Sunday, November 6, 2022

Weekend Inspiration: Tips for Transitioning Fall and Thanksgiving to Christmas

Contemplating the Age Old Question...
When to decorate for Christmas; or more plainly... when do you start decorating for Christmas even when you love Thanksgiving and don't want to let that go. Well, I've learned some tips and ideas for making the transition starting to bring out Christmas things but still enjoy the look and feel of Thanksgiving and late fall.



Here are some pics from a couple of years ago in the Hearth Room when I brought out our small bare Christmas tree while still having fall and Thanksgiving decor. I think I enjoy seeing those little white lights twinkling unobscured, just as much as adding on ornaments. That's just me. I love a decorated tree, too.


1. Put up your Christmas trees before Thanksgiving and if you choose to decorate lightly for fall, then you can make a faster transition for Christmas. The biggest part of decorating is often the tree.





I'm one of those bloggers who is a bit old school because I just love the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy all the cozy and comfy that goes with it. But... the blogger in me knows I need to get busy with Christmas decorating, so I'm trying to have a bit of both by mixing it up. I don't usually decorate my Christmas tree with a lot of ornaments because I just so love the look of the natural evergreen branches with some white lights. 
Using vintage wool throws in deep colors of browns and greens and then red plaids make an easy switch. I like a more nature inspired woodsy, lodge-y, cabin look so it's a fairly easy transition. I start to tone down the orange after Halloween and use more neutral colors. I also edit the pumpkins a bit instead of having a free-for-all. You can see the Mantel from that year here.



2. Try using more neutral colors for late Fall, which you can add Christmas colors to later. After Halloween I try to minimize orange and pumpkins, only leaving out the most strategic decorating spots, like the mantel. Often my Thanksgiving mantel doesn't have pumpkins on it at all. Apples and pears and pomegranates make great decor additions.




This is how the late fall Hearth Room transitioned to Christmas that year.




I love a cozy, vintage, "woodsy" look in decor, and Christmas seems as good a time as any to make that happen. I'm a person who loves to snuggle up by the fire with a hot cup of something and relax. Lots of blankets and pillows, cushy furniture; basically a place where you feel comfortable putting your feet up and watching a movie or reading a book.




3. Keep your decor theme the same during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Putting together a woodsy mantel in our Hearth Room is one of my favorite looks. I love using natural elements throughout the seasons for decor, so I did the next best thing and used some faux greenery, deer shed antlers, and evergreen topiaries to create a mini Christmas "getaway" to the woods.






My two twiggy reindeer and the quail from Thanksgiving mingle in the greens.



I love having this smaller tree "au natural" (even if it's artificial), and I'm never in a hurry to take it down after Christmas. To give it some height it's sitting on a wooden cheese crate that I found here in town at one of our winery lunch spots.

4. Bring out the lanterns, twinkle lights and candlelight in neutrals or mercury glass for maximum coziness. 


Bittersweet was covering the basket during Fall, but now Winterberries have taken it's place. We have several Holly bushes here, but I have to be fast or the Cardinals will strip them bare.





A vintage red enamelware metal bowl is filled with foraged pine cones.




My Tartan plaids don't have to match. The browns and dark plaids of fall 
get changed out to the reds for Christmas.






This Robins at Christmas pillow cover came from Pottery Barn several years ago. I tend to keep the same theme in the Hearth Room from year to year and just mix it up with pillows, quilts and throws. The mantel changes a bit each season and year, with the elements just traveling to different rooms. I like small change ups, but I'm happiest with my cozy cottage/cabin feel. 




5. Use faux evergreen branches, and twigs for greenery during Thanksgiving with some neutral leaves and remove the fall leaves for Christmas adding berries.

Pumpkins and leaves were changed up to greenery and the deer shed antlers.









and Christmas in the Country on Pinterest.

Here are a few pics from some Fall and Thanksgiving trees
 I've decorated in the past.
















Here are a few pics from the distant blogging past where I put up a tree before Thanksgiving. I think a lot of us do this, maybe just leaving it unadorned with the lights aglow for our Thanksgiving Celebration. Either way, I love the idea of an Autumn Tree, and then again, it feels great to be a little out front for Christmas!
 2013


2011







Here is some great inspiration from Pinterest of Autumn and Thanksgiving trees
 to easily transition to Christmas.




no source






















Hope you're having a wonderful weekend. We had a good rain and thankfully missed the bad weather that others south of us had. It's been yo-yo-ing temps for the last couple of weeks, but I won't complain. It will be freezing soon enough. We have leaves shin deep even though our yard guy was here last Tuesday. I forget each year how crazy that it gets this time of year.


