Hope For The Holidays: 7 Simple Decorating Ideas

It's easy to get into that Bah Humbug state of mind during the holidays, especially after what we've been through in the latter part 2016 (cough-Trump-cough)! Surrounding ourselves with loved ones, presents and decorations might be just what we need to get out of the depression and invigorate our lives with some semblance of joy as 2016 comes to a close.

Decorating a large Christmas tree or hanging thousands of light bulbs around your house and yard is a huge undertaking, and I definitely don't have the energy for any of that. If you lack the Martha Stewart gene, and God knows I do, then these simple holiday decorating tips might entice you get into the festive mood.

Play With Fire

Your fireplace is a space you don't want to waste! Instead, decorate your fireplace with logs wrapped in lights or candles to add some extra flare.

Silly With String

Instead of decorating a tree or assembling a fake one, use colorful string to design a wall into one of your favorite festive shapes. Hammer in a few wall nails in any shape you want, and hang string around the nails. You can also use ornaments or lights in place of the string.

Sweet Tooth Satisfaction

Chocolates and candies are always an edible favorite during the holidays, but you can also use them to add some zest to your living room. Take any glass or a clear vase and fill it with your favorite candy. Not only is it festive, it also makes it convenient for guests to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Glitter Makes Everything Better

When all else fails add more glitter! We all took arts and crafts at some point during grade school, and glitter was always a big part of that. If you're like me and making arts and crafts is a challenge, don't fret! If I learned anything from elementary school, pinecones, glitter and Elmer's glue should do the trick. If you can't find any pinecones, big shiny balls from Target work just as well.

Finish Your Wine

Don't forget about The Three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Instead of ditching your empty wine bottles, repurpose them in a decorative manner. After you peel off the label, you can stick candles in the top of the bottles or hang ornaments around several bottles. I might need to go get a few more ornaments or candles to accommodate my leftover bottles.

Social Media Maven

Obviously social media plays an integral part of everyday life. If you have an old stocking you want to hang on the mantle, choose some of your favorite pictures from social media to personalize your stocking. Socialprintstudio.com is an amazing resource for printing social media photos. Just get some glue or tape and voila.

Little Suzy Homemaker

If none of the mentioned arts and craft tickle your fancy, food decorations can still make your surroundings cheerful. In addition to Christmas cookies, you can make snacks in a variety of festive shapes. Use a cube of cheese and a pretzel stick to make cheese Dreidels or scoops of vanilla ice cream to make snowmen.