Quick and Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas

Clipped greens (in floral foam) displayed in egg cups make a mini forest when grouped on a silver tray. A strand of starry lights adds sparkle.

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For an easy DIY tablescape, decorate a serving tray with silver ornaments. Tuck in boughs of evergreen for a simple yet elegant centerpiece.

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For custom-colored bottlebrush trees, use fabric dye such as Rit or diluted stamping inks, which come in dozens of colors at crafts stores. Dip to dye.

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Poinsettias become real showstoppers when cut for petite displays. Place them in little glasses, but first dab away sap and burn the ends with a lighter; this keeps the water clear and makes bracts last longer (about two or three days).

To create the glasses, brush glue onto small vases or votive holders, then sprinkle with fine glitter.

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Need something above your buffet? Hang Christmas cards, embellished tags and ornaments from a single evergreen branch tacked to the wall.

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Like snow globes, apothecary jars hold tiny winter wonderlands. Stand bottlebrush trees and toy deer spray-painted gold in Epsom salts "snow."

Everyday decor turns holiday-worthy when wrapped in knits. Cut off the end of a thrift-store sweater arm to a length that will fit your container, plus about two inches. Fold the edge under and fasten with hot glue. Glue on miniature jingle bells for extra embellishment.

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Spell out holiday greetings on tree containers that climb the stairs. We made paper letter ornaments for white ironstone pitchers and pots and planted a lacy Goldcrest cypress tree in each.

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Ice skates with red pompoms made an easy entry table arrangement, while an apothecary jar filled with twigs adds an unexpected accent. A mix of faux and real evergreens brings holiday spirit throughout the area.

For this sparkly pinecone, print template from midwestliving.com/metallic. Trace onto assorted metallic card stock with pencil; cut out with scissors. Using craft punches, punch assorted holes. Roll to form a cone shape and secure tab with hot glue. Place cones over LED tea lights.

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Wrap string lights around a metal wreath form to create a twinkling wall accent. Crafts stores sell affordable forms in a variety of shapes and sizes.

To make a showy centerpiece, place solid-color ball ornaments inside a clear-glass vase and "serve" on a silver tray. Sprinkle faux snow (or coconut) over the display, and wrap it up with matching ribbon.

Charm guests with customized drink markers. Simply draw characters—a friend, family member or pop culture icon, perhaps—with paint pens on each clothespin.

Add facial and clothing details with a fine-point marker. Leave the clothespin legs unpainted to avoid paint touching the beverage.

Make a basic white frame a pretty focal point by hanging an ornament from the hanger in back. For a pretty arrangement above a buffet or mantel, flank the framed ornament with framed holiday wrapping papers. To ensure a perfect fit, wrap the cardboard that comes with the frame.

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Make a charming winter scene inside a glass bowl using faux snow, spruce or fir spigs, and props such as artificial birds and a nest (from crafts stores), along with mini ornaments.

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Top silver candlesticks with silvery painted pinecones for a glittering display. Group several on a tray, and add some blue or silver ornaments for even more impact.

To paint pinecones, apply several thin coats of metallic silver spray paint.

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Bring a little winter wonderland to your house with this white window box. Create the look by placing three small faux Christmas trees in a metal trough planter and decorating the planter with snowflakes. Place on a wooden bench or other high surface to raise it off the ground or floor.

For a dazzling effect, hang single-color ornaments tied with ribbon from a window near your table. Improvise a tiered cakestand by placing an urn or vase upside down on a large plate and setting a smaller plate on the top.

Tie wide ribbons around solid-color pillows as if they're presents going under the tree. Place on chairs, sofas or beds for an instant spot of holiday color.

A homemade Advent calendar doubles as wall art. Containers filled with small trinkets hang with bakers twine from a birch branch. Include a few ornaments that can be moved to the tree when it's time.

Handmade decorations afford a satisfying sense of creating your own style. To make tassels as shown, wrap yarn around an index card about 70 times. Snake a length of yarn between the card and the wrapped yarn, and tie it off. Slip the yarn off the cardboard and snip in half. Tie a second bit of yarn about 1 inch from the top to form a ball at the top. Idea by Illinois designer Jennifer Rizzo.

