10 Things To Make Christmas More Magical
Create a bit more magic and beauty in your Christmas home with these 10 items. So easy to add to what you have already decorated.
As if you could make Christmas decorations prettier!!! Well, you can! These little embellishments will make your Christmas home look magical! I know because I use them liberally every year! This s a MUST READ Christmas post! Here are 10 things to make Christmas decor more magical…
Oh, these things are like adding sugarplums and pixie dust to your home! You should keep these little additions on hand from season to season and use them over and over in new and creative ways.
FAUX SNOW
This is my number 1 Christmas decor embellishment! My favorite snow looks like shredded white plastic up close but it looks so real and soft when added to the base of a candle or sprinkled down the center of a table. So so pretty! I scoop it up after the holidays and put it in a plastic bag. I’ve used the same faux snow for years!
Pottery Barn carries THE BEST fake snow hands down. That is all I use!
CRANBERRIES
Real cranberries add a very festive feel. If you get them hard and not mushy they will last weeks. I get them at my local grocer’s in the produce section.
Here are a few ways to use them…
- add them to a beautiful glass container with water and floating candles
- put them around a candles
- drop them into a mason jar on top of a bed of faux snow and add greens
- string them along with wooden beads and use as garland
- add them to a glass container to the top and add faux Christmas flowers
- fill a small bowl with cranberries
- simmer them with cinnamon sticks, orange peels, and whole cloves to make your whole home smell delicious
BITS OF GREENS AND BERRIES
I have clear plastic shoeboxes full of bits and pieces of faux greens. Some sparkly, some frosted, some with berries, and some evergreen. But all of them have a realistic look. By adding a tiny sprig of evergreen and a few berries my Christmas creations always look so much better.
My best secret is to find a realistic garland on sale and cut it apart. You will have loads of greens to add to your decor! You can make the very easy tiered bowl above HERE.
VOTIVES AND CANDLES AND FAIRY LIGHTS
A soft warm glow will make anything better!
Be liberal with candlelight especially at Christmas! Use different size candle holders to create a glow all around!
I just painted some cardboard houses white and added gold and silver leaf roofs. Then I put a tiny battery-operated tea light in it and oh, it looks darling! You can see them HERE.
And don’t get me started on fairy lights! Because most are battery operated you can put them almost anywhere! And they give such a sparkly look wherever you put them!
You can see HOW TO PAINT AND SILVER LEAF CARDBOARD HOUSES HERE.
SHINY CHRISTMAS BALLS
These little gems in gold, silver, red, green, or any other shiny color can add lots of sparkle to the base of a topiary, filling a glass container or scattered in the bottom of a vignette.
I collect them when they go on sale and I store them in clear plastic shoeboxes by color.
I also love mercury glass ornaments! They have a beautiful sophisticated, old-world look!
Easy-peasy!
TINY WREATHS
Another add-on to Christmas decor. Use them as chargers under dishes in a tablescape, as a pretty extra on a Christmas gift or fitted around a chunky candlestick.
I also store my tiny wreaths by size and type.
In the image above I’ve mixed faux snow, real ribbon, pinecones, Christmas balls, and a wreath. Five of my magical Christmas elements!
See SILVER AND GOLD CHRISTMAS TABLE HERE.
GLITTER ANYTHING
I was decorating last year’s tree with glittery Christmas ornaments which had glittered from head to toe. Glitter may look too glitzy any other time of the year but during Christmas it is enchanting! Use it liberally!
And I carried the same feel to this year’s tree plus a little bit of red!
REAL RIBBON
Forget the cheap gift wrap ribbon and go for the real thing! I use satin, burlap, silk, shiny, matte, and other real ribbons. It is a Christmas luxury!
Here are a few ideas for using real ribbon in Christmas decorating…
- make a big Christmas bow for a wreath. See an easy diy for making a beautiful bow HERE
- hang garland with satin ribbon
- tie up gifts and then save the ribbon and reuse it from year to year.
- use it as a garland in your Christmas tree
- make a Christmas ribbon craft
MONGOLIAN PILLOWS AND THROWS
Like faux snow these pretty, cozy accessories are magical!
Invest in a throw and drape it over a chair, put it in front of your Christmas tree or, cover an ottoman or poof!
Just beautiful and so welcoming! You will want to snuggle right in!
PINECONES
I know I sound like a broken record when it comes to pinecones I’m always ready to sing their versatile praises.
And I tried to leave them off this list, but really they are one of my favorite embellishments.
Right from the woods, scented, frosted, painted, gilded, or even bleached. Pinecones do double duty. They act as a very inexpensive filler and are also a major Christmas decoration!
I keep boxes clear boxes and boxes of them. My recent love is big SUGAR pinecones. Swoon!
And see this post about USING PINECONES IN CHRISTMAS DECOR HERE.
