Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Tag: Holiday decor

  • Decorating with Holiday Lighting

    As the season of celebration arrives, your home’s festive spirit can shine with dazzling holiday lighting. This doesn’t mean that you need to have lights on every inch of your rooftop or trees – although we support that! Even small accents, from window treatments to nightstand accessories, can make an impact. With a little bit of planning, the possibilities for glowing good cheer are endless. Read on as we share some of our favorite ideas for bringing the season alive with joyous holiday lighting.  

    Send a Message with LED Rope Holiday Lighting

    LED rope lights allow you to send a message in a way that is “bright, energy-efficient, and easy,” according to Martha Stewart Living. The Magazine offers templates, including their gorgeous “Joy” sign, that allow you to write out your season’s greetings in style. The lights are attached to “a grid of wire wreath forms with heavy-duty cable ties” and can be quickly displayed on windows, garage doors, and across porch railings, as well as throughout your home. In fact, they are so easy to create, you may want to hang more than one. 

    Say It With Snowflakes

    Speaking of rope lights, you can create stunning hanging snowflake ornaments, perfect for decorating gazebos, trees, and porch beams. You can craft this glimmering holiday light display by “hand-twisting rope lights” in a pattern available through Martha Stewart Living and then hanging them by their cords, which are artfully hidden by ribbon. This wintry decoration is perfect for celebrating the holidays, but it is so welcoming that you might want to keep these snowflakes up until spring.

    Stage Mason Jar Strands

    Whether you are hoping to add holiday lighting to bedroom nightstands or want to illuminate walkways for guests, mason jars may be the key to your winter decorating. The idea is a favorite of the pros at Real Simple. “Fill a large Mason jar with a strand or two of battery-powered lights to add whimsy,” and you are done.  It’s that easy. We also love seeing them on tables for outdoor entertaining – those cold nights by the firepit take on an extra magical quality when you can see these lights twinkling in the darkness. Plus, it makes seeing your fabulous snacks even easier. 

    Display a String-Light Christmas Tree 

    Would you love to add a Christmas tree to your child’s room but don’t want to deal with the potential mess and expense? Holiday lighting can also help you create an ideally festive atmosphere in kids’ rooms. String lights are the key. The decorating experts at Martha Stewart Living love the idea of creating string-light Christmas trees using five strategically-placed adhesive hooks. “Felt star ornaments add to the twinkle effect and can be made using the template.” While white decorations are sure to delight, you and your kids can craft the felt ornaments using any color that makes you smile.  

    Create Unique Holiday Glass Candle-Holders

    Do you have pretty glassware that you can spare? Consider turning glasses, everything from whisky tumblers to chalices, into charming candle-holders by filling them with votives. If they are deep enough and solid, you may want to use votives with wicks that you can light. However, if they are placed in an area where they might be disturbed, you’ll want to use battery-operated votives. You’ll still have the beauty of the illumination but without the safety concerns. Midwest Living loves this idea and suggests taking this holiday decoration a step further by “[topping the glasses] with mini-wreaths, being sure to use non-flammable materials or to keep candle flames well away from fresh greens.” 

    Hang Glowing Topiary Lanterns

    Making them into stunning holiday lighting is a snap if you already have topiary lanterns. All you need to do is wrap your lights along the wire bands that form the lantern, securing them with staples or small adhesive hooks as you go. If you don’t have topiary lanterns, you can easily purchase frames at craft stores that can be wrapped with string or LED rope lights (and use twist-ties to secure them to the edges). The experts prefer the latter at Martha Stewart Living: “Rope lights, which look as if they’re filled with liquid beads, provide a smoother, more defined look than the standard string variety.” Want to go for some extra sparkle? The Magazine recommends wrapping tinsel in between the light bands and hanging these dazzling orbs from trees with thick, colorful ribbon (which will also help hide the cords). 

    Drape Crackle Ball Garland

    Crackle ball holiday lighting is trendy right now and with good reason! Not only do they add a sparkle in whatever space they appear, they also feature an eye-catching texture that sets them apart from traditional lanterns. It’s not surprising that Southern Living is raving about crackle ball garlands from West Elm. The Magazine loves the shimmering options and its affordable price tag. While the editors are making a plan to drape the garland along their stair rails, it also would look lovely sitting across fireplace mantels, as window treatments, and on porches (provided they can be secured against the elements). 

    Light a Mistletoe Chandelier

    Finally, if you want to add a sense of romance to your holiday lighting, and are up for a little DIY fun, consider creating a gorgeous mistletoe chandelier using the instructions from Martha Stewart Living. As the Magazine reveals: “Although it looks as though it has been cast from silver, the piece is made of faux mistletoe and dainty rice lights attached to a branch.” The look is refined and delicate, although by using the Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Faux Mistletoe, it’s sturdy enough to last throughout the holiday season and into the new year. It’s so lovely that you’ll want to put it up again next year!

