Local designer offers Holiday Decorating Class
Decorating for the holidays can be fun and creative, and does not have to be expensive – if you know how to do it! It is the perfect time to do special crafts and decorate your home with family and friends.
The most common and popular colors that you will find to decorate your home during this Christmas season are red, burgundy and green. Even though red is traditional, there are a multitude of other Christmas colors to choose from. It is great if you are able to purchase Christmas decorations to match your everyday color palette.
Your Christmas garland will help you display the colors that are special to you during the holidays. In the upcoming “Decorating for the Holidays” class at KSU Center, we will be using artificial garland to decorate your home. Garland can be used on top of your mantel, down your staircase and around the door arches of your home. It will make a beautiful first impression when attached around the frame of your front door. Artificial garland placed on staircases or mantels should look full and beautiful.
If your garland isn’t already oversized to fit the size and scale of your home, then you need to transform it. To create a beautifully full garland in an inexpensive way, braid three or more garlands together loosely. Make sure you pull apart and pull open each little branch before you wrap one length of garland loosely around the other garland.
For your staircase, you will first need to know how much garland is required, and then where to attach it. Take a string, ribbon or rope and tape it to the staircase railing in the desired areas to make the drooping of the garland look even. Try to make the spacing consistent. Using string and tape will help you visually see where the garland will be placed. After you are happy with the placement areas on your railing, put little pieces of masking tape on those spots. Take the string down and measure the string. This measurement will tell you how long your garland needs to be. Connect one garland length to another by wiring it or by twisting its little branches or “arms” together.
Now you have one long length of garland. It should be the same length of the string. If there is any excess garland, cut it off when you’re finished.
One way to attach your garland to the staircase rail or banister is to use fishing line or long twisty ties. You can even connect bread or garbage bag ties together to make a long connection of wire. Wrap the long twisty tie or fishing line around the garland at your marked or taped spots. Twist or tie it in place tight. Take some of the short little green branches from the top and bottom of the garland and cover over the twisty ties or fishing line to hide it. Remember to take the tape off of the staircase rail that marked the spot where your garland should be placed.
Now you may add accessories or ornaments. You can wire ribbon, ornaments, flowers, artificial fruit or special collectables into the garland. Try to be consistent in the placement of these items on your garland.
To learn more garland and decorating ideas, please join me on November 3rd and 10th for the “Decorating for the Holidays” class at the College of Continuing and Professional Education at KSU Center. In this class, you will learn how to design and create garland for your mantel or staircase. Other great lessons include how to attach your garland to the fireplace without using nails, how to make a Christmas centerpiece and so much more.
Jan Britt is a professional interior decorator and instructor for the College of Continuing and Professional Education at Kennesaw State University To register, call 770-423-6765 or visit ccpe.kennesaw.edu/leisure and click on Home Decorating. If you have questions, please email jbritt@kennesaw.edu.
