Colin and Justin: Last-minute decor ideas to complete your festive spell
Article content
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Something is still missing from your holiday decorating? Fret not, here’s help
Recommended Videos
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Colin and Justin: Last-minute decor ideas to complete your festive spell Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Glancing at your Advent calendar, you’ll note just a few doors remain before Christmas Day, 2024, throws open its glittering portal.
It’s a prospect that would send any less than prepared planner into decorating meltdown. But worry not – take a breath – sufficient time remains to add a final sprinkling of glitter.
Come on – you’ve got this – you’re the last word in holiday planning. Right?
But where to start, to finish? Your tree already shines like a beacon in the corner of your (almost) perfectly dressed living room.
Your mantlepiece positively buoys with garlands and candles. Yet somehow, something, is missing. Fret not: we’re here to help…
If your taste parameters occupy the rustic, ‘natural’ category, a whiz round the garden will help you dress to impress.
Without further ado, gather pinecones, twigs and willow branches, and prop, to simple but striking effect, in rattan or wicker baskets, on shelves and counters across your nest.
Berries, too, have long since been a traditional part of the holiday season, but whilst some can be toxic if ingested (Holly, for example) others, like Cranberry, exist without risk.
To make a last minute festive statement, fill Mason jars and vintage crystal vases with the ruby red fruits and display for everyone to enjoy.
Or make cranberry and popcorn garlands by threading onto twine: these will endure well, and see you through the season.
If you’re not feeling the DIY bug, Pottery Barn (www.potterybarn.ca) have small trees covered in faux cranberries that would make a super cute, last minute styling note along a fireplace.
Alternatively, capture the forest aesthetic, this Christmas, with warm browns and verdant greens, and opt for a multi-sensory approach with room fragrances that are warmly herbal. Try the Pine and Balsam Fir Mercury Glass Candle from www.indigo.ca.
Presented in a fluted deep green (reusable) vessel, it boasts a sweet aroma that sidesteps hackneyed cookie/vanilla fragrances that pervade the festive space.
To add extra flourish to an existing table scape or mantle, your best friend could very well be a Nutcracker. Standing festive guard, Home Depot (www.homedepot.ca) has a range of traditional options, from a few bucks apiece (depending on size), and a gold painted update for $14.95. Measuring 15” tall, he might as well be the holiday cousin of an Oscars statue.
Whilst we embrace augmenting existing decor with complimentary seasonal accoutrements, don’t go overboard. Come on: Christmas as an excuse to transform your (otherwise tasteful) home into a turkey of over played spangle?
Take it from us – restraint delivers a more stylish nest, so stand back and let honest eyes deliver a verdict. Does your scheme look somewhat ‘heavy’?
Well, pluck a bauble or two from your tree, or ditch a couple of tinsel swags that make your space seem fussy. As always, ‘less is more,’ especially at the last, festive hurdle…
Suffuse a spot of sparkle with the Ten Point Mirrored Star glass and brass ornament from Pottery Barn (www.potterybarn.ca)
Designed to catch the light, make it a last-minute addition to your tree, or intersperse with candles (safely monitored) across your holiday mantle.
Add frosted gold and mercury baubles from Home Depot and your scheme will pop. Opt for scents with warm notes to balance room aromas: the ‘Sandalwood and Patchouli Room Fragrance Spray’ by Floris London (www.florislondon.com) is perfect.
With one skoosh, you’ll be donning an Elf costume, and preparing the perfect shelfie.
The kitchen table, over the holidays, takes centre stage with friends and family mucking in to create repast that’s all about caring and sharing. So, reach for the crockpot and prepare simmering stews and delicious soups to warm up your most steely maiden aunt.
You know the drill – it won’t be long before auld Aggie, high on sweet sherry, is tugging at her hem line and making a bee line for your (hitherto unsuspecting) single friends. God help ‘em…
The key word is ‘joy’ – all you need do, to usher in a perfect Christmas, is choose last minute accessories that spark warmth, friendship and fun: it really is that simple. Saints preserve us, the countdown is well and truly upon us: just a few days remain…
Watch for Colin and Justin on Citytv’s Breakfast Television. Find the Colin
and Justin Collection in stores across Canada. Visit www.colinandjustin.tv
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.