Decorate Your Windows for Christmas

Vintage linens can sometimes be too delicate to use for their intended practical purposes. But they can shine as cheery Christmas decor. Hang your favorites (cute aprons or fun towels) as window treatments for the holiday season.

Editor's Tip: Avoid hanging special linens in direct sunlight to prevent fading.

Craft your own winter flurries with a window display of falling snowflakes. Simply hang decorative snowflakes from window muntins (or use suction cups to hang from glass). Try colorful snowflakes for a whimsical look. Complete the wintry scene with an evergreen swag hung across the top of the window.

Hang classic Christmas wreaths in multiples for a striking effect, especially if you have a wide expanse of windows (as shown here). These three wreaths create visual interest across the bay of windows.

Add a pretty holiday swag to your window treatments using large beaded garland. Drape a couple of garland strings over the curtain rod, securing them with tape on the back of the rod. For a finishing touch, wire elegant glass balls to the garland ends and top the balls with greenery.

Use ribbon to embellish a window. Here, miniature wreaths were hung in the upper corners of the window frame, simulating the role of old-fashioned decorative corner blocks. Lengths of ribbon were draped through the centers of the wreaths and the tails were left to cascade down. Use multiple lengths of ribbon in colors to match your holiday decor, and try different patterns and fabrications (organza, satin, etc.), too.

For this variation on hanging Christmas wreaths at windows, tuck the end of the ribbons behind the window treatments. The wreaths seem to float in midair. Note: The wreaths pictured are made from fresh bay leaves.

Clear glass ornaments hung in windows will catch light and send sparkles throughout the room. String an ornament onto a length of ribbon. Attach the end of the ribbon into the wall above the window frame with a small nail or thumbtack. Hang just one bauble as a focal point, or hang multiples for extra sparkle.

Go to the next slide to learn about the garland hanging in front of the curtains.

Add streams of color to your windows with beaded garland. Use straight pins to pin garland in place at the top of the curtain, or hammer a nail into the wall above the window frame and knot the garland around it. Let the beads fall in front of the curtains and pool on the floor.

Use florist's wire and basic Christmas supplies to create a window swag. This decoration has three red bells topped with an assortment of evergreen branches, berry sprigs, and pinecones. Wire the elements together and finish with a pretty bow. Create a loop of wire on the back of the swag and hang from a temporary adhesive hook tacked to the window frame.

Repeat a good idea for cohesive Christmas decor. For example, in this space both windows are draped with fresh pine garlands like the one on the mantel for a classic holiday look.

Make an Advent calendar to count down to Christmas. Number small bags and place a little gift or note in each one. Hang the bags on clothesline strung across a window using clothespins. Then each day, look for the corresponding bag and enjoy a mini treat.

Editor's Tip: If you have kids, make a clothesline of different packages for each child. (This window uses small hats, fabric bags, and paper bags for three Advent calendars.)

Bring festive attention to a large bank of windows or sliding glass doors by suspending a row of wreaths from the curtain rod. For Christmas-red color, shop your local crafts store for artificial hypericum berries to wire onto grapevine wreaths.

In a rustic country home, keep window decorations simple and inspired by nature. These wreaths are made of pinecones, dried fruit, and greenery sprigs.

Dress up a window with a lacy table skirt for a quick valance, and hang paper snowflakes from the curtain rod with seasonal, festive ribbons.

Try some of these pretty garland ideas for your home this Christmas season.