Holiday decorating beats the winter doldrums

Because Jack Frost burst into November early this year, warm up the winter holidays with cheerful, space-saving decorations. This could become a long, unusually cold winter and a focus on cheerful seasonal decor can mightily lift the spirits.

There are solutions for the smallest of homes and the tightest of budgets.

Begin with your front entry. The wreath is the most traditional adornment with roots in ancient Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultures. In English speaking countries, the wreath was a symbol of strength: The evergreen was hardy enough to survive in harsh winter climes.

Both fresh evergreen and artificial are readily available in home improvement stores and nurseries. Florist shops often carry both types as do hobby and craft stores nationwide.

Consider using multiples, as shown in this photograph, for a bolder idea to greet the outside world! You can also hang garlands on railings and find wall-mounted baskets for balconies or fences.

If your place is tiny, consider eliminating a Christmas tree entirely and instead use an assortment of pre-lit wreaths outside. You can also hang wreaths all over your home or add in garlands for a mantel or furniture top.

Visit the Hammacher Schlemmer website for an assortment of cordless pre-lit ornament ball decorations. They have a 27-inch diameter wreath for less than $120, a garland with 50 LED lights and 71 ball ornaments that is 72 inches long for just under $100, and a tear drop sconce decoration that is 32-by-13 feet for less than $100. Hammacher also offers lifelike Noble fir and pine branches decorated with red berries and two styles of pine cones that can be used indoors and outside.

Know that you can order pop-up, pre-lit and decorated trees that collapse down for easy storage during the remainder of the year. There are theme trees such as a Disney pop-up or a Thomas Kinkade 6-foot tree. You can also buy a lifelike evergreen version for about $180.

I own a nice quality artificial tree, but the storage is an issue. Every year, I wrestle with that tree as I take it out of the attic and try to move it downstairs. I gave up last year and left the tree in the garage all year, but that has been inconvenient. You will find that if the storage of holiday decorations isn't easy and tidy, you will not be inclined to bother with using them.

In my search for the unusual, I recently found a lighted tree that hangs on a wall! Because it doesn't take up any floor space, this 4-foot tree is perfect for a studio, apartment or a second home like a cabin or condo. This faux pine tree is 48-by-30-by-16 inches and comes with 200 clear lights. Go to the Solutions website to see the tree that could be the perfect solution for a household with energetic toddlers or pets! It sells for just under $50.

Other online resources are Grandin Road and Frontgate, where you will find hundreds of gorgeous options.

Alternatively, visit discount retail stores such as Home Goods, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Ross and Big Lots for a huge assortment of decor items. Check online for discount coupons at stores like Michaels.

Do not forget to pass by your local Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift stores. Take the time to stop in any thrift shop specifically to hunt for decorations. Often you can find interesting holiday decor that someone else got tired of moving around year to year! This is a very affordable way to acquire holiday decorations that have been gently used.

All year long you should be collecting ribbon and scouting for pine cones or interesting seed pods on your walks or trips to the park. I have pine cones that I've kept for 30 years tucked up in the attic.

Along with a few fresh evergreen sprigs or shiny ornaments, natural objects can become very effective tabletop decor. Clear glass containers can hold apples or persimmons that, combined with evergreens, fashion into unique tabletop decorations.

• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.

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