Before we know it, the holidays will be upon us. Just as a mug of hot cocoa can warm you from the inside out, the same holds true for twinkling lights and holiday décor that conjure up beloved childhood memories. Whether you’ve got plans to host a cavalcade of holiday guests between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, or you simply love to surround yourself with holiday cheer, the Traditions of Braselton Discovery Center team has curated a list of design tips, hot trends, and shops within a short drive of our master-planned community in Jackson County. Pick and choose the ones that work best for helping you to keep the HAPPY in your holidays…
1) Decorate Early to Minimize Stress and Maximize Joy
While it may be the most wonderful time of year, the holidays can also be stressful. To help keep the stress to a minimum, be strategic about decking the halls this holiday season. Instead of trying to knock it out in one day or one weekend, start your decorating early in the season and carry it out in stages. You may spend one weekend working on exterior décor to give your home a little curbside cheer, then tackle the first floor’s main living spaces nightly before moving onto the bedrooms and bathrooms. Turn on some holiday music to make these decorating sessions feel less like a chore and help you enjoy the experience.
2) Hire the Professionals to Hang the Lights
Untangling the knots in those strings of lights is likely everyone’s least favorite aspect of holiday decorating. What if we told you that you could skip that chore entirely AND have your home professionally lit from the gables to the ground without ever having to climb a ladder? It’s true!! Several companies offer this service, although we highly recommend that you make sure they’re insured, in case anyone takes a tumble when hanging those twinkling lights. Check with Angi or HomeAdvisor to find professional Christmas lighting installers that serve your area. Many will not only hand the lights for you, but they’ll remove them, too!
3) Stay True to Your Home’s Exterior Architecture
Whether your home is Craftsman, Modern Farmhouse, Colonial, or Midcentury Modern, you’ll want to lean into your architecture for some holiday design inspiration. For example, red or white and black buffalo check makes a great ribbon trim for your wreaths and garlands that line the windows, door, and front porch railing if you have a crisp, white Modern Farmhouse home. A Colonial home will likely feature more traditional décor – such as red ribbons and berries on greenery and flickering white candlesticks in each window. With a Midcentury Modern home, you can have more fun, leaning into brightly colored bulbs and kitschy, nostalgic décor. Do a little homework before shopping to create a look you’ll love!
4) Your Porch and Entry Can Create a Festive First Impression
Besides the cheery curbside appeal they’ll see when they first arrive, you’ll want to continue that same sense of welcome and AWE as your guests set foot on your porch and take their first steps inside your home. A festive holiday wreath is a given (or two if you have double doors), but you can enhance this further with a pair of topiaries or skinny Christmas trees framing the entryway. Again, if your home’s architecture proves the right fit, you can visit your local décor and antique shops to curate cool Christmasy additions. A retro wooden sled, tall red lanterns to line the stairs, flocked garland around the doorframe, holiday-themed pillows on your porch swing, and more may be ideal touches. Inside, a beautifully bedecked and lit Christmas tree may welcome them, with even more holiday décor lining an entry table. If you’re shopping near Traditions, be sure to add A Flea An’tique and Countryside Antiques in Braselton, Pretty Petals ‘N Pickings in Hoschton, and Black Barn Antiques & Marketplace in Jefferson to your list of stops.
5) Trim the Tree (Whether “Fir” Real or Faux)
Whether you haul an artificial tree out of storage or go on a hunt for the perfect live tree each year, we won’t judge. The theme you feature on the exterior of your home should also be reflected indoors. Your tree should tell a similar color story to your home’s interior. Source ornaments and trimmings that either flow with or match your colors. If you’ve kept it neutral indoors, you’ve got a lot of wiggle room where color is concerned. And if your first floor is fairly formal, you may want to reserve those old ornaments from your childhood and handmade ornaments from your children for a more casual area of the home – like a dedicated family tree in the upstairs bonus room. Make a night of trimming the tree(s) by involving the whole family, baking Christmas cookies, drinking hot cocoa, and playing Christmas carols. By the way… If you’re looking for a live tree near Traditions, be sure to visit Cooper’s Tree Farm at 5577 Winder Hwy in Braselton.
6) Go Noel in Every Nook and Corner
When it comes to the holidays, it’s really difficult to spread TOO MUCH holiday cheer. Often associated with magic, there’s nothing wrong with putting little holiday touches in unexpected places. Besides the usual places – like the family room and dining room – you may want to sprinkle some holiday magic in the powder room, in the kitchen, in the mudroom, down the hallway, in the study, up the stairway, and more!
7) Set the Tone for a Long Winter’s Nap
Whether for your family, overnight guests, or both, you can dress each bedroom so the inhabitants will “rest ye merry.” A Christmas quilt and matching shams will go a long way in setting the seasonal tone, with a few seasonal knick-knacks set about on the dresser and bedside tables. Smaller tabletop or skinny floor Christmas trees make great nightlights that are sure to send your kids off to slumber with smiles on their faces and dreams of Christmas morning.
8) Host a DIY Decorations Night with Family and Friends
Instead of sourcing ALL your holiday décor at local shops, you can host a Christmas crafts party where your guests can dine on holiday favorites, sip spiked cider, listen to holiday classics, and put their creativity to the test. Do your research to find several crafts and set up stations so your guests can design their own DIY Decorations to take home. To ramp up the holiday cheer while making hosting a little easier for you, have everyone bring a dish to the party. It’s sure to get everyone in the holiday spirit!
9) The Best Spots for Seasonal Sourcing
In addition to the previously listed locations for antiques and live Christmas trees near Traditions of Braselton, you can hop on I-85 and head south to the Mall of Georgia area, where Michaels and Hobby Lobby are brimming with holiday décor. A little closer to home, House of Boykin in Braselton, The Vintage Peach Boutique in Hoschton, and PrissEllie’s Gifts & Décor in Jefferson always offer some unique finds to enhance your holiday home décor.
10) Fill Your Home with Holiday Aromas and Seasonal Sounds
While many of the tips outlined above are all about sight, don’t forget about the other senses and how appealing to them can enhance one’s holiday cheer. Make sure to have Christmas carols playing as your guests arrive, and set a pot of water with apple slices, cinnamon sticks, vanilla extract, and cloves on the stove to simmer – filling your home with a heavenly holiday aroma.
YOU could actually be in a new home in time for the holidays if you hurry! Traditions of Braselton boasts several homes that are move-in ready! Take a spin by our Homefinder Page and take a look. While it won’t fit under the Christmas tree, your new home in Traditions of Braselton just might be the BEST Christmas gift you’ll ever receive. While on our website, be sure to explore our resort-quality amenities and sought-after schools – both are gifts that keep giving!!
From all of us here at Traditions of Braselton, we wish you and yours a Happy Holiday Season!
KB 10/22/24
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