25 Beautiful, Festive, Fun Ways to Decorate & Prepare for Christmas

Welcome to the 671st Metamorphosis Monday!

Here they are, rounded up all in one post, some of my most favorite ways to get ready for the Christmas holidays! I hope you find this helpful as you decorate, craft, cook, and prepare for Christmas!

You may want to bookmark this post for future reference if you see something you would love to make or do as Christmas draws closer. Also, please feel free to pin any of the images to Pinterest if you find that helpful for locating those posts later.

Click each highlighted title below to access that particular post for all the details.

Hope you enjoy these ideas as you ready your home for the holidays!

How to Repair Those Dead Christmas Tree Lights

Sometimes the fix is an easy one, but you just have to know where to look!

Easy Repair for Dead Christmas Tree Lights

 

Beautiful Colonial Williamsburg Fruit Fan–Above Door Decoration

Decorate above your front door with a beautiful Colonial Williamsburg Christmas Fan.

DIY Christmas Fruit Fan for Above Door, Colonial Williamsburg Christmas

 

Pottery Barn Inspired Garland Tutorial

I was obsessed with this picture when I first saw it in a Pottery Barn catalog. Since the cost of the garland was outside my holiday decorating budget, I found an easy, inexpensive way to make it for my own front porch.

Make-This-Pottery-Barn-Inspired-Garland

 

Here’s how the garland looked on my front porch.

Christmas Porch with Snowflake Wreath and Lit Garland

 

Cranberry Trifle for Christmas Dessert 

This trifle is really good and so easy to make. Your guests will never guess how easy this impressive-looking dessert was to make! 

Cranberry Trifle, Great for a Christmas Dessert_wm

 

Make a Beautiful Colonial Williamsburg Centerpiece for Christmas

These elaborate apple or lemon tree centerpieces are not near as difficult to make as they appear. They are actually quite easy and make such a beautiful eye-catching centerpiece for a table or buffet.

Make a Colonial Williamsburg Apple Tree Centerpiece for Christmas

 

Hang Wreaths on Your Exterior Windows

How to Hang Wreaths on Exterior Windows

 

The wreaths look especially magical if you live someplace where it snows during the holiday season. Thanks so much to my neighbor, Michelle, for capturing this photo a few years back when we had an epic snowstorm here in Georgia.

Christmas House in Snow

 

Easy Holiday Centerpiece that takes 15-Minutes to Make (if that long)

Such a fast and easy way to dress an entry table. Works great as a table centerpiece, too!

Easy Christmas Centerpiece You Can Make in 15 Minutes Using Greenery from Your Yard 2a

 

An Insanely Awesome Champagne Punch: Great for Parties or a Christmas or New Years Brunch

Makes several batches because this punch is a big hit and always goes really fast!

Insanely Awesome Champagne Punch 2

 

Set Up A Hot Cocoa Bar To Enjoy All Winter Long

I had so much fun putting his Hot Cocoa Bar together! It would be great to create for your holiday guests or a holiday party!

You’ll find a tutorial for making the sign below.

Hot Cocoa Bar for the Porch

 

Make This DIY Sign for Your Hot Cocoa Bar

This is a detailed tutorial sharing exactly how I made the sign to go above my Hot Cocoa Bar.

diy-this-hot-cocoa-bar-sign

 

Christmas Tree Napkin Fold

This is such a fun napkin fold to make and your guests will find it delightful!

Christmas Tree Napkin Fold

 

10 Beautiful Mantels All Decorated for Christmas

If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration as you decorate your mantel this year, you’ll find it in this post!

Emergency Substitutions for Common Ingredients

Ever find you’re missing an ingredient you need when preparing your Christmas dinner? Here’s a list of common substitutions you can make if you’re out of an important ingredient.

Emergency Substitutions for Common Ingredients

 

Decorate Your Door With Triple Wreaths: Grandinroad Knockoff

It took me a while to figure how to make this “triple wreath” thing work for my front door. It’s an over-the-top look that’s a lot of fun to create!

Front Porch Decorated for Christmas with Triple Wreaths on Door and Pottery Barn Knock-off Garland

 

Spreading Little Bits of Christmas Whimsy Throughout Your Home

Bah Hum Bug Pillow

 

Make a Winter Snow Globe, Easy DIY Project

This would be a great project to do with the kiddos. Also, I think these would be wonderful to make as place cards for a Christmas dinner party, writing each guest’s name with a sharpie on the little ornament inside. Then the guests could take them home to enjoy after the dinner.

Make a Wintry Snow Globe

 

21 Drinks Great for Holiday Parties

I would love to make every one of these recipes! So many good ones in this post!

21 Holiday Party Drinks

 

Decorate a Lantern, Mailbox or Pergola for Christmas

This is seriously the easiest arrangement you could ever make for a gate, post, lantern, pergola or mailbox. If you don’t have a magnolia tree in your yard, use holly or another long-lasting evergreen. There’s a lot of faux greenery available out there that would work well for this, too.

