting to go the other way. Rather than piling on the gold and silver, and going totally over the top with tinsel and streamers, why not simplify, get innovative and style up? GET STARTED Before you jump to any conclusions, this won’t take the fun out of holiday decorating. Far from it! The plan is to set up just a few, key focal points and really make them sing. As a starting point, remove as many year-round decor items as you can. By so doing you’ll create space, on shelves and side tables, for seasonal displays. And as a bonus, when you reinstate your everyday ornaments on January 6 (Twelfth Night), you’ll find that you appreciate them all the more. Step two: decide on a two-tone colour scheme and stick to it, religiously. You may find, for instance, that most of the pieces in your box of decorations are red. If that’s the case, pack away the lone purple bauble and the single strand of gold tinsel, and limit your holiday decorating to red plus one other colour. Red with white or lime-green, and Barbie-pink with silver are trendy colour combinations for the 2023 holidays. But, basically anything goes. Step three: choose a theme, aiming to work with what you have as far as possible. If your aim this year is to simplify, it follows that you won’t want to buy many new pieces. Christmas decorations can bring in an element of serenity that may otherwise be absent during the holiday season. So whatever theme you choose, be conservative with the number of decorations you put in a room.

GET CREATIVE It’s not what you display but how you display it that counts, so achieving the look you want relies on your own creativity. Let’s say you’re into vintage: you can raid your box of decorations for old favourites, and pick up a few new, trad-style items at a craft fair. Just remember, the look you’re aiming for is classic and elegant, not fussy and old fashioned. Take the opportunity to add a chic gilt-framed mirror to your “vintage Christmas collection”: you can hang it on a wall or place it on a table to create an innovative base for a holiday display.

For something more up-to-the-minute, why not suspend oversized baubles from a low-hung light fixture, or style up with a couple of miniature trees instead of the usual, 6-foot Douglas Fir? Another ontrend option is to add a pop of black (in the form of trendy chevron ribbons, or tapered candles) to create the “wow” factor.

By doing things a little differently, you will introduce a touch of much-needed whimsy to your holiday decor. With this in mind, simple seasonal stickers are a good option, providing a fuss-free way to dress up a wall and create a chic focal point. Modern stickers peel off easily, so you won’t have to repaint your walls after the holidays.

DIY Christmas decorations add a personal touch, and the whole family can get involved in the creative process. You’re ahead of the game if you saved last year’s Christmas cards and wrap, as these can be used to make anything from paper lanterns to baubles. Simple paperchains add a fun retro twist; and you can make Christmas tree decorations out of just about anything – dried orange slices, for instance, look good hung on bits of string with fairy lights behind them.

GET ON SANTA’S NICE LIST

Christmas is inarguably one of the most unsustainable times of the year but by opting for a more ecoconscious decor, you’re guaranteed to make the “nice” list – Santa promises that. Decorating with pieces already in your possession will win you Brownie points (and reduce your carbon footprint), as will making your own. And if you simply can’t live without some brand-new Xmas bling, be sure to shop ethical and local. Your aim is to decorate your home with goodquality, eco-friendly products that are fairly traded and ethically sourced. Many of the items you find in malls come from overseas, and the impact of their transportation contributes to greenhouse emissions and global warming. So, make the effort to hunt down Christmas decorations at local boutiques and craft fairs. For a range of products made by Lantaubased artisans, head to the Handmade Hong Kong Market in DB Plaza on December 10 and the Treasure Island Christmas Market at Pui O Beach on December 17. Another hack to ensure your holiday decor is low impact? Invest in Christmas tree lights that can be run on a timer or controlled digitally with an app. You want your home to look festive but it doesn’t need to be blazing away 24/7. And while you’re at it, rethink (plastic) tinsel, it may transport you back to childhood but it’s tacky, and landfills are loaded with it. Without doubt, there’s something about an earthfriendly Christmas that harks back to a bygone era. It’s time to skip the mall, think practical and put items you already own to new uses. Repurposing makes sense on many levels: it’s always satisfying to work with what you have, and it cuts costs. You could, for instance, style up a couple of glass vases that you use every day with the simple addition of Christmas baubles and candles. With all this repurposing and crafting, you’ll feel justified in splashing out on a few fashionable yet timeless decor items. One or two well-chosen statement pieces go a long way. Woodland holiday themes are bang on trend, as are retro designs, complete with candy canes and sprigs of pine. Key additions to your scheme this year might also include muted chrome candlesticks, jewel-toned glassware and a frosted Christmas tree. Enjoy decking your halls!