4 Classic and Modern Styles for Perfect Holiday Décor

Deck your halls with these decorating tips to fit any home’s design style.

The holidays are upon us, so we thought we’d help you celebrate in high style with these four special motifs — each ideally suited to the occasion. So, grab a glass of the bubbly (or whatever your preferred yuletide libation is), and let us inspire this season’s holiday cheer for your household!

Photography by Ellen McDermott

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Rustic & Charming

Wintertime means there is a bounty of wood, pinecones, and rustic details to be found around every turn. We love this cozy, rustic look for a casual get together or a holiday celebration.
 

Tabletop

A rustic linen tablecloth was laid on this table as a base and then topped with a burlap runner. Tree “cookies” purchased at a local craft store were laid under the plain, white plates. Flannel napkins were used to add a pop of color. Then greenery and pinecone place cards were added to the place setting for more color.

The centerpieces were made with glass hurricanes filled with small birch logs. Surrounding them is more greenery. Magnolia leaves, evergreen, or flowers can be used here as alternatives.
 

Place Cards

Let guests know where to sit during a formal dinner by using medium-size pinecones (found at a local craft shop or in your backyard), and write their names nicely on white cardstock. Place the cards at the top of the pinecone, and you have instant place cards that fit in beautifully with the décor.

Modern & Striking

The holidays do not dictate any single color palette. We love this contemporary take, which uses black, white, kelly green — and hot pink!
 

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The Presents

To many, the gift-wrapping is as important as the contents within. Make your wrapping stand out with truly special paper and some unique ideas for topping it off. We love to use washi tape in lieu of ribbon. Create a grid or keep it simple. For other packages, forgo the curly ribbon often found in card shops and use beautiful grosgrain or satin ribbon in colors of your choice. Finding other nontraditional materials, such as glitter ribbon or crepe paper, is also fun.

Toast To…

Host a cocktail party and dress your bar cart or drink table with a black-and-white table runner, 3D origami trees, graphic packages (dressed in black, white, pink, and green), and top off with Champagne and some favors for guests to take home.
 

The Favors

For favors that keep the party going, take small bottles or cans of Champagne or sparkling wine, tie them with a geometric black-and-white ribbon and adhere a label that reads “Cheers!” The sparkling wine we used was Sophia, because it comes in cute, pink cans. The labels are made by The Crafty Mommy.

Sparkling & Metallic

Whether you’re hosting a sit-down dinner or a buffet, these festive ideas will cater to both types of parties and leave a lasting impression with guests.
 

Tabletop

For the table, we started with a clean, white tablecloth and a gold-and-white runner, to give a bit of shimmer. Then we topped it with gold chargers and white china, silverware, and silver napkin rings. We gathered large gold and silver candlesticks of various heights, along with tiered stands, to hold metallic ornaments in various sizes.
 

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Mercury Mason jars were filled with simple white flowers. We used Lisianthus for our arrangements.


Tip: If you can’t find candlesticks in the colors you want, consider spray painting the ones you have to create this look. The final look sparkles in the evening but also lights up during the day.


Wreaths

1. Floral Wreath. Here, we took a 12” wire wreath form and wrapped it with gold floral garland. It adds an ethereal look to your door or table.

2. Ornamental Wreath. This ornament is made from a 12” Styrofoam wreath form covered in different-sized silver and gold ornaments. Add as many or as few as you like to create a wreath worthy of the holidays.

3. Geographic Wreath. This wreath may look like it’s made of metal, but it’s actually made from cocktail straws and wires, making it lightweight and affordable. We purchased this one from the Etsy shop Nifty Momma, and it can be used as a traditional wreath or as a candleholder on your metallic tablescape.

Go to westchestermagazine.com/holidaywreaths website for a quick and easy how-to for the wreaths shown here.

Garland

Make or purchase different types of garland to decorate your table or walls, or hang them from the ceiling, for a truly magnificent effect. Most of these garlands can be purchased at your local craft store, or you can easily use scrapbook paper to make paper flags and string them together.
 

Traditional & Classic

Nothing says “Happy Holidays” quite like a palette of red and white. We think simple is best when enlisting this color palette. It’s classic
and elegant yet fun and whimsical for the little ones.
 

The Décor

To decorate your tree, take a shimmery, thick, red ribbon and wrap it around the tree, using it as garland. Add various sizes and finishes of red, white, and silver ornaments to decorate the branches. Add a simple red tree skirt to complete the look.

For the windows, take 14” faux wreaths and red grosgrain ribbon. Loop one end of the ribbon around the top of the wreath and secure to hang the wreath. Then, tie a large bow around the looped ribbon closest to the wreath to complete.
 

Simple Centerpiece

For a centerpiece on a side table, mantel, or tabletop, take a plain, white pitcher and add red berries. We used faux stems here, so they are long-lasting. Use two for a longer tabletop or to flank a mantel for maximum impact.

The Mantel

Lay an evergreen garland with pinecones and red berries (to match the red-berry centerpiece) across the top of the mantel. Then use a red-and-white pom-pom garland to string underneath (these can easily be purchased or made by stringing premade felt pom-poms together). We wrapped presents with simple red and white adornments and paper to match the rest of the décor. 


Jenn Andrlik is executive editor of Westchester Home, but she is also The Crafty Mommy. She loves to create new ways to celebrate. You
can check out her crafts and creations at
www.thecraftymommy.com.

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