Christmas Decoration - part 1

Decorate with Cranberries
Festoon glass jugs, such as these antique demijohns, with colorful garlands of fresh cranberries, allowing any excess to puddle at the base for a casual look.

Conversation Starter
A traditional swag on the living room mantel in this Birmingham, Alabama, home creates an element of surprise with its unexpected natural ingredients: tree branches and birch bark shavings. Four comfortable club chairs surround a large coffee table, creating the perfect place to relax by the fire.

Let There Be Light
Deck the halls, porches, entries and landscaping with garlands of light. Try running strands of miniature lights along edges of your home's architectural features, such as bay windows and chimneys, or around trellises and gazebos. Sculptural plants become even more beautiful when illuminated against the night sky. Just be sure to use lights approved for outdoor use; cool-burning miniatures are best for plants.

Forest Jewels
Celebrate nature's beauty with a wreath of pinecones on an 18-inch twig base. Wrap a 9-inch length of 22- or 24-gauge florist's wire around the top of the base to create a hanger; loop a 3-inch length of wire through the 9-inch length; twist ends together. With a glue gun, attach the pinecones (we used about 120), starting with the inside. Repeat on the outside of the base, then the front.

Matching Wreath and Garland
Noble fir and eucalyptus are an easy pairing in this matching wreath and garland. Floral wire holds it all together. Use a 24-inch conifer wreath and garland of a desired length. Cut eucalyptus branches with pods into 3- to 4-inch stems; attach each stem to a sprig of fir by wrapping them together with floral wire.

Contemporary Reflections
Decked with red ornaments and white lights, this compelling tree ushers visitors beyond the entry of an Atlanta apartment. The symmetry established by the mirrors and matching displays along the side walls further enhances the entryway's visual impact.

Cozy, Fireside Spot for Kids
Classic plaid pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags create a cozy palette on the floor for cold nights by the fire. Plaid ribbon-wrapped candles, stockings, and even gift wrap create a festive theme in this home.

Wintery White Sunporch
This calming, glassed-in sunporch combines the nautical and the festive with potted paper whites, a Christmas tree adorned with white doves, and a simple wreath on the door.

Simple Holiday Door
Ropes of garland made from magnolia, red cedar, winterberry, and pinecones complement the stone exterior of this Atlanta home.

Cozy Country Kitchen
An arrangement of tulips and fir sprigs and potted paper whites bring easy holiday cheer to this kitchen in Virginia.

Breakfast Nook for Noel
An oversized wreath adorned with fruit creates a focal point on this wall of windows in the breakfast nook.

Christmas-Ready Entryway
Evergreen garland embellished with magnolia leaves and red berries drape over the railing on the dramatic staircase in the entryway of this Atlanta home.

Celebrate Red and Gold
Neighbors and family members alike benefit from the beauty of this front porch Christmas tree, as it is visible to passersby on the boardwalk in Point Clear, Alabama.

Relaxed Dining Room
The exposed brick wall and fireplace in this Sag Harbor, New York, dining room was once red brick. Painted the same shade of white as the walls and then dressed, the brick’s patina looks vintage and cottage chic. A window seat makes this entertaining space more casual, and a round table makes for cozy family dinners.

Warm Tones
An all-gold Christmas tree makes this all-white living room cozy and warm.

Holiday Doorway
Red and green are the classic colors of Christmas. This entryway uses new ideas with familiar hues to give Holiday trimmings a fresh twist. Pomegranates, gold ornaments, and Fraser fir garland make up this display.

Coastal Comfort
In this coastal master bedroom, soft colors and vintage finds create a cozy, worn feeling. Blue accents bring in a bit of color, and beaded board draws attention to the charming ceiling shape.

Coastal Tree
A fledgling redwood, adorned with simple white dried sea stars and pale blue and green ornaments, reflects the natural hues of Christmas at the shore.

Island-Style Christmas Morning
The brightly decorated mantel at left lends a distinctly Hawaiian feel to this living room. Tropical flowers set in blocks of moist florist's foam nestle in a plastic-lined plywood box, assembled and set atop the mantel just for the occasion; palm bark conceals the box. The lights are tiki torches, their cutoff poles secured in holes drilled into blocks of wood. Below hang stockings made from Hawaiian-print cotton fabric.

Warm Christmas Feel
In this master bedroom, an antique sailor's trunk compensates for scarce closet space. Fresh green garland adorns the mantel, and a simple wreath completes the Christmas look.

Classic Colors
Bells and holly are the crowning achievement for this Christmas tree. With predominately red and gold accents, this holiday staple feels nostalgic, while still suiting a modern living room.

Rustic and Refined
The natural beauty of the pinecones and birch logs in this arrangement adds woodland appeal to this entryway. Vintage objects, like this old wooden sleigh, enhance the rustic look.

Trimming the Tree on a Budget
The prospect of covering a 6-foot tree with lovely ornaments can be daunting, especially if you have yet to collect a sizeable number of ornaments. Instead, use natural decorations from your yard to fill a lot of space. The tree shown here exudes a simple, natural beauty with decorations made of bright red berries, branches, and a string of white lights.

Traditional Christmas Tree
An expansive entryway in this Beaufort, South Carolina, home allows an impressive 9-foot-tall native Fraser fir to take center stage.