  • Easy Ways to Refresh Your Home for the Holidays

    Welcoming friends, family, and other loved ones into your home for the holidays can be exciting, particularly if it has been a while since you’ve played host. As you look around, are you concerned that your entertaining spaces might not be as ready as you’d like them to be for the season’s celebrations? No problem! We reveal some of our favorite tips to help refresh your home for the holidays. 

    Elevate Your Entryway

    Start with a light cleaning at your threshold (inside and outside). This means sweeping up the fallen leaves, sprucing up the holiday wreath, dusting off the welcome mat, and removing the excess clutter from around the door. After that is done, it’s time to assess two critical areas: the front door and the entryway. Martha Stewart Living’s home editor is a fan of starting with an easy fix; “Lorna Aragon sprays her entire front door—glass, frame, and handle—with Windex glass cleaner.” It’s inexpensive and makes your door instantly ready for holiday lights and decorations.

    Inside, if the hall or entryway baseboards are filled with dark scuff marks, you can quickly get them pristine with a product like Mr. Clean Extra Durable Magic Eraser. But if the space still doesn’t sing, you may want to make a small investment by buying a longer hall or entry rug. As Martha Stewart Living reveals, the “[rolling] out of a longer rug (with its XL footprint) … stops more dirt than the average doormat and won’t stain. Plus, it adds a finish to the space that will make your home feel pulled together and ready for company. 

    Lighten Up Home Entertaining Spaces

    New lighting can make a world of difference, particularly if you are swapping outdated fixtures or ones that don’t reflect the ambiance you want in your entertaining spaces. The experts tell Real Simple that one of the easiest ways to refresh your home for the holidays is to “try a multibulb pendant over a dining table or a decorative flush-mount fixture in the entryway.” They also love the idea of giving “table and floor lamps a modern update by trading bell-shaped or pleated shades for crisp white drum shades.” 

    Do you have a spare mirror that you’ve been planning to hang? This is the perfect time. Not only can mirrors make entertaining spaces feel larger, but they maximize light. Interior designer and home decor maker Jana Bek suggests to Real Simple that those adding a mirror for seasonal festivities (and beyond) should strive to “[hang] one opposite a window, a piece of artwork, or wallpaper to increase the impact of these elements in your space.” Mirrors will amplify the impact of holiday lights and decorations, allowing a few decorations to go a long way. 

    Rearrange the Furniture

    Don’t underestimate the impact of rearranging your home’s furniture before the holidays. If you plan on entertaining a lot during this festive season, consider bringing in a long side table from another room to serve as a buffet or moving out items that might block the flow of guests. If there are club chairs in your bedroom that fit with the decor in your entertaining space, bring them out and arrange them in such a way that will encourage comfort and conversation. 

    Once the furniture is in place, look at their accessories. Are your cushions or pillows on your sofa or side chair looking a little limp? Interior designer Katie Raffetto advises Real Simple readers to “give [cushions] new life by upgrading your inserts.” Raffetto recommends “an insert made of ’25 percent down and 75 percent feather that is two inches larger in length and width than the pillow jacket.’” 

    Finally, how are your throw blankets looking? Sprucing up your cozy throws is a quick and easy step towards refreshing your home. You can swap out your throws for ones that feature holiday themes or colors or simply give them a good cleaning. Martha Stewart Living loves the idea of “[tossing throw blankets] in the dryer on the steam setting with a few wool dryer balls, [and sprinkling] the balls with a few drops of essential oil to infuse the whole load with a soft scent.” 

    Revive the Rugs

    Consider steam cleaning your rugs, particularly those that cover high-traffic areas. Professional cleaning services will get your entire home done in just hours, and they will even include upholstery cleaning in the deal. You can also easily rent machines at businesses like Lowe’s and focus your steam cleaning efforts on the areas you know need it most. It’s a holiday refresh that will yield benefits well into the new year. 

    Awaken Your Walls

    Are your walls feeling less than inspiring? The good news is that it is easy to awaken them. If you have the time, money, and inclination, choosing a new paint color for the walls in your entertaining space will give your home a lift for the holidays. However, you don’t need to make that significant of an investment to feel an impact. In fact, Real Simple suggests that revitalizing your walls might be as simple as changing your artwork. The Magazine applauds the idea of “[introducing] a new piece or simply [rearranging] your frames.” 

