Every year in November, I marvel at the Christmas trees and fireplace mantels in the decorating magazines. They always seem to pick a theme, such as all silver or gold with one colour or all green and red, or just neutral white snowflakes. Yes, it looks divine, but sometimes it can look a bit too “made up”.

Christmas decor needs to be authentic, natural and from the heart and it needs to make you feel warm and cozy, inside and out. Decorating is also about traditions, however, but if you stick to your traditions too firmly, you may not be able to let your imagination flow to create the decor you really want.

Weather fake or real, the Christmas tree is a favorite holiday decoration project. The tree has so many possibilities, from themed decor such choosing just two or three colors for the ornaments or choosing all types of angels, snowflakes, children’s crafts or pure simplicity with only one type of ornament for the entire tree.

My favorite color theme is the green-red-brown theme with natural elements. For example, making your own gingerbread ornaments, gingerbread persons, stars, hearts, snowflakes, pine cones etc. If you choose the gingerbread ornaments (my kids love this tradition), before baking, make a small hole in the cookie and after your gingerbread has been decorated and baked, you can use a red silk ribbon to hang it in your tree.

To continue on the natural theme, hang dried apple slices, fresh cranberries and popcorn on a string as garlands, large pine cones or bundles of cinnamon sticks tied with a ribbon. A tradition I always carry forward is sticking an orange full of cloves, in a pattern, then tying a red ribbon around the orange and hanging it from my dining room chandelier. It smells wonderful. Christmas is also about lots of candles, a soft white light to bring light in the darkness. And that is why I never use coloured lights, they don’t look anything like candlelight. Both inside and outside – white lights.

Last year I spent some time in Scandinavia in the dark month of January. I asked my friend who lives there why everyone had a candle burning outside their front door, every night? She said, for no special reason, just to lighten up the darkness of winter. I loved this “new” tradition. It was a silent greeting of light, to anyone who passed by.

No matter how you decide to decorate, do it with purpose and intention. Take photos of what you create, your room, and look at the pictures as if you never saw this living space before. What do you notice, what do you love and what bugs you? Remember to only use decor that you love and make you feel good. If something has a negative memory or is broken, bad energy will surround it. Good riddance.

Here are some things to do for holiday decorating:

• Discard or give away any ornaments or decoration you don’t love.

• The trend again this year seems to be themes of colors with gold but mostly silver. Pick up an accent color from your home and continue this theme for your holiday decor. For example, if your cushions on your sofa are green, look for green ornaments and decor, then add a splash of sparkle, like silver.

• Arrange your Christmas decorations in groups or themes, creating vignettes. In other words, don’t scatter little ornaments here and there in your home. Look for areas, tables, consoles to turn into special displays.

• When you buy new items, buy at least two or three to have impact. For example, are you buying miniature trees or poinsettias or thick candles for your mantel or table? If so, buy two, rather three or more; a grouping makes a statement.

• Do look for a focal point, perhaps your tree or your mantel, but maybe not both side by side (you can find your focal point by closing your eyes while standing at the door to your room, and the first thing you see should be your focal point).

• Place your Christmas tree away from heat sources such as vents or fireplaces so that it does not dry out so fast, but place your tree where you can admire it the most.

• Hide your tree stand with fabric, maybe burlap, a tree skirt or a big fun bucket or pot.

• Use a timer for your lights to save energy and use white lights to mimic candles.

• Do put candles or ornaments (electric) in your windows toward the street.

• Look for natural decorations: a big bowl of pine cones, sugared fruit, red apples in a large bowl with holly or cedar branches.

• Greenery, greenery, greenery. If you have to cut branches from your tree (to make it fit in the stand), use the branches in arrangements, or lay them on your mantel. Ask the tree vendors for branches to use in arrangements.

• Arrange long branches of greenery in large vases, IKEA or HomeSense has some great big glass vases that can be used as fruit bowls, candle holders or for arrangements.

• Let your kids have their own decorations and little tree (fake) in their room to decorate as they wish.

• Make your guest bedroom inviting with select decorations.

• Don’t forget to add a Christmas touch to your bathrooms, perhaps a bowl of scented pinecones.

• Decorate your front hall and outside your door with fresh greenery, make the entrance into your home the best it can be. Use lights on timers.

• For special nights, or every evening if you like, light a candle (tea light) in a safe enclosed lantern outside your home.

• For a fun piece, place a string of lights in a large bowl (they now come battery powered). You can add greenery or pretty shiny decorative balls to the bowl.

• Do keep apple cider spices simmering on your stove for a lovely scent.

This article was provided by Room4refinement.com. Cat Hackman is a Calgary based interior decorator and owner of www.Room4refinement.com . Call 403.705.4791 c. 403.681.4473.