8 Dazzling Holiday Decorating Ideas ...

Lots of people enjoy having an old-fashioned holiday, stringing popcorn and cranberries to make garlands for the tree. But why not go old-fashioned in a retro way instead? Bring in the noise and bring in the funk with bright colors and unique decorations. Heck, you can even incorporate a disco ball!

Photo Credit: Chris Devers

One great idea is to take a scene from your favorite holiday story and recreate it, either in decorations or by actually creating a tableau. You might evoke the Sugarplum Fairy in your color scheme, for instance, or you could even put together a tablescape of your favorite scene from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

Don't feel like you need to keep your imagination chained up inside. Taking your decorating outside can create a real winter wonderland. Naturally you can dress up any little pine trees in your yard, but you can also dress up porches, railings, et cetera, with lights, tinsel, even homemade decorations incorporating branches and pinecones.

Photo Credit: hillbillyhomemaker

Feathers and avian themes are apparently extremely popular this season, and that presents a lot of opportunities. You can create your own little aviary by placing decorative, brightly colored birds on their own little tree (perhaps a pear tree), or you can simply cut loose with a feathered motif. That would look quite whimsical itself.

Glitter is also in and can create a very dramatic effect. What you want to do here is go with lots of purples and plums, golds and silvers, dark metallic greens and blues. Give your holidays some drama, incorporate feathers with it. You can technically go a little Vegas – just remember, either be tasteful or go all out; there's not really an in-between with this theme!

Photo Credit: pcmemories

If you don't have a lot of money to buy new decorations, make do with what you have. For instance, take some vases or pretty glasses, and fill them up halfway with salt. Stick in some pretty branches, boughs of holly, sprigs of spruce, and even some lovely ornaments. Voila! A simple, “snow”-filled accent piece for any room of the house!

You can make lots of decorations with candy, especially gingerbread men and candy canes. You can fill more vases with pretty pieces of candy, you can use the canes to create a very original wreath, and the best part is, you can eat these pieces after the holidays – or during, if you want to steal some nibbles!

Take some of your favorite fruits, dip them in wax – for preservation – and then go all out! One option is to skewer the fruits on flexible wire to create a garland or wreath. Longer pieces can be used so you can actually twine literal sugarplums around your bannisters and over your mantel.

You can go with unique colors rather than the traditional ones. Make this a bold, dazzling holiday – even if you don't have the money for new decorations, there are tons of items just lying around the house you can use. What are your favorite pieces to use for decorations?

Top Photo Credit: Made by BeaG