    New York City interior designer Libby Langdon tells Real Simple that she enjoys the idea of “[installing] a photo ledge, [leaning] a few pieces against the wall, and [swapping] them out each season so your room stays current.” Of course, if you want a wall refresh that is Christmas-specific, consider covering a painting, mirror, or flat-screen TV with wrapping paper and a bow for your holiday events. It’s a decorative step that is simple and easily removed when the celebrations wind down.

    Stock Welcoming Provisions

    Martha Stewart Living recommends stocking up on sweet, salty, and crunchy “shelf-stable” goodies if you have guests staying with you over the holidays. You can put them out in the kitchen in seasonal storage containers, set them on side tables in your entertaining spaces, or put together a decorative basket of options that can sit in the guest room. You’ll also want to make a pitcher of craft beverages (alcoholic and nonalcoholic options) that are easy for your guests to grab themselves from the refrigerator or off of your bar cart. If you know that they have a favorite wine, you can either stock up for your drinks or dinner hour or set aside a bottle with a bow on their nightstand as a holiday welcome gift. 

    Prep the Powder Room

    In addition to giving it a good scrubbing, you can refresh the powder room that guests are most likely to use by injecting a sense of the holiday spirit into the decor and styling. The pros at Midwest Living agree that “carrying the seasonal theme throughout the house is a thoughtful touch.” What are some of the Magazine’s favorite touches? “Fir-scented soap and winter-motif hand towels are an easy way to make even the powder room glow with holiday spirit.” 

    Stage a Holiday Shelf

    Speaking of carrying holiday cheer throughout your home, Midwest Living also recommends adding small, festive touches throughout your living and working spaces. While you may already have decorations set up by the chimney with care, you’ll be amazed at how cheered you will feel by having a holiday shelf in your family room, office, or dining room. When refreshing your home for the holidays, the Magazine suggests that “[transforming] a bookshelf into a cheerful display with pinecones, candles, and spruce greenery can change the aesthetic of an entire room.” It’s an easy, affordable change to make that can incorporate decor pieces from other places in your home. And if you have kids, they’ll love putting together crafts or pictures to add to your very merry shelf.

  • Holiday Décor, Crafts, and Recipes – Home, Hearth and Holidays with BHGRE

    The holidays are right around the corner! Whether you’re planning an intimate dinner or a festive party, you can find ideas for spectacular crafts, inspirational decor, and recipes everyone will enjoy. 

    Holiday Décor and Crafts 

    • Hanukkah is the festival of lights, so create something that will illuminate any room. Take large glass vases, fill them with string or fairy lights, and place dreidels around the sides. It would also make a beautiful centerpiece. 

    • Have a magical feast and decorate the Hanukkah table, complete with beautiful centerpieces, napkin ideas, and decor in traditional blue and white—perfect for any celebration.  
    • Help this year’s celebration glow a little brighter and make a modern marbled menorah using concrete and copper. 
    • Pour blue gemstone vase fillers in the bottom half of different sized vases. Fill them up with water and then place floating candles on the top.
    • Discover festive DIY Christmas garland ideas for every room in your house.  

    • These Christmas decorating ideas for small spaces bring the merriment of the holiday season into even the tiniest corners, thanks to simple accents like miniature Christmas trees, homemade garlands, and pretty place settings. 
    • Spruce up your outdoor space to bring the merriment of the holidays to your home. There are plenty of holiday outdoor décor ideas for a beautiful and cozy winter to help you create a warm and welcoming beautiful scene.
    • Get your home ready for the Christmas season with these easy snowflake crafts. From snowflake wreaths to simple gift tags, these crafts shine with holiday spirit.
    • Place cinnamon sticks around a candle and wrap a piece of burlap or twine around the sticks to keep them in place. 

    • Dress up old Mason jars like jolly gnome cookie jars to deliver the sweet gift of Christmas desserts or use them to liven up your kitchen. 
    • Make a memorable Kwanzaa tabletop decoration. Add a pop of color to the table by placing fruit in a basket to represent the beautiful harvest. Some things you can incorporate to add a mix of texture are straw mats, ears of corn, and of course, the Zawadi for the last night. Make beaded napkin rings using red, black, and green beads on a wire.   

    • Buy air-dry clay to shape and construct your very own kinara. Mold yellow or brown clay into a rectangle. Before it dries, use the bottom of a candle and push it into the clay so when it dries, you can pop the candles in easily.    

