My Base Decor Holiday Decorating Plan

Ok, I am going to explain my Base Decor Holiday Decorating Plan. It has been the easiest way for me to decorate in the least amount of time, least amount of work and most holiday pop. Since it is fall I will start with my fall routine.

I start with a fall cleaning. The dirt and grime of summer has to be cleaned. I wash windows and doors, clean off the porch put away any summer decor. Quick and easy with a little help it can be done in as little as an hour with a small place and if you have a big home it may take longer. Split it up if you need to

Next, I pull out my fall decor boxes. I purchased a black and orange rubber made tub and it has been so nice to just know that my fall stuff is in that box (or boxes). I also have the other holidays color coded, more on that later.  I open it up and see what I have. What I still love and what I am not so fond of or have no place for. If I am done with it I donate it or try selling in on line. The rule is get rid of what you don't love or use so you make room for the things you do.

After I have cleaned out my stash, I start to decorate. My first trick? I decorate for fall. I put up my fall garland with orange lights, my pumpkins, my pinecone garland...I just decorate for fall.

This is probably the most important thing I will do for the next 3-4 months! Sounds crazy right? It's not and let me tell you why.

By decorating for a base season I can easily add Halloween decor to the fall decor. Then, the day after Halloween I just take the Halloween down and add any Thanksgiving pieces. A 10 minute switch and I am ready for the next holiday.

Then, the magic happens. When it is time for Christmas, I already have a base decor set up. So for a few days (I like to do it early because I am a Christmas Junkie) I can just focus on one section of my fall decor and switch it to Christmas. The pinecone garland that I brought out for fall? I dust it and leave it there, it may get some white lights added or some ribbon but that stuff stays up for months. I love base decor! Decorating the same spaces in your home and then just rotating for the holiday or season is the easiest way to go. If you know you will decorate the mantel for every holiday then you can decorate for fall and add a halloween piece or two and then take them out for a Thanksgiving addition. Then spend an hour putting away fall and making it a Christmas mantel. One section to be done quick and easy.

For me enjoying the season is making my home feel full of holiday spirit. It doesn't matter what Holiday and it doesn't take hundreds of dollars to do it (although I could easily spend hundreds if my sweet hubs didn't give me "isn't our house already too full" look). So I think of my decorating as base and as holiday.