Lantern Decorated for Christmas

 

Create a Table Centerpiece With Dept. 56 Lit Houses

If you collect Dept. 56 houses, consider using them down the center of your Christmas dinner table this year. This works great on most tables. My table is a bit more narrow than I would like and I was still able to do this. If you table is a bit wider, it will work even better!

Christmas Table Setting with Dept. 56 Lit Houses

 

Christmas Vacation Movie-themed Table Setting

Are you a Christmas Vacation movie fan? Check out this fun table for a bit of inspiration if you collect the Dept. 56 Christmas Vacation lit houses.

Christmas Vacation Table Setting

 

Christmas Vacation Movie Themed Gift Wrapping Idea

If you’re looking for a unique way to wrap your gifts this year, check out this post where I share a DIY idea inspired by Clark’s Christmas tree escapades in the movie, Christmas Vacation.

Christmas Vacation Gift Wrapping

 

Decorate a Porch for Christmas

Decorate your porch and enjoy it all through the holiday season! Even if it’s too cold to be outside, you’ll enjoy seeing it from inside throughout the holiday season.

Between Naps on the Porch Christmas Porch

 

Snowman Spice Cake Dessert and Centerpiece

Bake this adorable Snowman Spice Cake for a festive holiday dessert! He’ll make a great centerpiece for your holiday table, as well!

Snowman Spice Cake Image

 

12 Beautiful Christmas Banisters

Looking for a bit of inspiration for decorating your staircase banister? Check out all these gorgeous banisters ranging from simple but beautiful to over-the-top gorgeous!

 

23 Themed Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

So much inspiration in this post if you’re looking for some new ways to decorate your Christmas tree this year.

23 Themed Christmas Tree Ideas

 

These make the cutest Christmas present topper or use them as ornaments on your Christmas tree.

Dress Up Your Presents With This Easy DIY Christmas Mouse Or Hang It On Your Christmas Tree

Christmas Mice Ornament or Present Topper

 

Bonus Idea for the Little Ones

Delight the Little Ones with a Christmas Bedroom Makeover

Children's Room Makeover for Christmas

 

Looking forward to all the great Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

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Comments

  1. Awesome post – so many great ideas. I’ve hung window wreaths based on your ideas for several years! Also bought the Williamsburg apple tree base last year. This year – your lamppost idea! Thanks so much!

  2. Oh, wow…so many great ideas. You are correct…bookmarking this! Thanks for all the tips!

  3. Love all your Christmas tips. Thanks so much for hosting, Susan. Have a great week!

  4. Great round up of Christmas ideas! Thank you Susan!

  5. This is, and will be, a great holiday resource. Thanks!

    • Thanks, Mia! Thanks for that reminder to change out my header for Christmas. I may not have remembered until Christmas was actually here. lol So glad for the reminder!

  6. Thanks for sharing all the Christmas ideas!
    Merry Christmas 🙂

  7. Bobbi Duncan says

    Although I had already bookmarked or saved most of these, I so enjoyed reading them all again; doing so just added to the enjoyment of the holidays. Your posts are always wonderful, Susan, and truly the highlight of many days. I can’t believe how many years have passed since I first came across your terrific blog, but I’m so glad I did! Hugs!

    • Thanks so much, Bobbi! Where have all the years gone?! I started blogging in August 2008, so this past August was 13 years! I still love it as much, really even more, than I did back when I started. Hope to keep at it for many more years. Appreciate so much you being here reading, Bobbi! You’ve become a wonderful friend over the years! ♥

      • Bobbi Duncan says

        Thank you, sweetie. I feel the same about you, and hope we’ll one day get to meet in person…I’d love that!

  8. Biodynamic Barb says

    Someone just posted this tutorial on how to make a horse’s head ‘wreath’ using evergreens! I thought you’d enjoy it… https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=453265979508128&set=pcb.1429778074115796

  9. Warren giering says

    Great post, Susan, filled with wonderful ideas. I just love and am so envious of your dining room.

  10. Please tell me where you got that beautiful white iron bed ?

    • Thanks, Sherry! I purchased it from a local antique shop about many, many years ago when my son first went off to college. He took our guest bedroom furniture and I needed to find a new guest bed. I found that one in an antique shop that sadly, I don’t think is open anymore.

  11. Thanks, Debbie and Merry, Merry Christmas to you!

  12. How I love this post! I’ve been a fan of your blog for many, many years. I’ve seen these posts throughout the years and love seeing them again. I WILL do that Christmas tree napkin fold one of these days! I’ve made the trifle and champagne punch and took your cues to make a chocolate bar in my sunroom. Christmas is just magic, and you make it just a little more so every year. Thanks, Susan, and a very Merry Christmas to you!

  13. Cyndi Raines says

    Great post Susan! My window wreaths are up and love them. My garland (with lights this year) is up and decorating my pillars and swagged along the railings. I LOVE the look of the Christmas balls added to the garland and one year, I hope to make it, following your tutorial. Thank you! Merry Christmas!

  14. franki Parde says

    YOU HAVE inspired me (well, so many times, however) this year we MUST drive to Williamsburg again…we “used to go a couple times every year…” Close by, too, we just HAVE TO DO it!! Marvelous outreach today!!! franki

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