    Scrumptious Holiday Recipes 

    • ‘Tis the season for easy Christmas appetizers that are ready in 25 minutes or less.  
    • Making a Caprese Christmas wreath is quick and easy to make, plus it looks incredible. Lay basil leaves in a ring to shape the wreath and place cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella balls on top of the leaves to look like ornaments. Before serving the dish, drizzle on extra virgin olive oil and top it off with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
    • Your family may forget to leave room for dinner once they taste this jalapeno cornbread. 
    • The best Hanukkah brisket will fall apart in your mouth. It’s so yummy; don’t be surprised if they are no leftovers.  

    • Every holiday celebration needs a moist 5-star rated cinnamon-apple cake. 
    • Donut knock it until you’ve tried these donut muffins. They are mini muffins that taste just like cinnamon sugar doughnut holes with a beautiful touch of nutmeg. 
    • Instead of assembling a gingerbread house, make gingerbread cookies and blow the roof off your party by placing the cookies around the sides of a cake as décor. 

    • Cookies are cool, but Santa gives two thumbs up to these Christmas cake pops. 
    • A chocolate-berry wreath cake draped in homemade chocolate frosting makes for a doubly delicious dessert recipe. This chocolate cake gets dressed up for the holidays with fresh berries placed to look like a festive wreath.
    • This peach cobbler will have your guests going for seconds… or thirds. Don’t forget to add a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream. 
    • Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, I made it out of marshmallow. Take a chocolate kiss, dip the bottom into melted chocolate, and then press it onto one end of a marshmallow. Place it into the fridge for 10 minutes until it sets. Create the dreidel top by pressing a pretzel stick into the opposite end of the marshmallow. Dip the entire bottom of the dreidel into a bowl of melted chocolate and after it sets, use white chocolate to pipe on the Hebrew letters.
    • Get the party started with fabulous Christmas cocktails, from apple cider cocktails and peppermint punch to hot chocolate and unforgettable eggnog.
    • These holiday drinks will have you singing Fa la la la la la. 

  • Decorating for the Holidays Using Supplies You Already Have – Home, Hearth and Holidays with BHGRE®

    If you are searching for holiday decorating ideas, you may be surprised at how many fun and creative options are just waiting to be discovered. From dazzling centerpieces to eye-catching wall art, a festive home can be just a few DIY projects away from being a reality. And you don’t have to wait for a shipment to arrive or brave crowded shopping malls to create that warm, comforting feeling of the season that you remember from being a kid. Read on as we explore some of our favorite holiday decorating ideas that can use supplies you may already have in your cabinets, craft bins, refrigerators, or garages. 

    Creative Leaf Art Ideas

    One way to decorate your home for the holidays with supplies on hand is to gather the stunning autumn leaves that are already falling outside. If you have young children, they’ll love helping transform your home by creating leaf rubbings using crayons, leaves, and parchment or tracing paper. You can then cut out the leaf rubbings and string them together to hang across a fireplace mantel or on a child’s bedroom wall as festive Thanksgiving décor. Real Simple also loves taking deeply hued fallen leaves and then “affixing them to pretty pin boards as wall … art” for a gorgeous nod to the upcoming holidays in kids’ rooms or offices. 

    Eye-Catching Centerpieces

    Traditional Thanksgiving holiday décor often includes a cornucopia basket filled with goodies. If you like the idea of this but don’t want to run out to buy a basket that you’ll only use once a year, Southern Living has a solution: “Skip the basket and opt for a wooden dough bowl for this centerpiece.” You can fill the bowl with the vegetables, fruits, and flowers that thrive during the season (and might be sitting in mesh bags in your kitchen right now). You can even showcase any small pumpkins or other gourds that are still in good condition following Halloween. And if you do go the gourd route, consider spray painting them in silver, gold, or even white to make them extra festive.

    Martha Stewart Living loves taking a bread bowl (or wicker basket) and dressing it as a dazzling centerpiece. What is their favorite bowl or basket centerpiece suggestion? The Magazine adores the idea of crafting a “lush centerpiece [by inserting] a plastic liner, [that is filled] with a mix of neutral, silvery-leafed plants along with flowers in deep purples and soft magentas.” 

    Pretty Place Cards

    Are you hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year? Martha Stewart Living suggests you take the colorful leaf art in a new direction when decorating for the holidays. The Magazine explains that you can “turn leaf rubbings, made with thin colored paper and standard wax crayons, into gift tags or place cards by trimming around the edges of the paper leaf” and then “[writing] the names of your dinner guests or gift recipients in a contrasting color.”  

    Is your home’s craft bin full of pretty silver paper (or stickers), craft paper, and ribbon? The editors at Martha Stewart Living adore “[giving] simple table settings a touch of finery with craft-punched place cards backed with silver paper.” The pros at the Magazine go on to explain: “We used menorah, Star of David, and dreidel craft punches to make Hanukkah place cards….” For step-by-step details, read more here. 

