22 Last Minute Xmas Decorating Ideas
London, UK - A beautiful store front, but not a last-minute decoration…
Admit it…
You are running out of time to get all your Christmas preparations done on time. Including a few more decorations.
Your family really wants to have a festive holiday and you are wondering what more you can do.
Look no further! Here are some last-minute Christmas ideas you can do in the colours you prefer.
Let’s have a look and get you in the mood!
Welcome Your Guests In Style
A festive home is an inviting home, even without guests. It is a pleasure coming home to a decorated house after work or after having negotiated a crowded shopping mall. Even leaving your home office after exhaustive online shopping will be wonderful when your home is cozy, lit up, and oozing a Christmas atmosphere.
Front Door Decorations
1. EASY DIY ORNAMENTS
If you are having guests over why not decorate your front door if the porch is not a good option? For instance, pine cones or glass ornaments on ribbons hanging from a branch or a door knocker make a nice statement. Pine cones are easy to find, glass ornaments can be found in nurseries. Ribbons are available from your local craft store, or perhaps you still have some in your craft boxes. Any colour works: red, silver, gold. etc. It all depends on your preference.
2. BIG BOW
Attach a narrow rectangle of cloth both lengthwise and widthwise to your front door with clear packing tape. Packing tape sticks better than regular tape. If your door allows you can also wrap the large ‘ribbon’ around your door so you can see it inside as well. Attach a huge bow on the front and a reindeer or Santa Claus on the back.
3. WELCOMING SNOWMAN
Create a snowman from three twig wreaths. With a hot glue gun attach two tree branches for arms. Tie a colourful, big ribbon around the two upper wreaths to make it look like a scarf. Make the hat from construction paper or felt squares. Could it be any easier?
4. A SECOND SNOWMAN
Hang a folded, white sheet or another white cotton piece of fabric (the width of your door) on the top of the front door. Use felt squares to cut two round eyes and three buttons. Use a hot glue gun to attach them. Do the same for the carrot nose. With a sharpie draw a squiggle to represent the mouth. But, of course, any mouth shape will do! Tie a scarf to the door handle and attach it to the side as the finishing piece.
Christmas Tree Replacements
5. TWIG TREE
Take your family and go to your local park or into the woods to find a good number of fallen, dead tree branches and twigs. Add a number of red berry branches to the bottom part by using tape or a hot glue gun as shown in the image below. Group them around a standing floor lamp post (after removing the lampshade first). Hang some nice shiny red balls from the upside-down branches. Add some fake snow from the craft store to the top and your tree is ready.
6. ACCORDION TREE
A tree from wallpaper. If you have wallpaper laying around somewhere cut a long triangle twice the length of the tree you would like. Have a broom pole handy. Cut the paper into a long triangle as shown below. Cut holes the width of your broom pole in the center of the paper (to get them lined up properly, make sure you draw a line straight down. Start folding your paper to create an accordion effect, about 3-4 inches tall depending on the desired height. Thread the broom pole through the holes leaving a nice long tree tip at the top. You may have to secure each accordion strip to the pole with some scotch tape. Plant the ‘tree’ in a pot with sand, and you’re ready to go. You now decorate your tree with lightweight balls and ornaments. Nothing too heavy though.
If you like this idea and don’t have any wallpaper handy, visit your local paint or hardware store. They may well have one that you like and it does not have to look “Christmassy”. The Christmas spirit is found in its shape.
7. THE BARE TREE
Some of you may actually have a dead tree in your garden that can be decorated as a Christmas tree. Alternatively, you may even find one in a nursery. Nurseries are amazing sources of unique decorations and pieces. Place your bare tree in a bucket of sand and hang your most cherished and colourful ornaments from it. It does not even need lights, although these would add a certain ‘je ne sais quoi…’.
8. LIGHT TREE
A three-dimensional tree is no longer a requirement. People are becoming very inventive to show the ‘idea of a tree’. The light tree below is just a string of light in the form of a tree with ornaments hanging from it with interesting ribbons. The ornaments themselves are very beautiful and come to full glory through this simple, but effective display. Easy to copy, easy to make, and certainly very enjoyable.
digsdigs.com
Wall Decorations
If you’re not keen on a tree this year, how about making some wall decorations your focal point?
