Christmas Countdown- Day 11

Here's your daily dose of Christmas cheer, Improper-style!

Today we are focusing on holiday decor.  If you're still trying to figure out how to jazz your place up for the big day without spending a lot of money, look no further.   The idea is to work with what you have.

My favorite items to work with at the holidays are Christmas ornaments.  That's right, they're not just for your tree.  You can make centerpieces and other around-the-home accents out of them!  Take a vase, hurricane, etc that you can use all year round and fill it with ornaments.  This is a hallway accent in our condo.

Speaking of ornaments,  you can decorate more than just your traditional Christmas tree.  If you have any large plants or other types of trees in your home, hang some lights or ornaments on them for some added sparkle.  Below is the palm tree that my parents got us for our wedding reception.  We put a few ornaments on the tree and it's a great conversation piece when guests come over for the holiday.

While we're on the topic of lights, tiered lamps are a great way to display holiday accents if you don't have a lot of table or shelf space.  Living in a condo, I am all about maximizing the space that we have.  This three-tiered lamp serves as a display case for some of our favorite Christmas accent pieces.

Another great way to maximize your space is to hang decorations from door knobs.  You don't have to put holes in your walls that will  be visible during the rest of the year.  Lots of stores are selling these types of door accents, and we have them throughout our home.  The best selection and prices I have seen is at Kohl's.

Accents can also be found on your table.  I have 4 small square vases on hand that I fill with various items depending on the time of year.  During the holidays, I fill them with jingle bell ornaments.  They are colorful and easy, and again you get a multitude of uses from one item.

All this decorating talk making your head spin?  Sit down with a martini and take the edge off.  Make sure to save 2 martini glasses to use as decorations!  Fill them with jingle mix, multi-colored glass pebbles and ornaments.  I find these items readily at Home Goods and Pier 1.  Just fill up your glasses and you've got another beautiful and easy table accent.

Here's a bonus idea for you before we sign off to work on Day 10.  My cousin Randy gave me a wonderful idea recently- take the pictures off your walls, wrap them in your favorite wrapping paper, add a bow or some ribbon, and hang them back on the wall.  It's all about working with what you have!