    If you have a supply cabinet full of 5×7 and smaller picture frames, they could be the perfect placeholders for your fall and winter holiday meals. How? Southern Living explains that instead of a written placecard, you can “show off your family’s personality with individually framed” photos of each one. The frames can hold pictures of childhood visits with Santa, holiday card photos repurposed, or solo shots from any time of year that highlight your loved ones in light-hearted moments. 

    Inviting Mantels

    Are you wondering how to welcome your family and friends to your home for the holidays in a unique way? The answer may be a pear (or seven) away. Martha Stewart Living reveals: “Simply arrange seven pears on a mantel” and then write your “welcome” across the pears. From there, you can add a scented surprise by “[pressing] whole cloves into the flesh along the lines.” They are a gorgeous, autumnal addition for Thanksgiving celebrations! And if you want to use them to decorate for the winter holidays, a dip into your supplies for metallic spray paint or a frozen white glaze will transform them into wintry decorative delights. 

    Holiday Wall Art

    Do you already have holiday wrapping paper in your home? In only minutes, you can “wrap” hanging wall art, complete with a bow, to bring a festive air to living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. 

    Captivating Vases

    Do you know those tall, clear glass vases that you have hiding in your cupboards? Instead of an annoyance, those vases can become a treasured holiday decorating idea. For something subtle yet seasonal, take Midwest Living’s suggestion and “[nestle] a candle [or battery-powered votive] in popcorn kernels or other seasonal materials, such as candy corn or colored clear round stones.”  

    Do you have extra colored ball ornaments? Picture them filling a series of tall glass vases. Whether you choose to add blue, silver, and white ornaments for a wintry feel or add deep red and green tree ball ornaments for a Christmas-y vibe, you’ll love how quickly and easily the mood of your mantel, hall table, or dining room table is transformed. 

    Are you searching for unique decorating ideas for Hanukkah? Martha Stewart Living suggests creating a modern “glass vase” take on the menorah using extra flower bud vases. They explain that to make this simply beautiful menorah, you just need to “arrange eight bud vases in a row, with a taller one in the middle, and place tapers inside,” with “a bit of candle glue in the bottom of each vase” if added stability is required.  

    Winter Wreaths

    If your home supplies include washi tape, embroidery hoops (even large hoop earrings or thin metal bracelets), and clothespins, you are only a couple of steps away from creating fun and festive holiday wreaths. Parents loves these colorful mini-wreaths because “these graphic rings are terrific for kids and parents to do together.” 

    And the Christmas decorating project is done as quickly as you can apply the washi tape and clip the clothespins to the hoop. You can hang them up with string, spare ribbon, or nylon thread.

    Fall foliage wreaths are simple to make, and they will bring a smile to the faces of your friends and family as they arrive for Thanksgiving. You can decorate a ring made out of florist foam, glued cardboard rings, or wire. Once shaped, the fun begins. What are Southern Living’s favorite additions? The Magazine “[adds] in foliage and pinecones” and then “[fills] it out with oregano, preserved plume reed grass, and phalaris grass.” However, you can use mini gourds, wooden beads, straw, wheat stocks – whatever supplies you already have. 

    When the winter holidays come closer, you can swap out the elements for more seasonal foliage. Wreaths made from an assortment of acorns and other hard-shelled nuts can be sprayed with winter white or silver. If you have a pre-made wreath that can use some love, add gold-sprayed pinecones and an eye-catching ribbon. 

    Festive Yards

    When choosing holiday decorating ideas, don’t forget the yard! You may already go all out with lights and Christmas displays, but even small additions to your home can make it feel festive. Do you have large boulders as part of your landscaping? A little craft paint and a steady hand can turn them into showpieces filled with drawn snowmen, snowflakes, or turkeys. Mason jars can light a path to your door – you just need to add some white sand or Epsom salts to create a sense of snow at the bottom of them and some battery-powered votive candles. 

    Finally, a light display can be yours when you repurpose your yard’s mini lights. According to Martha Stewart Living, all you need to do to “[create] a striking outdoor lighting display [is wrap] wire wreath forms with white mini lights and [string] the “shooting stars” between several trees” for a dramatic vision that is sure to usher in the holiday spirit.

    © Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

  • Cozy Décor – Home, Hearth and Holidays with BHGRE®

    Your home should be a warm and inviting space where you feel happy and can gather with your loved ones. Below you will find tons of décor inspiration to help you transform any space into a cozy spot.

