Decorating for a Holiday Party

I’ll be the first person to admit … event decorating is not my strong suit! However, I have learned that the decorations at any party or event are just as important as good logistical planning. So, since we’re still in holiday mode, I’m dedicating this blog to holiday party decorating.

Instead of trying to recreate the wheel on this subject (especially with my lack of expertise in the area), I’m instead compiling some of my favorite holiday decorating advice from various sources. I think you will find these articles helpful when planning your own fun and festive holiday party decorations!

1. Coral Nafie’s “How to Decorate for a Memorable Holiday Party”
(http://interiordec.about.com/od/christmasdecor/ht/holidaypartydec.htm)

My favorite tips from this article include:
- Arrange luminarias (a votive candle set into a small, decorative paper bag weighted with sand and placed in a row with others along a walkway, driveway, or rooftop as a holiday decoration) along the sidewalk and have Christmas music playing from the minute the guests arrive.
- To add a festive look everywhere, sprinkle glitter on every surface you can see. Think lamp shades, table tops, buffet, bathroom counter tops, buffet, table, dining table, and under glass serving plates.
- If you have a fireplace, pile it high with logs and keep it blazing all through the party. Recruit a friend to keep it going. If your fireplace does not burn real logs, arrange pillar candles at different heights and burn them. They’ll cast a beautiful flickering light around the room.

Coral’s article also offers you a shopping list so you can make sure to buy everything you need for a grand holiday scene in your home.

2. Charlyne Varkonyi Schaub, on behalf of designer Stephen Saint-Onge’s “Stress-free Holiday Party Decorating”
(http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/home/sfl-hg08decordec08,0,7495432.story?

coll=sfla-features-homegarden)

My favorite tips from this article include:
- One of the most important areas is the foyer because it is the first impression of your home for your guests. After the foyer, concentrate on only spaces the guests will see, such as the living room or the dining room.
- Christmas decor doesn’t have to be red and green. Saint-Onge said it can be something entirely different — such as all white with accents of seashell ornaments.
- Welcome your guests right away. A table in your front hall is a great place for flutes filled with champagne or sparkling pomegranate juice.
- Make centerpieces a cinch. Consider using cut greens from the lower branches of your Christmas tree or some faux greens as the foundation for a simple centerpiece. Arrange them in bowls or use the new low crystal vases. Stack sparkling tree ornaments on top of the greens in the bowl.

3. Last but not, least, Janice Benoit’s “Holiday Theme Decorating”
(http://entertaining.suite101.com/article.cfm/holiday_theme_decorating)

My favorite theme from Janice’s list is her Silver Bells Holiday Theme Decorations, but they are all great ideas for your own home.

If you’re interested in purchasing your own book on holiday decorating, and you’re not an interior decorator by trade, you might want to check out “Holiday Decorating for Dummy’s” by Kelley Taylor (available at all major bookstores).

The most important thing to remember with holiday decorating is to only do as much as you enjoy doing. Your friends are really there to visit with you, so the decorations are secondary to that. Happy party decorating!

Image provided by www.interiormall.com/newsletters/nov05.htm