9. HANGING GIFTS
Where to put your gifts when a tree is not the answer? How about hanging them, wrapped and all, from a sturdy tree branch or a plain wooden broom pole? Wrap the twinkling lights around the branch or pole and the display becomes an attractive focal point.
10. HANGING CHRISTMAS BALLS
If you have a collection of beautifully crafted Christmas decorations, displaying them as they hang with ribbons from a cord across a room, a doorway, or just up against a wall is another way to replace a tree. This would work really well for people who live in smaller homes or apartments.
11. CHRISTMAS TASSELS
This grouping can be used as wall art at any time of the year. A group of richly coloured tassels of various lengths hung from the ceiling at different heights. A feast for the eye. Now envision these as Christmas decor…, works right?
Centerpieces
12. SILVER BALL TREE
Silver balls are easy to find. The Dollar store will have them, as will Canadian Tire or your local craft store. Perhaps you even have changed your tree colour scheme this year and last year’s silver balls are gathering dust. Use them by gluing them together into the shape of a tree, or two or three depending on what you plan to use them for: a table centerpiece or a decorative element on a cabinet.
13. A BLACK AND RED PEAKY DISPLAY
Who would have thought that a grouping like the one above could be so decorative and tasteful? Instead of a tree, place blocks with ornaments in the form of a tree to give the illusion of a tree. A two-by-four length of wood, cut into a variety of heights and spray painted black, forms the base and shows the ‘peaky’ ornaments to full advantage. I have seen some beautiful handblown glass ones the other day. An idea for next year for me.
14. A RUBBER TABLE TREE
Here is another very simple idea. Cut circles from a piece of rubber (available at your local craft store). Punch a tiny hole in the center of each circle and slip a wooden, spray-painted skewer through them. Cut a small star and glue it to the top. This decoration can be made in any size of rubber available. You may have to add a touch of glue to each circle where it meets the skewer to keep it in place, however, if the hole is small enough each circle should be able to stay in place unaided.
15. CHRISTMAS VIGNETTE
Failing all of the above, grab a pretty tray and fill it with candles, Christmas balls, and other decorations. The trick here is to keep it all together in one place for maximum effect, rather than one candle here, another one there, etc. Well, you get the drift…
Cheeky Rudolph
Get the kids involved! Kids love Christmas and Rudolph. Together you can make endless, simple variations of Rudolph to hang in multiple places: on your front door, on a window, or in the washroom. Here are some ideas to get you going.
16. KRAFT & CONSTRUCTION PAPER RUDOLPH
Could it be any simpler than cutting out antlers, eyes, and a nose and hanging them on your front door with scotch tape? Use kraft packaging paper together with construction paper.
17. GLITTER RUDOLPH
Want to go fancier? Glue lots of glitter to the paper and wrap the antlers in twine.
18. RED NOSE RUDOLPH
Make the kids happy with a gigantic red nose, eyes, and antlers on your front door. Add some sparkle with glitter.
19. RUDOLPH GARLAND
Make a simple garland of miniature or larger Rudolph heads to cheer up the kids. Let them cut out the pieces and glue them together.
20. THE RUDOLPH JAR
Mason jars filled with chocolate, candy, or a small gift make fun gifts for the entire family. After filling the jar with the gift of your choice, tie a festive ribbon around the lid. Glue brown pipe cleaners in the form of antlers to the top of the jar with a hot glue gun. Wrap the jar with a band of brown construction paper. Add eyes and a red dot or pompom for the nose (all available at your local craft store).
21. RUDOLPH THE LIGHT SWITCH
Entertain the kids by having them make a simple light switch surround as shown in the bottom right image. How cute are these! Every light switch could have a different surround: Rudolph, Santa, or a Christmas Tree. No inspiration for something like that, you say? Check magazines or use the internet to find some fun ideas.
Last But Not Least
22. A STYROFOAM CHRISTMAS
And, while the image below shows a super gorgeous storefront decoration, it is not very duplicatable. However, it is adaptable by using styrofoam balls of smaller sizes, spray painted in the colours of your choice, glued together and hung over your front door, on a wall framing a mirror, or framing a passageway.
Paris, France
Do you have any last-minute decorating ideas you have used?
Let us and our readers know in the Comments section below.
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Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year
Jessica & Loretta
