Decorating for the holidays doesn’t need to be time-consuming and expensive. Affordable and eye-catching decorations can be made using everyday materials while drawing inspiration from our surroundings.
Ellen Rodriguez, a local interior designer, explains, “I always like to draw inspiration from nature when decorating. Take a stroll around the yard with a pair of clippers to find beautiful branches, berries, or dried flowers. Colorful seasonal produce like pomegranates and citrus work great and are also easy on the budget!”
Sylvanian Dee Davies, who recently retired after teaching for 40 years (she jokes that was still “not enough”) explains that craft fairs spark her creativity. She saw this “Merry Mail” board at a craft show and thought, “I can do that,” so she did! Davies, also made the economical reindeers (pictured far bottom) with “A little hot glue, wine corks, and twigs.”
Kristin Winovich, a local mommy blogger, utilized everyday materials to create a festive winter playland for her children, providing “endless entertainment with a little imagination” for only $20. Using white sheets and balloons, she created the North Pole for her little ones to explore—a doable and fun activity when the grandchildren come to visit.
Winovich, of Sylvania, also cleverly uses winter-themed food and drinks to add to her festive atmosphere, creating yummy coffee drinks or hot chocolate to become an edible winter wonder that the whole family can enjoy.
Rodriguez’ reminder for holiday decorating, “less is more…[and] the more you put up, the more you have to take down.” Dreading the eventual holiday teardown, she advises to keep it simple and use natural decorations which you can easily throw away, avoiding expending energy moving everything to storage.
