Thursday, December 1, 2011

Our compact Christmas ~


This year we're celebrating the Christmas season in our small, "cozy" apartment.  Did I already mention small?  Normally I can't wait for the day after Thanksgiving to pull out my MANY boxes of Holiday cheer!  This year I was equally excited but I also realized that it wouldn't take much to make our place cluttered and busy.  That's the last feeling I want to create this season.  I decided to only pull out two of my Christmas bins; one of the ornament boxes and one that holds my pine garlands and other greenery.  I was also determined to not buy anything new because I have plenty of stuff packed neatly away!   In keeping with my theme of renew and reuse, I like to take items that I already have around and embellish them for the season instead of setting out a bunch of new items.
Here are a few of the ways that I made it feel Christmas(y) without overwhelming our small space.


As much as I hated to do it, I put up a small fake tree that we used in our office years ago.  There just isn't enough floor space to put up a larger tree.  I also didn't find my Christmas lights and this little tree was pre-lit.  I set it on a small table behind my sofa where I normally have a silk palm tree.


I love the combination of our green wall with the red and cream of the decorations.  I removed the ugly foil wrapper off of the silk poinsettia above and covered the pot with a square of muslin and twine.  It has a natural element to it that I really like.


A mantle is so much fun at Christmas.  I'd prefer to not have the ugly grey box in the middle, but hey - it's convenient!


The pictures above show again how you can add greenery, berries and pine-cones to create a festive touch.
I've lived in very large homes and very small ones over the years.  This year I can definitely say that it doesn't take much to enjoy the season and create warmth and magic.  So whether you live in a home with lots of square footage or very little, these same concepts apply.
Hope your Holidays are filled with peace and great memories.

1 comment:

Danielle said...

I know what you mean about the space! It's definitely a little bit more cramped this year but it's also cozy. We were able to get a bigger tree in (although it IS a fake, which I'm disappointed about - but oh well, at least it's a tree nonetheless). We put it in the corner by the door that leads out to the patio. And I LOVE decorating mantles too! Gotta love hanging those stockings above a warm fireplace :) Your place looks great, by the way.