Foliage and flowers in the home add vibrant touches to holiday decorating when the landscape outside is dormant and snow-covered. While many winter holiday celebrations revolve around evergreen trees, they’re far from the only botanical option for cozy decorating. Setting up live, freshly harvested, or faux plants throughout the home will make guests feel more welcome and add the seasonal charm you just can’t get from other holiday decor. Consider a mix of holiday botanicals drawing from both trendy and traditional sources to put the finishing touch on your decorating efforts.

Best Places to Hang Up Garlands

Garlands are often the first holiday or seasonal decorations hung in the winter because they’re adaptable and flexible. From a complete Christmas garland with lights to simple strands of evergreens, garlands help draw the eye along any line you create with them. Vertical drapery is recommended for entryways and shorter rooms where you want to mimic the illusion of a taller ceiling. Horizontal hanging leads guests along, drawing them down a staircase or through a hallway and into the main area. Consider a Christmas garland to match any wreath you hang, especially on the mantle place or front door. Match either the material used to make both decorations or the general color scheme to create a cohesive look. Some of the best places to hang winter holiday garlands throughout the home include:

• Wrapped around banisters and railings.
• Draped over door lintels, mantels, and archways.
• Over a large accent wall, hung over hooks to create a curved swag pattern.
• From the ceiling down around a Christmas tree or side table with a holiday display.
• Tucked around the edges of a kitchen island, countertop, or table where you’re serving a holiday meal.
• Down a hallway wall or along the chair rail.

Christmas Entryway Decoration Ideas

Your average living room plants may bring the beauty of the great outdoors inside, but they can’t hold a candle to entryway arrangements for the holidays. Holiday guests will marvel at elaborate arrangements of matching wreaths, garlands, lights, ornaments, and more. Yet even simple and rustic approaches to entryway decoration will result in a comforting and welcoming look.

The wreath and draped garland combination is a classic for a good reason. Lighted wreaths and garlands offer the warmest appearance, but even basic evergreen arrangements can make a big impact. Make sure the garland drapes all the way to the ground on both sides of the doorway for the most elegant look. Find wreaths and garland choices that match here at Ashley. Another option is to flank the door with two vertical potted trees or hedges trimmed into a spike or spiral look. Use a colorful Christmas decoration on the door – such as a glass bauble wreath or painted wood word art, to give your entryway a homey and friendly look.

Don’t forget the floor when planning for entryway decorations during the holidays, both indoors and out. Themed rugs not only add color and fun to any transitional space, but they also serve a practical purpose by keeping feet warm and trapping slush that might get tracked in. Try a holiday welcome mat outside the front door and a matching entryway rug for the season inside.

A Guide to Classic Christmas Plants

If you’re hearkening to tradition this holiday season, choosing classic Christmas plants will give your home a look straight out of your favorite winter movies. Whether you arrange them in minimalist vases or build arrangements for table centerpieces during family gatherings, consider classic Christmas plants like:

• Mistletoe in bunches.
• Poinsettias in classic red and green or more modern white varieties.
• Amaryllis, especially in deep red.
• Holly sprigs, complete with berries.
• Garlands and wreaths made of pine, spruce, juniper, or fir cuttings.
• Live potted spruce or fir trees, trimmed into varying shapes.
• Massive pinecones accented with bright-colored glitter or tiny natural pinecones to fill bowls.
• Dried fruits and flowers to make naturalistic garlands and arrangements.

You may also want more kid-friendly indoor plants or even faux plants to ensure younger family members aren’t at risk if they’re the curious type. Many popular holiday plants are irritating to the skin or toxic if consumed. Faux versions provide the nostalgia and beauty you want without any of the risk or mess of live plants.

Christmas Wreath Tips

With so many Christmas wreath options to choose from here at Ashley, you can give each room in the home a different look and still not repeat yourself. Christmas wreath ideas abound because these decorations are more versatile than you might think. Go beyond just popping an evergreen circle on the front door and calling it done. Grab a smaller wreath and use it as the centerpiece on the dinner table, arranging candles and vases full of holly sprigs in the center. Attach tiny wreaths to the back of chairs or along garland-wrapped railings. Modern and artistic takes on the classic wreath may include large folds of iridescent ribbons, loosely bundled colored wire dotted with baubles, or arrangements made entirely of bells. With so many places to use these features both inside and out of the home, it’s easy to justify building a big collection of wreaths to match every theme.

Native Plants for Holiday Decorating

For easy arrangements, try using more native plants from your bioregion. For example, homes in the southwest may want to incorporate cacti or succulents into their indoor arrangements. Homes in the northeast could try bringing in witch hazel sprigs for their gold winter blooms or winterberries for their bright red fruits. No matter where you live, there’s likely a plant that has winter beauty you could take cuttings from for a quick spruce-up of any room. Don’t forget kitchen plants like herbs or English ivy, which can be dressed up for the holidays with some pot decorations or mini-lights.

No matter your personal style or year-round home decor decisions, there’s a way to use plants for holiday decorating that matches your taste. Build your collection of wreaths, garlands, and more to find new combinations each time the holidays roll around.