Seasons greetings to everyone, especially those of us that still get excited about Christmas. The rest of you can get your greetings from your wicked uncle/aunt, haha, just kidding. But who else is excited about CHRISTMAS!!! I am, are you? It really is the most beautiful time of the year; the sun is not as hot and humid, the much anticipated holiday is just a few days away and everyone is looking forward to a new year. But it’s also time to pause and think about how you would like your home to look for the special season. Not often do you see people pay any attention to their holiday decor but you can make it a thing this year. The amazing part is that it’s so easy and fun to do. Just by personalizing the way we decorate, without the pressure of heavy design and expensive gifts (but if that is your thing, by all means splurge), a lot can be achieved in lifting the ambience and the mood of your home and the people in it.

As we grow older, we get so used to things (that would have excited our younger selves) and it becomes routine. But on second thought, it might also be due to the fact that we are now responsible for the spending. Aargh, growing up is a scam.

Anyway, with just a few days left till Christmas, there’s still time to do something extra this year to make it a bit more special and add some colour and sparkle to our atmosphere. Although, Christmas decor comes with its own challenges but here are 3 ways to beautify your home for the holidays with little or no stress.

Create An Alternative For The Christmas Tree

Okay, Christmas trees might be a tad too expensive and assuming you are able to buy it, there just might not be enough space to set it up in the living room or even store it after the festivities. So instead, here are a few tricks to achieving a tree that is uniquely yours:
1. Use your ‘christmas’ light to form a zig-zag pattern on a wall and pin it down with screws or any kind of pin that wouldn’t damage your walls

2. You can sketch a tree on plywood or poster sized paper and hang bells and balls on it like you’d do a Christmas tree

3. Or just buy real plants by the roadside. They come in different sizes and are very affordable.

Be Your Own Santa

Another Christmas ritual you can do to spice things up is hanging stocking. This is done so that when santa comes by, he can fill it with small gifts. Unfortunately, santa is on leave this year but not to worry the kids won’t notice. Get stocking or socks (preferably big ones), differentiate it by writing the names of the recipients on each one and fill it up with sweets and other little pretty things and hang them up on a ribbon or thread. Easy peasy.

Fine Dining

Of table cloths, clean linen, candles, flowers, vases and what have you. This is so easy and affordable to set up. You can spend as low as N3,000 and get an amazing dining setup. Let me break it down for you:

1. Buy 2yards of linen or any material of your choice (you can sew the hem or leave it, either way works)
2. Get 2 or 3 candles (even the regular candles would look amazing, trust me)
3. Look for an old empty transparent bottle or jar to serve as your vase
4. If you have a garden around you, pluck a few of its fresh leaves or flowers (otherwise, artificial ones would suffice) and place in a vase.
5. Arrange your plates and cutlery nicely

And Voila, the dining looks transformed and adds so much beauty to your home.

At the end of the day, it’s the little things that become beautiful memories. So go on, deck the halls, light up the atmosphere, add a sprinkle of magic, give a little and then a little more and have yourself a MERRY CHRISTMAS!