A White Christmas Inside Your Home
Decorating for Christmas doesn't have to mean bright red and green accessories. It doesn't always have to include sparkling gold balls and silvery tinsel. Sometimes it's a relief to remove all extra color from a room and add white accessories.
Trim-A-Tree
Cover the tree with fat white bows made from lace or wide satin ribbon. The contrast of white against the green boughs is quite elegant.
White Sprigs
Spray paint sprigs of tree branches white. Set them into a block of florist's Styrofoam placed in the bottom of a white washed basket. Trim the branches with tiny, clear tree lights.
Purity On The Table
For the dining area, use a white damask tablecloth with a white crocheted overcloth. Use tall, white, tapered candles in natural wood or ceramic candlesticks. Fill a large white bowl with sprigs of bayberry branches for a centerpiece.
Candles
Surround the centerpiece with short, fat, white candles placed into brandy glasses, fruit compote glass containers or wide drinking glasses of varying heights. Use lots of them for romantic lighting when entertaining. Group several on a coffee table or sideboard so you have candlelight everywhere. It's very festive and often creates a diversion if what you'd really like to do is reupholster all the furniture.
For The Food
White serving containers set the food off nicely and, when possible, use natural-colored baskets as well. Fill a country basket with a white linen napkin to hold bread or rolls.
Linen Trims
For a guest bedroom, trim pillow cases and the top sheet with 4-in. wide white eyelet purchased in fabric stores. This will make ordinary linens special and will cost a fraction of what it is to buy tram already finished. Add trim to white hand towels for the bathroom as well.
Shelf Trim
You can find shelf trim that looks like a paper doily. One edge is scalloped the other is straight and it comes in a roll so you can cut off as much as you need. Apply 2-sided Scotch tape to the back of a strip and attach it to the front edge of linen closet shelves.
Instant Decorator's Trick
Add a strip of shelf trim to the bottom edge of white, sheer bathroom curtains. It's temporary. You can't wash it. But it peels right off the curtain when you're ready to remove it.
Copyright Leslie Linsley, author
Reprinted with permission, HouseNet, Inc.