With Thanksgiving now all but a memory, if you are like most people you have decorating for the holidays on your mind.

As you drag out your bins of decorations, take the time to sort through them. Ditch those tired old crumpled bows and fake wreaths, the strings of lights that don’t work, the dozens of snowmen and Santa snack bowls that were adorable twenty years ago. They scream tacky and tired and need to find a home in the nearest dumpster.

The goal of purging Christmas decorations is to help you enjoy your special treasures by giving them the space they need to be seen and admired.

Here are a few decorating tips you might like to try after you finished decluttering..

• Use oversized bulbs. Lighten up and start thinking outside the traditional box. Go big, bold and bright on the tree. Hang colorful strings around window frames, on stairway banisters, balconies and along your mantel.
• Mix and match. Let different items sit together on your mantel or tables. Bring on candlesticks, vases and ornaments. The trick is to pick one color and vary the shades.
• Buy or make a wreath with fresh holly or fragrant evergreen to hang on your front door. A wreath will make your house look welcoming to family and friends and will indicate to passers-by that your home has the Christmas spirit.
• Use red and green accents. These are the colors of Christmas, so anything that has this color scheme will make your house look more festive.  Exchange your everyday pillows for holiday ones. Ditto for kitchen cloths, bedspreads, bathroom towels. Buy a holiday inspired door mat.

Related Links:

Beautiful Christmas Decorations – House Beautiful: www.housebeautiful.com

White Christmas: Decorating and Entertaining for the Holiday Season, by Tricia Foley

Creatively Christmas: Inspired Yuletide Décor, by Jennifer Rizzo