6 Easy Christmas Decorating Tips

The holidays are here, which means parties, family gatherings, and gifting galore. Unfortunately, all of the merrymaking can sometimes feel more “No, No, No” than “Ho, Ho, Ho!” – as in, “No, No, No, I’m not ready!”

Not to worry. David Stark, premiere event producer and the creative force behind Target’s Best.Party.Ever, has simple tips for hosting a fabulous holiday party and taking the stress out of the celebrating. Stark’s decorating, entertaining, and gifting ethos is decidedly DIY, and therein practical and affordable for all.

In his view, personalization is essential to creating enchanting holiday memories. “In a time where we are all more and more digitally minded, feeling the heartbeat of the hand in holiday décor is an amazing live antidote to the virtual worlds that we live in regularly,” said Stark.

We asked Stark for a few holiday hosting tips. Here, his favorite and most useful. ¡Feliz Navidad!  

Find Inspiration for Colorful Tablescapes in Your Fridge

“Creating your own fantastic holiday centerpiece doesn’t have to be hard,” says Stark, who suggests using fresh cranberries to dress up a holiday table. “Pour the berries into pillar candle hurricanes, surrounding the bases of the candles with a couple of inches of the ruby jewels. Then place down the length of the table. It’s as easy as that!”

Decorate Your Door with an Alternative Wreath

Wreaths are ubiquitous and often messy. As an alternative, Stark suggests hanging a decorative tote bag on your door in place of the standard issue wreath or holly. “Fill it with holiday foliage or red berry branches and you have a new take on door décor.”

Next, build your essential holiday decorating kit…

Establish a Quickie Kit of Essential Holiday Decorating & Gifting Items

Not sure where to start with the holiday hosting must-haves? Stark says keeping the below five items on hand will keep you gift- and party-ready.

Wrapping Paper: “Of course, you can wrap your presents with it, but you can make all kinds of other holiday decorations from fabulous decorative paper as well – anything from ornaments to garlands, glowing luminaries to custom serving trays and more!”

Glitter: “A jar of glitter can make instant magic in your home. Try spraying the interior of an apothecary jar with spray starch. Pour in glitter and swoosh around. Then pour out the excess, add a battery operated votive light, and you will have created a fabulous luminary that will last the entire season.”

Post-It Notes: “These humble note pads are your holiday entertaining best friend. I use them to figure out the seating at my dinner table, writing the names on each page and moving them around the table until I find the perfect configuration of guests. I label serving platters so that when my buddies jump in to help in the kitchen, no one needs to think about which dish goes on which platter. A little advanced planning goes a long way!”

Painter’s Tape: “You can really get creative with this one. If you don’t have a fireplace, draw one on your wall! The tape doesn’t harm your walls, and when you are ready to remove, it zips off 1 – 2 – 3. Draw anything you want – a giant candle, a holiday tree, even a welcome message to your guests. This one is a fun project to do with your kids or with you friends and a bottle of wine.”

Ribbon: “You never can go wrong if your closet is stocked with rolls of ribbon. Use it to enhance gifts, of course, but also use it to hang ornaments from the chandelier over your dining table. Tie a bow around your door as if it is a giant present. Wrap together a bundle of cinnamon sticks at each place setting at your dining table, and add a name card dangling from its bow as a hang tag.”

Next, time to get cooking…

Give the Gift of Food

“Food gifting is huge this year,” notes Stark, but points out that creating your own custom packaging is what really makes it unique. “I love to repackage [Target’s] perfect cocoa mix as a gift set, filling a Mason jar with all the layered ingredients needed for a delicious cup of hot cocoa – Archer Farms Peppermint Hot Cocoa Mix, peppermint sticks and marshmallows. Attach some festive ribbon around the Mason jar lid, tie a wooden spoon within its bow, and write your pal’s name or a message on that wooden spoon. Box the jar up, wrapping it beautifully and . . . voila!”

Get Creative with Place Cards

Standard, folded tent cards can feel stale and a bit uptight. Stark advises replacing them with creative place cards made with chocolate bars and pretty paper. “Take off the outer wrapper [to reveal] the beautiful, metallic inner wrapper. Then wrap a new sleeve of paper around the bar as a belt, writing the guest’s names on that sleeve.” He adds that this is also a great way to get the kids involved in your holiday party plans. “Sometimes the kids draw on that sleeve, sometimes we use decorative punches to create designs on it, but regardless, we are personalizing the table with an element that both kids and adults alike love, and that “place card” plays double duty as a party favor too!”

Store Your Holiday Decorations and Keepsakes with Care

It’s not the most glamorous tip, but proper storage of treasured holiday items ensures they will last through the seasons. “I know it’s a drag,” Stark sighs, “but I go the extra mile to individually wrap ornaments to protect them and re-roll strings of lights instead of just dumping them all in a giant box. While it might take me a few extra minutes, when I go to use them the following year, my set up is even quicker (and with much less hassle!).”