A Month Filled With Joy

Make the house merry for holiday entertaining

Red and green are traditional for Christmas, silver and blue for Hanukkah but contemporary ideas for holiday décor often include a non-traditional approach, including expanding the color scheme. Here are some tried and true tips for sprucing up your house for the holidays. Pardon the pun.
    Go beyond pine for your door décor. A non-traditional square wreath can be made of boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) or Oregon boxwood (Paxistima myrstima). For a traditional round wreath, use different textures like magnolia leaves or pepperberry, dried chili peppers or succulents.
    Add some holiday fun to entry and hallway light fixtures. Festoon them with ribbon and greenery or by hanging them with a miniature wreath.
    To ensure holiday kisses, don’t forget the fresh mistletoe hung in a doorway.
    Fill the house with potted orchids. Dress up the base of the orchid with holiday greens such as spruce, pine or cedar. They will perfume the house throughout the season.
    Frame a special picture or mirror with garland. Use elements that work well inside. Boxwood or seeded eucalyptus make a great choice as they tend not to shed.
    Look for treasures in your mother or grandmother’s closet. Ruby glass bowls and glassware made ideal accents for your home or holiday table. Fill them with fresh flowers, greens or candles.
    Spray-paint seashells gold or silver for a holiday at the beach. Tuck them into the branches of your tree, arrange on a mantel or buffet or mass in a clear glass bowl.
    Going out of town for the holidays with the kids and they still want a tree and all the trimmings? Give each one a small tabletop tree in a pot that they can decorate in their own unique way. When the holidays are over, bring the trees home and you can plant them in the yard……..Robin Dietsch, www.grandfloral.com