It is impossible to incorrectly dress up a home for the holidays, because decorating rules do not apply to the Christmas season. Since not everyone wants to have their home look exactly the same as their neighbor’s, taking a little time to think creatively about how to add some special touches to each room will make all the difference. The perfect Christmas decorations can be bought, made, or found in nature, so there is no limit to what can be done or incorporated.

The Kitchen and Dining Room

The holidays are the perfect time to throw dinner parties, so this makes Christmas-themed dinnerware a great investment. There are casual dishes with cute snowmen or Santa patterns, as well as elegant settings with beautiful seasonal floral patterns and colors. Drape greenery over the dining room chandelier and suspend Disney Christmas ornaments beneath it. Cut small tree branches and suspend them from the curtain rods in all the dining room windows. Make “curtains” by attaching strings of ornaments, snowflakes or holiday cards to the branches. Use pine cones as placeholders, or make individual “gingerbread” houses from graham crackers and label them with the guest’s name.

Family Rooms and Dens

Make Christmas trees stand-out with themes like all handmade ornaments or all vintage designs. An edible tree is unique as well. Use cranberries and popcorn for garland and make gingerbread ornaments. After Christmas the tree can be placed in the yard for the birds to enjoy. Beautifully decorated ornaments should not be hidden away within the branches of the tree. Display your favorites on shelves or fireplace mantels. Fill a large wooden bowl with ornaments and place on the coffee table. Purchase throw pillows in colors that match the theme to use for the sofa and on the floor around the tree.

For a special touch in your family room, make a collage of all Christmas cards that have been received and saved over the previous years. Put this collage in a gold or silver frame and display over the mantle or over a table that is displaying cards from the current year.

Bedrooms and Bathrooms

Hang a wreath or evergreen swag on the wall or window of the bathroom and add a dish or two of seasonal-themed soap. These could be hand-crafted bars of red and green, or soaps with holiday scents like pine or peppermint. Hang Christmas lights around the mirror and add ornaments to the shower curtain hooks.

In the bedrooms, create a dramatic look by surrounding the bed with flowing white curtains resembling a canopy, and add strings of lights around the entire perimeter. Tie varying lengths of fishing line to snowflake ornaments and attach to the ceiling above the bed. In nurseries, place alphabet blocks on shelves, spelling out holiday messages. Use decals of Christmas trees on the wall, or create a tree from felt so toddlers can decorate (and redecorate) how they like.

It is easy to purchase items that will look holiday-appropriate, but can be used through the rest of the year as well. Red and white striped tablecloths, red, green or blue throw pillows, blankets, and candlesticks colored silver and gold are just a few examples of items that can be used every day. While there will always be trendy colors or themes, Christmas is a great time to be eclectic and daring. Everyone should feel free to use whatever colors or designs they like the best.