Start collecting these magical elements of Christmas decor and use them to decorate your Christmas house!
Today’s blog, like all the others, keep me coming back for more. The blue rain boots….absolutely love it! Cranberries and candle…love it! Thank you, Yvonne! You have made my day.
Hi Mary, I’m so glad you are finding inspiration here.
I just want to thank you for your diligence and willingness to share so many beautiful ideas with us. I realize how much work a blog is and you so generously give so much to your readers. Every day I find another beautifully written blog post that I cannot wait to read. Thank you so much! Your posts brighten my day and continue to inspire me. God bless you. Clare
It’s a labor of love, Clare. For women like you! I consider you all my friends.
I love these ideas – many that I already incorporate. I just got some faux Mongolian fur pillows this year (that I love!!) but I am in the market for a good faux Mongolian throw. Can you make a recommendation??
Merry Christmas and thank you! LoriDee
There is something so special about Mongolian fur, LoriDee!
Lovely ideas, Yvonne, and easy for an amateur like myself, to incorporate into my Christmas decor. I share your love of pinecones, and use them…. everywhere. May actually have an addiction to them, as I cannot go for a walk in our wooded neighborhood, without stuffing a few in my pockets. Adopted your suggestion to bleach some, and decorate with them every season. They pair nicely with nuts in the shell, especially walnuts. Also, smaller ones look pretty in layers in wide vases and jars with walnuts, tiny faux apples, small ornaments, and wooden or real cranberries. For the cranberries, purchase a wooden garland and cut them loose. The list of decor choices with pinecones is endless. Thanks for encouraging us to use our imaginations. Enjoying your Christmas posts and appreciate all your effort to share with us, especially as we are sheltering. A wonderful time to pretty our homes and enjoy.
What lovely suggestions, Jane!
Yvonne, Thank you for so many wonderful suggestions. They are all beautiful. For me, the thing that adds magic to all of my holiday displays are the battery operated LED micro lights…sometimes called rice or seed lights. I add them to my mantle display, dining table centerpiece, kitchen island display, etc. They tuck so easily into any greens/faux greens and the timer battery pack is easy to hide among greens and ribbons. I also have them on both of my outside door swags. It’s so fun to see them all switch on around the time the sun is fading.
What a great idea, Judy! Yes, those kind of fairy lights are magical!
Love your ideas especially the pine cones and cranberries. And who doesn’t love fairy lights to add to the magic !!
You are right! Who doesn’t love fairy lights!
You have the most beautiful collection of decor and give the greatest advice and photos to go along with it. Loved each idea!
Thank you Cindy! One my favorite monthly posts is the Pinterest Challenge. And you do such a fabulous job organizing us.
I love your entry, may I ask where you found the bench? Your style and decorating ate so inspiring.
I always love your inspiration! Can I ask where you found the snowflake cut outs? ?
I agree with you totally on ribbon. You can find beautiful ribbon even at Dollar tree but my favorite place to buy ribbon is at Hobby Lobby. They already have 50% off in Christmas. It is my Christmas luxury to give a gift with an elegant bow to me the wrapping is a personal touch for each person. Love your ide of adding natural pine and pine ones too. Only a lot of my gifts need to be shipped so wire and burlap ribbon is my favorite.
In our family and extended family, we all use real ribbon and save the ribbon we get on a package and use it year to year. It’s so fun to “pass around” the ribbon and see whose package it ends up on.
Always beautifully decorated Yvonne . I love the glittery ornaments on the tree , we need some sparkle in these times . I am not allowed to go into shops in Australia as I am not jabbed , so have made do with many foraged items from eucalyptus branches , to a huge branch all spray painted in shiny rose copper . Pine cones have become my best friends covering many in Epsom salts and glitter . It is very much make do this year , but it still gives me joy .
I love your ingenuity, Angie! God bless all of you in Australia!
So crisp and elegant! I do like that you mix different materials and some fr I also put out things my grandkids can touch, pick up and make music with.
Thanks Linda!
Love your blog! The “new and improved” version is especially beautiful, well organized and helpful. I have used many many of your ideas for my home. Thanks for all you do. I know it takes a great deal of time. Such an ispiration in so many ways! Merry Christmas!
My pleasure Kelia! Merry Christmas.
I love all of these ideas. Thank you Yvonne. Would you mind sending the link for how to make the perfect bow. The link listed does not seem to be working.
Here you go:https://www.stonegableblog.com/christmas-ribbon-and-bows/
I stumbled on your blog quite accidentally and I have to say I love love love it! Thank you for taking the time to create and share this with all of us! I find the most helpful hints and ideas here! I love how it’s organized and photographed everything is so beautiful and really easy to follow! Thank you and happy holidays!
Welcome to the StoneGable family, Tricia. Merry Christmas.