    • Give tall glass vases a rustic feel by wrapping the bottom third with yarn or twine.
    • Hang artwork and photographs that have a calming effect on you and make you happy. Many people find nature and landscapes to be soothing. Dress up your walls with these DIY pressed botanical artworks.
    • Create a gourd-geous centerpiece by carving out a squash or gourd and turning it into a vase. Nothing is more beautiful than a DIY pumpkin planter filled with your favorite flowers. Don’t forget to add pieces of pine.
    • Discover how to make your house feel homey by incorporating various textures to create a sense of coziness. By layering and combining different fabrics, you can transform your home into an inviting space. Textures also add movement to a room, so these 3D felt pillows are a great addition to your home.
    • There are many ways to make your home warm and welcoming this winter. Read about how simple decorating touches can transform your home.
    • If you want a cozy home, these warm colors can help evoke a sense of comfort. Learn tips and tricks on which colors you should embrace in your rooms when working with a warm color palette.
    • For a rustic finish, wrap a foam wreath in burlap. Use a hot glue gun to add burlap flowers to the wreath. Glue pinecones and twigs with berries around the entire wreath.
    • Learn how to make elegant Hanukkah decorations that will add a heartfelt touch to your home.
    • Place wood logs in your fireplace as décor. Whether you have a working fireplace or not, you can wrap a few logs together with twine and place them in a corner.
    • Recycle mason jars to create marvelous candles. Wrap your favorite holiday ribbon around the bottom half of the outside of the mason jar. Use a string or twine and wrap it around the middle of the ribbon and tie a bow. Stick little pieces of spruce branches and pinecones around it.
    • For beautiful and elegant décor, fill various sizes of glass cloches with your favorite fall and winter items.
    • Bring charm into your living room with these farmhouse mantel décor ideas.
    • Discover how to make mason jar lid ornaments. Transform the lid rings into stunning miniature wreaths.
    • Get inspired with these winter-warming decor ideas and tips.
    • Create shimmery DIY candle holders that generate a beautiful ambiance in any room. First, spray a light mist of water into a glass holder. While the water is wet, spray a light layer of metallic gold paint over the water beads. Let dry, then add a layer of gold glitter spray.
    • Bring the outdoors in. Natural and earthy-looking materials such as wood, greenery, and stone can make a space feel warm and welcoming. Create a festive winter tablescape with these nature-inspired crafts. Learn how to make a rustic bouquet, woodland centerpieces, or a snowy tabletop display.
    • Cane furniture and designs are trendy and bring a warm and natural texture into a space. Check out DIY caning projects so you can bring the multi-directional woven pattern into your home.
    • String lights are an affordable and easy way to add ambiance or mood lighting to any room. They are easy to move around and hang wherever you’d like. You can also place them inside an empty wine bottle, glass vase, or lantern.
    • Spruce up your home with these Kwanzaa decorations.
    • Create simple and elegant decorations with glass. You can create many pieces using old glass vases or things you can find around your home.
    • Get cozy and uncover ways to design with cottagecore.

    When decorating your home, it’s important to surround yourself with items and things that make you feel happy and relaxed. Go from room to room and remove items that merely add to the clutter. Ask yourself how you feel when looking at each item, and if it doesn’t make you feel happy, get rid of it or donate it. Keep the things that make you feel more serene.

    Click for more Home, Hearth and Holidays with BHGRE®

  • Have a Hauntingly Good Halloween

    Let’s get spooky and crafty! Below are a ton of fun Halloween recipes, critter-approved craft ideas, and of course, tons of clever costume ideas. 

    Halloween Recipes for All Creatures

    • Grab your spoons and get ready for delicious soup. Try this incredible pumpkin ginger soup or this curried coconut pumpkin soup recipe.  
    • This pumpkin bread recipe will result in one spectacular loaf that friends and neighbors will love.   
    • These spider deviled eggs are just as cute and creepy as they are yummy.           
    • It’s safe to say everyone loves pizza. Add a fun twist this Halloween by using each pepperoni as the center or body of a spider. Then place leftover red sauce into a piping bag and draw eight legs on each pepperoni side. Create a non-meat-lovers pizza that will be so good that people will not be able to take their eyes, or hands, off it. Start by placing slices of mozzarella around the pizza. Cut olives into slices and put a slice in the middle of each mozzarella to form the pupil. Then pipe red sauce around the olive to create a bloodshot look. 
    • This tombstone taco dip is to die for. Get ready for tortilla tombstones and refried bean dirt. 
    • For a healthy, spooky snack, grab a few apples and a jar of peanut butter. Take a green apple and a few strawberries and cut them into slices. Take a slice of apple and carefully cut out a sliver in the middle to resemble an open mouth. Shmear peanut butter in the sliver (the mouth) and place a thin slice of a strawberry sticking out of the bottom to create the tongue. Use sunflower seeds to make rows of teeth and place two candy eyes on top.

