Fresh Christmas Decorating Ideas

Turn your home into an oasis of warmth with these holiday sweater candleholders. Wrap a rectangle of cable-knit sweater wrong side out around a vase and pin in place. Trim excess fabric, allowing extra fabric at the bottom and top. Remove the rectangle and sew along pinned line. Slip fabric over vase, gluing sweater fabric to the top and bottom of the vase, making extra effort to keep it flat on the bottom for stability. For festive touches, add velvet ribbon or a felt flower.

An easy way to spread the Christmas spirit is with a red bowl filled with giant bell ornaments. Add evergreen sprigs and small apples to boost traditional holiday color.

Turn crafts scraps into a bright, bold holiday picture frame. Trace the picture frame backing onto a piece of thin cardboard. Cut the same shape from two different-color blue pieces of felt. Glue the lighter piece to the cardboard. Cut out the center of the darker piece with scalloped-edge scissors, leaving a 1/2 inch border; attach the darker felt piece around the rim of the cardboard (and the light color felt). Glue ivory buttons into a tree shape, decorating with small colorful buttons as ornaments.

Bring birdhouses indoors during the winter months for festive mantel decorations. Create a forest on the mantel with luscious evergreen, artificial red roses, and woodsy pinecones. Nestle birdhouses (red and green roofs add seasonal color) into the evergreens for a charming display.

Hot-glue different size balls of twine together into snowman shapes. Use tacks for eyes and glittery plastic-foam balls for buttons. For the hats and happy message, unravel a few feet of twine from the top ball. Shape florist's wire as desired; hot-glue to the twine balls. Wrap the unraveled twine around the wire until completely covered; trim excess twine.

For a classic and low-cost decoration in any kitchen, place ball ornaments into a muffin tin. Cool colors and cupcake liners evoke country charm. Bonus: This decoration is easy to move out of the way when you're cooking a holiday meal.

Plant mini evergreen trees in a mix of old red-and-green transferware bowls. Set on a mantel decorated with red pears and leaves for an interesting take on traditional holiday colors.

Sea salt "snow," small ornaments, pine branches, and family photos transform a glass lamp base into a festive still life. A cork top holds the lightbulb hardware for easy display changes.

Display your holiday cards on an easy-to-assemble tabletop tree. Fill a pitcher with twigs and anchor with several rocks. Festoon twigs with ribbon and use curtain clip rings or binder clips to attach the cards.

Find a decorative use for all those old clothespins by adding them to a wide bowl with a tiny Tannenbaum. Cut a hole in a decorative jewelry gift box and stick in a real or faux evergreen sprig fashioned as a Christmas tree. Nestle the box in the clothespins for a cute potted plant. Small pops of red glitter glue on the ends of tree branches give a touch of color.

Sparkling clear candlesticks and vintage ornaments gather together to make this simple display. Choose candlesticks of different heights and ornaments of varying sizes to add interest to the scene.

Pretty buttons in creamy white surround a beeswax candle to make a cozy display on a holiday table. Use a clear antique dish for continued country charm.

For a unique holiday decoration, gather a collection of white cosmetic powder puffs and tiny trinkets saved from sewing and needlework projects. Sew or glue the trinkets in fun patterns on the powder puffs. Layer the powder puffs on a circle mat board with the center cut out, and glue the puffs in place. Add silver leaves to the wreath and hang the wreath from a white picture frame using velvet ribbon.

Make a pretty poinsettia bloom stand out by laying it on top of a bowl of black stones. Pair the arrangement with a simple candle in a silver votive candleholder for a modern display.

Fun store-bought hats dressed with white pom-poms and red buttons make a garland when hung on twine with clothespins. String across a window sill or mantel for a homespun decoration. Gift tags with crayon-drawn numbers count down the days until Christmas.

This tall centerpiece becomes the focal point of the table. Fill silver platters and cake stands with bright ornaments and cover with bell jars for holiday decor.

A small chalkboard encased in an old painted frame allows you to spell a "Noel" note that connects the wall-hung arrangement to the season. If the chalkboard is too heavy, paint a little swatch of chalkboard paint on the wall and hang the frame to surround it.

Decorate a foam cone with dozens of assorted green fabric yo-yos to make this whimsical holiday tree. Hold each yo-yo in place with a shirt button and a few bead-studded pins, then mount the tree on a glass candleholder. A hot pink ribbon makes the perfect topper.

Stretch the traditional Christmas color palette to include lime green and yellow. White stockings filled with small wrapped presents hang from yellow ribbon wrapped around the handrail. Embellish the handrail with evergreen garland for a touch of seasonal nature.

Decorate pillows in holiday colors to look like wrapped packages by adding ornate bows or elegant ribbon. Beaded tassel or fancy fashion pins give the pillows a designer look.

Dress up a chandelier or hanging light fixture with white-tip pinecones hung with fishing line. Use fake snow or white paint to dust the tips of the pinecones. The decorative details add a wintery look and instant charm to any room.

Use your tiniest ornaments to decorate windows. Tie ribbon to each ornament and hang at staggered heights from the curtain rod. When the ornaments catch the morning light, they'll send Christmas spirit throughout the room.

Go for something simple and clean with large wooden letters. Spell out any holiday greeting and garnish the base with greenery or flowers.

Add pop to a simple white 36-inch-tall tree from a crafts store by hanging tiny red ball ornaments -- simple and effective.

Tiny holiday trees (whether real or artificial) give any room a festive look. Make our ribbon trees by wrapping styrene cones with gingham and topping them with toile bows secured by T-pins.

You don't need to blow your decorating budget to make an impact this holiday season. Just a few fresh red roses tucked into pieces of a silver tea service make a quick and easy table display.

Fresh oranges, tiny stars, orange ornaments, and brightly painted starfish nestle into fresh greenery on the mantel. Though these may not be the colors for your room, unexpected colors capture attention and express a homeowner's personality.

Not into the traditional, bright red-and-green color scheme? Use what you have that fits with your decor and make it special. Our large mixing bowl, color-cued to the rest of the room, becomes home to vintage postcards or holiday greetings during December.