Start by removing all of your current decor and accessories(including your wall hangings). Replace focal pieces with other holiday-themed decorative pieces that are equally impressive (like the twinkling snowflake above the fireplace). Turn your home into a "Winter Wonderland" by using angel hair or other different types of faux snow on most of your table-top, countertop, shelving holiday accessories.
Replace your current decorative candles with holiday-themed candles. I first sprinkled some paper-"snow" at the bottom and then placed the candle on top.
In the photo below I removed the leaf, draped the decorative table cloth and then placed the leaf on top of the table to add more decor at a higher level. I placed garland and lights around the leaf and filled the top with candles and other holiday decorations. The lower portion of the table will be used for platters when hosting a Christmas party.
Great activity for kids and a way to include them in the decorating process? Have your children make paper snowflakes. Then, watch them come to life as you place them on your windows and spray liquid snow around them. Carefully peel the snowflakes from your window and...voila, it's snowing.
Buy some white ribbon and snowflakes (you can find these anywhere that sells tree ornaments). At various levels hang the snowflakes over a kitchen island or eating area. You can also do this from a chandelier. I found this awesome bulb-ornament at Target for $4! LOVE IT!
This is the beginning...I'm not done yet! I still have some decor to fish-out of my garage and add to places here and there...I haven't started much on my formal living room and I still have to get the tree up and decorated. Hopefully I've inspired you to start thinking about your holiday decorating!
I used three glass vases of various shapes and sizes. I filled each vase by layering cranberries, paper snow and mini-ornaments on top. I put a round, red-glittered candle in one and three cranberry stems in another. I finished the winter centerpiece-off by using fake snow beneath!
Got a great deal on this green hurricane! I found it today at Value Village. When I got home I filled it with all my left-over ornaments...so fun!
I am MOST definately NOT going to claim that I am an expert with window treatments. Infact, I would probably guess that window treatments are the least of my decorating gifts. However, I have found that by simply "playing" with what you've got, sometimes it can appear as though you DO know what you're doing. One of my favorite things to do is "revamp" things that I already have in the house. As I sifted through some of my staging items I came across a bin with some old creamy-buttery sheers that I had used in our last home. I must have boxed them away for storage, staging, or even to give to the Goodwill. Anyhow, I threw them in the washer and decided to try and use them. Problem was, they were long and my room-darkening curtains were shorter, I didn't know how this would look together. I played with a few ideas and the above is what I came-up with. I used a hair-tie to bring two sheers together in the middle of the window and looped the bottom through (much like making a pony-tail with your own hair). Then I left a little "bubble" or "bun," if you will, as to not let the sheers hang on the floor. To bring-in the brown from the curtains I tied some leftover ribbon around the center as a nice accent...and, vwwwwwa-la! 
My son has some very basic panels hanging in his room. Recently I started getting into little projects that required ribbon. While I was at the store I came across this cute baseball ribbon and immediately thought of my son's room. I bought a small amount and used it to accent his curtains and make them a little more trendy. Stylish, but still boyish too!
Before I had this set-up, I ONLY had the two soft-aquah colored sheers hanging from each side of the window. I found my brown micro-fiber curtains stored-away and again, thought, what can I do with these? I started to play with these in my family room and I LOVE the way it really warmed-up the space. I brought the sheers together again in the center and I used a napkin right to hold it. 
I am not a big spender when it comes to decor and I'll tell you why...I like to be on-trend and I know how quickly things go out-of-style. Therefore, i don't want to go and spend mucho dollars on something I'm not going to like in a year or two. I also know that one can take inexpensive items, suchas, sheers and curtain panels and make them look trendy and stylish without having to break the bank. So, my suggestion is to get a fabric that you like, that is affordable, and "play" with it until you come-up with something you are comfortable with! Much of what I do was not planned, I just happened to find something I liked and then got home and figured-out what to do with it! Happy decorating!
