3 Tips | A Little Holiday Decorating

After years of decorating, I finally figured out what works best for me: keeping things simple! My go-to decorations fit in one bin that I use every year. I pull that out for the first round of early decorating, then bring out the Christmas tree container after Thanksgiving. For someone who loves collecting things (especially vintage!), keeping holiday decorations to a minimum helps keep me and Mr. Yolo sane when it comes to storage. I have a few tips for you!

Preserved boxwood wreaths

I absolutely love preserved boxwood. They are real (just preserved) so year after year and you can reuse them without that shiny plastic look of faux wreaths. I usually tie a ribbon around each wreath and call it done! If I want a little change from one season to the next, I just swap in a different ribbon color. They’re an effortless way to add holiday cheer on windows, walls, or even in front of artwork.

Invest in good faux garland

After a few years of buying real cedar garland and watching it dry out almost immediately plus finding little cedar bits dropping into our food when I hung it on the hood I switched to faux. I found a few great options from small shops here in Milwaukee. I don’t have direct links, but choosing good quality pieces means you can use them year after year. You can also decorate a bit earlier and keep the space festive longer without worrying about anything getting brittle.

Use decor you already own in festive colors

One of my favorite tricks is to lean into colors I already have at home. I love introducing little pops of red, so I’ll pull out Turkish rugs with red tones, art with warmer colors, or even a dish towel with a red stripe. You don’t always have to buy holiday specific items. Using what you already own in red, green, or gold instantly makes a space feel more seasonal.

Kitchen Links:

Cashmere Carrara Quartz Countertop
Behr Wall Paint – Swiss Coffee
Behr Trim Paint – Cotton Knit
Ikea Utility Rail and Fintorp Hooks
Home Depot Aedan 1-Light Black Swivel Wall Sconce Light
Kohler HiRise™ deck-mount bridge kitchen sink faucet – Brushed Stainless
Kohler Artifacts® wall-mount pot filler – Vibrant Stainless
Kohler Prolific® 33″ under-mount single-bowl kitchen sink with accessories
VINTAGE: Art, brass Light Fixtures, Jugs, Books, Glasses, Utensil holder, Step stool

These are the two spaces I decorated this year: the Barnhouse kitchen and the Sage Home bathroom. And since I love Turkish rugs, I added a fun twist with Turkish stockings too. I get them on Etsy and they’re such an easy way to blend holiday charm into your existing decor and reuse them year after year.

Bathroom Links:
Paint Color: SW Quarry Stone
Preserved Boxwood Wreath
Kohler Brockway Sink
Kohler Cimarron Toilet
Windflower Wallpaper
Vintage Mirror and stool