Did you catch my last post?



joining in here:


The House on Silverado,  Love Your Creativity at Life and Linda
Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 
 Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch 
  Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life  Home Imagined at the Antique Journey
Wednesday Link Party at Our Tiny Nest
 Wonderful Wednesday at Eclectic Red Barn
Turnabout Tuesday at My Wee Abode,  Centerpiece Wednesday at Karin's Kottage
Share Your Style at French Ethereal,  Vintage Charm at Our Hopeful Home,  
Thursday Favorite Things at Follow the Yellow Brick Home,  
Farmhouse Friday at  County Road 407  
 

14 comments:

  1. I have to agree, I love this woodsy feel from Thanksgiving to Christmas transition. I have so many decorations that are the traditional red and green, though. I'm currently thinking of how I'll decorate this year and keep it in a style that matches my mood. Have a great weekend.

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    1. This season I'm finding myself going in a bit of a different direction. I'm not doing "red plaid overload" this year... I know crazy!!!

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  2. With Thanksgiving and Christmas so close together it is a great idea to blend the two as much as you can. Love all your inspiration. I am excited to get my Christmas decor going. Since my daughter does Thanksgiving I can get an early start on my Christmas. Can't wait for the sparkle of the lights. xoxo Kris

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    1. I used to host Thanksgiving each year, so that's one of the reasons that I love it so much. But it's nice to be able to decorate for Christmas early and is so helpful! Loved your post on Kindness, Kris. Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!

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  3. You have such wonderful ideas here, Debra. I may well "borrow" that quilt-over-the-sofa-center one. That's lovely (and in my case would cover up a multitude of sins!) I'm a woodsy/rustic/traditional Christmas person. I got a new big tree this year -- a great deal on a used tree (I broke last year's big one by throwing it down the stairs last year when I took it down.) So, I'll get that one up right around TG weekend -- just in case it's a dud! (Although by the time the stuff gets on it, just about the tree-proper is covered up!) I love your neutrals and once my company next week leaves will bring things up from the basement and stuff the guest room so I'll be ready to roll. Till then I'll be taking these ideas in stride and in inspiration!

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    1. Hi Jeanie, I can't wait to see your Christmas decor! I'd love to have a bigger tree but I tend to have so much "junk" here on a daily basis a big tree gets vetoed. Hope you're having a wonderful weekend. I traveled back thru some of your archives the other day and loved seeing pics from 10 years ago!!

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  4. hmmmmm, Lots of good tips here. I'm not a life-style blogger, just an old fart Gramma...lol. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving being early this year and then we have a bit more time to enjoy getting ready for Christmas! Great post and you'll be ready for sure! Hugs, Sandi

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  5. I love that you put up a tree and have fall decor out. I've only done a fall tree two years and that was some years ago but I really loved it. It was a woodland creature tree. I think now that I'm older I'm just not in the mood when the time rolls around. Kind of feeling that way today. Needed to take a break from the Christmas box clutter and the dining room table full of fall stuff. Bleh. Great post!

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    1. Love your tips and everything looks fabulous! So warm, inviting and the perfect amount of holiday. Thank you for sharing it with us on Farmhouse Friday. Featuring this post tomorrow. Already looking forward to what you link up next! pinned

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  6. Hi Debra!
    I LOVE how you mix Thanksgiving and Christmas decor together. I actually have never seen that done before and I really adore how it all looks!! I'm keeping my fall decor out through next week because we are hosting Thanksgiving this year and don't want to mix the two holidays together. Thanks so much for linking up at the Home Imagined link party today!

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  7. I love all of these beautiful ideas. I need to get on the ball and start my holiday decorating!

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  8. I love these tips, Debra. I hope you have the best Thanksgiving.

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  9. Hi Debra! Oh my goodness, your house always looks amazing. I love how you change out your mantel decorations for each season. Thank you for offering these tips on decorating for the season. Also, thank you for submitting this post into the Home Imagined Link Party.

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  10. Hi Debra - I am happy to say that this blog post will be featured in our next Home Imagined Link Party this coming Tuesday!

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