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Michigan decorator Kelly Rinzema adds sweet festive touches to her sparkling white kitchen for the holidays: A wreath, copper cups with candy canes, a bowl full of red ornaments and a tea towel framed with stapled-together scrap wood.

A bundle of brown twigs makes a great hanging decoration to put on a door or above a mantel. To secure, wrap a wide rubber band around twig ends. Tuck one branch of greens, such as eucalyptus, inside the rubber band for color. Cover the rubber band with a ribbon.

Switch out art in existing frames, or buy inexpensive shadow boxes and/or frames with mats. Cut new backgrounds out of burlap or colored paper, then use hot glue to mount twigs or varied evergreen sprigs for art naturally themed to the season.

Dressing up the kitchen window makes kitchen duties happy during busy holidays. Hang strands of beads, berries or ornaments on hooks, then create a winterscape using greens and household items. (Don't overlook the kids' toy box for inspiration.) Idea by Illinois designer Jennifer Rizzo, author of Creatively Christmas.

Clothespins hold holiday cards on burlap ribbon tacked to the back of a mirror frame. Old wood rice scoops act as vases for unusual arrangements of stones and cut evergreen branches. Display a cut tree in a basket. We wrapped its trunk with yarn for a spot of color.

Temporarily transform your bed. We layered holiday-theme hand towels on our headboard. Red-striped napkins and place mats work as "covers" for pillows. Attach with safety pins or basting stitches to remove later.

Air plants function as living ornaments. For a garland-like effect, spray-paint tree lights' cords a bright hue (remove bulbs and stuff sockets with cotton).

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Decorate your walls with this no-water Christmas tree. Make a tree by forming a large triangle from 16-gauge wire and cutting progressively smaller pieces and twisting the ends to create branches. Hang the tree from an old picture frame and attach a decorative bow if desired. Add ornaments using small S-hooks.

Who says lanterns have to hold candles? Filled with apples and cherries, ours "light up" this buffet with red-and-green holiday style. A red table scarf, cut from $1-a-yard burlap, amps up the color. (Pull threads to finish the edges with a fringe.) Our three "trees" are evergreen branches set in wet florist foam in clay pots. (We hid the foam tops with dried moss.) A vintage window stands in as a message board. We spelled out holiday sentiments with stick-on letters.

Filled with peppermint candies, inexpensive glasses make quick centerpieces, decorations or party favors. Tie a coordinating ribbon around the stems for an added festive touch.

Small touches can have a big impact. Here, a miniature wreath of fresh greens looks lovely hanging from a display shelf, and a tiny present tucked among white tableware adds more charm.

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A duo of potted lemon cypress trees get a quick dress-up with lengths of paper ribbon and Kraft paper secured with twine.

Sprigs of pine and berries dress up framed photos in the home's entry.

Fresh greenery, a large red ball, red-painted pinecones and a bright bow look festive in this wintry scene.

Metallic balls and bottlebrush trees give subtle holiday touches to a countertop terrarium. For custom-colored bottlebrush trees, use fabric dye such as Rit or diluted stamping inks, which come in dozens of colors at crafts stores. Dip to dye.

Michigan decorator Kelly Rinzema updated her grandmother's sideboard with coats of red paint and topped it with a wooden container of fresh greens. She created the sign from scrap boards held together by trim pieces nailed to the back. White paint and a red stenciled message complete the festive scene.

Eye-catching amaryllis bulbs dipped in colored wax mark a holiday trend; look for them at garden centers or online. The coating restricts root growth so plants are shorter than average and live just one season, but serious advantages include a fresh presentation style and no need for water, sunlight, soil or the proverbial green thumb. Of course, the traditional method of growing bulbs in glass forcing vases continues to appeal with classic beauty and repeat seasons.

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A coat of paint transforms acorns into tiny ornaments. Hang them from a branch with twine loops glued to the caps. The long serving tray, filled with more acorns and a bowl, visually balances the display. Adjust the colors of the paint to coordinate with your table linens.

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