    • Check out these wickedly fun Halloween cupcakes that everyone will want to sink their fangs into. 
    • These spider web cookies will get you eight thumbs up. The first step is to cover a sugar cookie in white icing. Use black icing to draw a few circles that resemble a bullseye or target. Before it dries, take a toothpick and draw lines from the center of the circle outward, so it starts to look like a web. 
    • Mummy Oreo critters are a fun dessert that everyone will admire. First, dip your Oreos in white chocolate or white icing, covering the entire cookie. Then put white icing in a piping bag and going back and forth across the cookie pipe horizontal lines across, so it looks like mummy wraps. Then add two candy eyes, or you can pipe yellow eyes on yourself.

    • Dip caramel apples in the chocolate of your choice and add little candy eyes to make spooky yet scrumptious treats. Dip one apple in white chocolate to make a mummy and pipe on the eyes. To make a pumpkin keep the apple covered in caramel and use chocolate to pipe on a jack-o-lantern face. Create a Frankenstein by adding green food coloring to white chocolate and covering the entire apple. Then use dark chocolate to pipe on hair, stitches, and a face. Using caramel, attach little pretzel sticks to either side of the apple to create Frankenstein’s bolts. 
    • This boo-tiful dirt and worms cake is covered with crushed chocolate cookies and slimy, gummy worms. Your kids will love helping bake and decorate this delicious treat.   
    • You knead these spiced pumpkin doughnuts in your life. 
    • Creep it real with this tasty but gross-looking brain drink.  
    • Create spooky and sweet Halloween drinks that will raise your guests’ spirits. 

    Boo-tiful Halloween Crafts and Décor  

    • Upcycle toilet paper rolls to make a bunch of monsters. Paint a few rolls in a variety of colors and once they’re dry, draw on polka dots or scales. Create a mummy by wrapping thin strips of toilet paper around it. Paint one green and make a Frankenstein friend. Then use a black marker to draw on hair, a mouth, and stitches. Create as many as you want using items like googley eyes, glitter, tinfoil, and anything else to add some flair.

    • Use balloons to create fun floating ghosts and spooky creatures. Once the balloons are blown up, gently draw ghost faces on the white balloons, Jack-O’-Lanterns on orange balloons, or make any monster faces you want.  
    • Recycle old tissue boxes to create a merry band of mischievous monsters. Flip the empty tissue boxes upside down and paint the outside to make spooky little creatures. Paint one box green for Frankenstein, one orange for a pumpkin, and one white for a scary skeleton. Then just paint on their faces with permanent markers or paint pens. 
    • These wickedly fun witch decorations will put a spell on you and your guests.  
    • Light it up on Halloween. All you need are lanterns and black construction paper. Cut out moons, stars, bats, or any shape you want and attach them to the outside of the lanterns. Light the lanterns with battery-operated candles, and the black paper will form fun silhouettes as the light dances around the lantern. 
    •  Learn how to create Halloween decor from ordinary objects you already have at home.  
    • Use pom pom balls to make scary little spiders. For the body, glue one large black pom and one medium black pom pom together. For eyes, glue many small googley eyes to the front of the medium pom pom. To create the legs, cut black pipe cleaners into eight pieces and glue four along each side. 

    • Upcycle glass bottles to form spooky cool Halloween décor. Use different colored wax or old crayons and carefully drip wax down the top of the bottles. We recommend using black, red, and white wax. You can also drip red crayons down the sides of old white candles to give the appearance of oozing blood. 
    • Discover an assortment of Halloween wreaths that will result in a hauntingly good-looking door.  
    • Stitch together your very own Frankenstein. Since Frankenstein is a creation assembled from an assortment of humans… stick to the same approach. Each person in your family can contribute an article of clothing and stuff it with newspaper. Set up all of the limbs and pieces in a chair, so it resembles a body. For a face, decorate a pumpkin, place it on the shoulders and boom… your own personal Frankenstein. 
    • Uncover tons of frighteningly fun haunted front door ideas.  

