Even if you practice restraint in your everyday home decor, you might be inclined toward a bit of sizzle and sparkle when the holidays roll around.
The season is a great excuse to let your festive flag fly, so to speak, and few things say “festive” like decor that’s got some glitz, glitter or gilding.
“My go-to holiday look each season? Winter wonderland meets glamour,” says New York designer Genevieve Gorder.
She uses metallic and glittery spray paint to add personalized flair. If you’re on a budget or are fairly crafty, this is a good option. Jazz up stuff you already have like terra cotta pots, tea light holders, candlesticks, picture frames and serving trays. Valspar has a line of paints that stick to most materials, and come in both opaque and translucent finishes. (www.valspar.com)
If you gather bare branches on a walk or buy some from a garden center, find instructions for glittering them up at www.momtastic.com. After painting them, spray with adhesive, and then dip them in both glitter and clear crystalline sprinkles. The sprinkles add an icy extra touch.
If you’re tight on work space (glittering is a messy business), consider glitter in a tube. Jo-Ann craft stores have Stickles, glitter glue that comes in a bunch of colors and is easy to dab or swab. (www.joann.com)
Making a tabletop holiday village is easy and inexpensive. Got some plastic toy animals lying around? Give them a coat of metallic paint. A stack of newspapers or old magazines? Transform them with a few folds into trees, and spray them with glitter paint.
You can build a few houses out of chipboard, paint and powdered glitter, and create your tableau; it’s a fun project to do with kids or friends. Martha Stewart has instructions online. (www.marthastewart.com)
Z Gallerie offers boxes of gold or silver acrylic “ice gems” that look like ice cubes. In a clear vase, they’d be a great base for white painted branches or greenery. Or scatter them along a faux fur runner with some tiny twinkle lights. The retailer also has a series of silver-plated ceramic penguins, and sexy starburst ornaments with a retro vibe. (www.zgallerie.com)
Paper poinsettia balls from Joss & Main in a dramatic midnight hue and edged in golden glitter bring baroque elan to the mantel. Filigree-wrapped balls and mini tiara ornaments add royal style. (www.jossandmain.com)
For those looking to decorate outside the traditional red-green or blue-white realm, Target’s got a collection of glittery faux bottlebrush trees in colors such as copper, orchid, turquoise, purple and mocha. (www.target.com)
Dress the base of the Christmas tree with an organza skirt dusted with glitter from Kohl’s. Or Zazzle has a snazzy one in shimmery lemon yellow. Sparkly ruffles give a little kick to a tree skirt at Brylane Home. (www.kohls.com; www.zazzle.com; www.brylanehome.com)
You can set the holiday table with subtle shine using Sandy Chilewich’s brass or silver Drift placemats, which have an angular, geometric design inspired by woodblock prints. Add a few slim white, copper or silver glass trees from CB2 for a tablescape that’s minimalist yet merry. (www.chilewich.com; www.cb2.com)
