Bedazzle the Garden & Home for the Holidays

I love sparkles! I think that's why I enjoy swimming in open water so much – there is nothing quite so magical as swimming into the setting sun as it turns the water into liquid gold.

When it comes to decorating our home and garden for the Holidays I tend to keep things fairly simple in a rustic-meets-elegant sort of way, but I always have to add sparkles for that festive touch, so I thought I'd share a few easy ideas with you. No matter how much or how little you like to do, these are all quick additions that cost little yet add that seasonal sparkle.

Bedazzle your container gardens

A few glitter stems add height to this woodland pot, suitable for a covered porch

A few glittery stems add a subtle touch to both indoor and outdoor containers, (although outside I limit the seasonal decor to those outdoor pots which are protected from direct rain and snow).

A gorgeous display of seasonal outdoor containers at Sky Nursery a few years ago – look at how the silver stems transform the simple design

The stems are easy to remove when the Holidays are over and can be saved for another year. Choose silver, gold, blue, red, green – whatever works best for your color scheme.

This lightweight silver ball adds just the right amount of shimmer to my porch pots

I purchased some lightweight silver balls many years ago too – they are easy to nestle into the porch pots without damaging the plants. They reflect the light and add an eye-catching focal point to the design. Four or six-inch diameter work well.

Light up your garden

I saw some fabulous solar-powered lights online that looked like fireworks and thought how much fun they would be for those of you with more winter sunshine than we have here in Seattle. They could be used to line the path to the front door, surround a fire pit or cluster them together as a centerpiece in the courtyard. If you want more color with your sparkles what about those in the photo above? These really look like enormous seed heads – so pretty!

Give nature a little bling

Allium seedheads are a wonderful addition to your Holiday decor, especially when sprayed silver or gold

Fir cones, allium seedheads, and lotus pods are all easy to spray with glitter or even metallic paint. Just a few blinged-out accessories can transform a mantel arrangement or table setting without looking like Las Vegas. Allium seedheads look like gigantic snowflakes when sprayed silver. You could even hang them from a chandelier using fishing line or invisible thread.

When in doubt – add lights!

A string of LED fairy lights quickly added a festive touch to this store bought wreath when I needed some fast staging for one of our videos!

Has there ever been such a boon for decorating as those strings of battery operated LED lights with clear, flexible wire? I use them on my wreaths (inside and out), add them to bowls of sparkly baubles, string them onto my porch plants (especially great on conifers), and weave them through my table centerpiece. You could also thread them through greenery on the mantel – so easy to hide the small battery pack.

Finishing Touch

Photo by Diane, https://inmyownstyle.com/

For double the dazzle – add mirrors! Often available at craft stores, a simple mirror placed beneath your table arrangement will reflect all that sparkly beauty. And add to the effect with these delightful jingle bell place cards, designed by Diane on her blog 'In my Own Style'

Wishing you all a sparkly, festive season

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4 Comments

  1. Kathryn Anderson, Victoria BC on December 14, 2021 at 10:55 am

    Beautiful post, Karen. The solar lights are spectacular. Yes to razzle-dazzle!
    I so enjoy your newsletters and books.
    Happy holidays!



    • Karen Chapman on December 14, 2021 at 11:11 am

      Happy Holidays to you too Kathryn! Here's to a sparkly New Year too



  2. Tania on December 19, 2021 at 12:27 am

    Love the seedhead AND indoor light strings – just ordered some to arrive at Helena's in San Francicso because that's where we are driving to for Christmas this week. #stockingfillers

    Wishing you all a twinkly Christmas!



    • Karen Chapman on December 19, 2021 at 5:23 pm

      Oh she will love those – great idea! Have a wonderful time together