    Clever Halloween Costumes 

    • Create an adorable sundae costume. Get a white t-shirt for vanilla ice cream and brown pants that look like a cone. Grab a white tutu that you will wear over the pants. Using various colors of construction paper, cut out a bunch of rectangles that will be your sprinkles. Glue the sprinkles onto the shirt. Glue a red pom pom ball onto a headband for the cherry on top and attach a stem cut out of paper. 
      I think we can all agree that pets in costumes are purely amazing. Check out these clever costume ideas for you and your pet.  
    • Get popping with this DIY popcorn costume. Buy a pair of red and white vertical striped bottoms to resemble the popcorn container. If you cannot find striped pants, buy red pants and use white duct tape to make the stripes. Grab an old white or light-yellow t-shirt and some white computer paper. Rip each piece of paper in half and crumple them up. Spray-paint the crumbled paper with yellow to give your popcorn some butter. Then glue the crumbled popcorn balls onto the shirt and all done. 
    • Transform your little one into an adorable yet mischievous mouse with this simple DIY mouse costume.  
    • Here are tons of easy-to-make kids costumes that you can make at home.  
    • Do the robot! Grab a small moving box for the head and one of the top four flaps off. Then cut a rectangular window for eyes on one of the sides. For the body, cut the top and bottom flaps off of a larger box. Then cut out two holes where the arms can stick out on either side. Paint the boxes silver or cover them in aluminum foil. Create robot buttons and added details by painting different colored bottle caps and gluing them on the front. You can cut out gears and other things using construction paper. Don’t forget to use straws or pipe cleaners to make its antennas. 

  • Holiday Outdoor Décor Ideas for a Beautiful and Cozy Winter

    Spruce up your outdoor space to bring the merriment of the holidays to your home.

    There are plenty of décor ideas you can adapt to turn the exterior of your house into a festive destination. Even if you live where it snows and don’t spend much time on a porch or patio, decking the outside of your halls is fun and satisfying.

    Create a warm welcome for friends’ arrival and a beautiful scene to admire from the cozy indoors with these ideas for holiday outdoor décor.

    Hang a simple wreath

    Hanging just one wreath on your front door creates a beautifully minimalistic look. Depending on your wreath’s adornments, you can pull off a chic aesthetic or something gorgeously traditional.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Go all out with double wreaths

    Have double doors? Hang two wreaths for twice the joy. Magnolia wreaths look stunning in a pair.

     

     

  • How to Decorate Using Winter Whites to Brighten Up Your Home

    Although the weather outside may be frightful, your interior doesn’t have to be. While the days certainly get darker as the winter season rolls in, there is plenty of beauty and light to be found; one of the best things about the winter season for some areas is being able to watch the flakes of snow turn your town into a winter wonderland—and the same appeal can be implemented in your home. So, take advantage of those winter whites, because they’re one surefire way to fight off the winter blues this season. Here are some excellent decorating ideas you can use to take advantage of the beauty that only comes around once a year.

    bhgrelife.com - How to Decorate Using Winter Whites to Brighten Up Your HomeLight Up Your Life

    Good use of ample light is one of the most important decorating tips. Now, with the winter season bringing more dark than usual, it’s never been more crucial. Having light within your home can be the perfect way to brighten your spirits when the winter blues begin to settle in. Grab some candles and line your mantel, purchase the new chandelier you always wanted, and install light dimmers to set the mood. You’ll be amazed at how chic your interior will look with a combination of winter white and light.

  • Showing Your House? Don’t Let the Holidays Interfere

    It’s holiday time! You should be spreading yuletide decor and cheer, but you’re selling your house and haven’t closed the deal yet. Do you have people coming over? Do you want to decorate for the season and enjoy this time of year at home while the festivities begin? It’s all possible, without missing out on the holiday fun! Follow our simple steps to show your house successfully during the holiday season.

    Showing Your House? Don’t Let the Holidays Interfere - bhgrelife.com

    Decorate, without going to extremes

    Don’t stop yourself from getting into the spirit. Potential buyers will want to imagine themselves actually living in the house, so go ahead and decorate. Be sure to keep from going overboard, though. Everyone has unique tastes and will want to deck their halls differently, so you should leave room for buyers to imagine their own styles, too: think sleek and neutral decorations.

    If you’ve already begun the moving process and are running low on décor, consider placing throws on a piece of furniture in each room, for an understated means of livening up the space. If you’re still living there, don’t be afraid to host the celebrations—showcase your home’s ability to be the life of the party!

  • How to Host a Fall Backyard Party

    Celebrate the beauty of autumn by opening your home and inviting friends and family to a fall-theme backyard get-together. Use gourds, pumpkins, apples and sweet potatoes for inspiration. These ideas for food, decorating and activities will infuse your gathering with the fall spirit and spotlight not just your hospitality—but your home’s beautiful backyard and property, too.

    How to Host a Fall Backyard Party - bhgrelife.com
    Celebrate fall with a harvest party. Use the bounty of the season in decorating your home and yard. Plan a few autumn-themed activities, invite some guests (young and old will enjoy this party) and get ready to toast the beauty of fall.