Transitioning Your Table during the Holidays

By Kate Riley November 19, 2009

One of my most favorite blog sisters is Liz at It’s Great to Be Home.  I discovered her last summer when she was writing all about her adventures in home improvement, design, and do-it-yourself projects.  She and her hub recently flipped a home, and the story of their renovation was so interesting and most informative.  I’m one of Liz’s biggest fans, so I was delighted when she accepted my invitation to contribute to Guest Blogger Week. 

Please enjoy Liz’s insightful tips (and video!) on transitioning your fall table in an easy and inexpensive way. 

Here’s Liz ! 

Hey guys! I’m so excited that CG asked me to share a little something with you during Guest Blogger Week – here we go!

It’s that time of year when every time you turn around there’s another holiday that demands a whole new slew of decorations – or maybe not! Here are a few tricks you can use to easily transition your décor from Thanksgiving to Christmas, saving you some pennies and giving you a ton of extra time to spend with your family:

· Keep your greenery fairly neutral. For me, greenery is the “foundation piece” for a holiday arrangement, just like a sofa is for the living room – that’s why I try to keep my greenery neutral so that I can use it throughout the holiday season and make it feel new and fresh by adding some holiday-specific accents (like berries, leaves, etc). Try simple greenery with pinecones, and avoid greenery with glitter or faux snow that can lock you into a specific holiday or theme.

· Save and reuse embellishments. Neutral greenery is the most versatile, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely avoid greenery that is adorned with goodies like acorns, crystals and berries, or that would dictate a specific color scheme – just make sure that these embellishments can be snipped off so that you can use the greenery for any holiday. Save the embellishments and use them in arrangements for the appropriate holiday.

liz 1 

· Use what you already own. This one is an oldie but a goodie – chances are that you have everything on hand that you need to create a dynamite centerpiece. Use candlesticks, hurricanes, artwork, branches from your yard – the sky’s the limit, and you’ll be able to create a gorgeous and unique arrangement.

· Candles add intimacy and sparkle. When you can, try to incorporate candlelight into your holiday décor – anything from simple votives to dramatic tapers or pillar candles will make your home feel warm and inviting.

liz 2

· Try greenery picks instead of garlands and wreaths. Greenery picks are the most versatile form of greenery – you can disassemble the branches and tuck them into centerpieces or use them in vases. With garlands and wreaths, you’re pretty much stuck with what you’ve got.

· Stick to a flexible color palette. I think it’s easiest to transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas by using a color palette that is based upon any of these four colors – green, gold, silver and red. For Thanksgiving, you can add pops of orange and yellow to this palette, and you can amp up the red for Christmas.

Here’s a little video to show you how I used these principles to transition the décor in my dining room from Thanksgiving to Christmas:

It was great getting to talk to you guys – Happy Holidays!  P.S. Making this video generated quite a few outtakes that are pretty chuckle-worthy – they’ll be posted on my blog today if you want to swing by and check them out!” 

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What a great video!  Isn’t she the best ?  Liz has excellent taste, knows how to decorate with flair and yet still be frugal, and has the best personality – I adore this gal and I know you too will quickly become a big fan of her blog It’s Great to Be Home

Thanks again Liz !

15 comments

  1. What a timely post for me! I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year and have been trying to come up with a centerpiece. I love the idea of using what I have and I’m pretty sure I can dupicate what Liz has done here (with my own twist, of course). :o)

  2. This was a fabulous post by the fabulous Liz! I just love her site and her taste – she has helped me immensely (want to know how to repaint a fireplace surround or get smoke out of wood furniture? ask Liz!) ever since I discovered her blog! I love all of her tips and ideas in this post, but I can’t help myself – I still love my glittery pine cones and am afraid to admit they’re on my dining room table right now!

  3. Wonderful post! I love the idea of embracing the evergreen greenery (pine, etc.) at times other than Christmas. And here in Maine (the pine tree state), I have many choices. Thanks for the inspiration!

  4. Beautiful arrangements! I love the whole idea of editing out the old decorations and adding in fresh, and of course repurposing!

  5. Oh I love the Christmas centerpiece. Just gorgeous! All of it is great, and super helpful at this time of year. Thank you!

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