Holiday Decorating Ideas
Expert tips on holiday table setting, Christmas tree trimming and other decor
Each year Asheville's bed and breakfasts and inns decorate with fervor for the holidays to prepare for their yuletide guests. Some even open their doors to the public to show off their decorations. These inns and others share their decorating ideas throughout the season on this site.
With the onset of the holiday season, the walls and mantles look bare without decorations to set a festive mood. But rather than pulling down the dusty box of decorations from years past, try these suggestions from Asheville's bed and breakfasts and inns.
Biltmore Estate
Cathy Barnhardt, Floral Supervisor
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She shares expert tips and secrets on trimming a Christmas tree like the pros at Biltmore Estate in this Christmas tree trimming tips video. |
She also offers the following tips on lighting your Christmas tree:
- Wire from the top to the bottom of the tree with lights turned on. Judge the placement of each light so the tree is evenly lit and lights are not too close together. Check your work often by squinting your eyes and checking for dark spots.
- Tuck cords into the tree trunk and run along branches so they don’t show. Work the lights in and out along the branches to give depth to your display. On dense trees, work lights in about 12-18 inches. On trees with branches spaced further apart, work the lights in closer to the trunk.
- Never connect more than six sets of lights (300 bulbs total). Every connection you make weakens the power source and increases the risk of a blown fuse.
- The effect of your lit tree can be lost of the room is too dark or too bright. Experiment with various lamps and lights and variations in bulb brightness to achieve the balance you desire.
Find out more about Biltmore Estate
At Cumberland Falls Bed & Breakfast
Patti Wiles
During the holiday season, especially as friends visit and gather to share food and friendship, a beautiful table is something guests appreciate. An inexpensive, yet beautiful, idea is to place mirrors on your table. Then scatter iridescent or opalescent confetti on the glass mirror. Scatter a few small, white votive candles in shallow holders about the mirrors. The reflection will bring magic to the season.
Find out more about Cumberland Falls Bed & Breakfast
Bent Creek Lodge
Jodee Sellers
Quick, easy and naturally elegant - Spray long strands of ivy with gold spray paint. Drape on your Christmas tree as a garland, use on the mantle for color in evergreens and use in table centerpieces. Lasts four to five weeks.
Find out more about Bent Creek Lodge
Carolina Bed and Breakfast
Sue Birkholz
During the holiday season, a beautiful mantelpiece is something your guests can appreciate. Fill the mantel with plenty of glittering leaves and various evergreen branches and then add an assortment of candles. The taller candle holders might have pine branches running up the length, while the shorter candles get nestled in the leaves. The idea is to have an undulating mixture of light all made safe by making sure the candles are not in direct contact with the greenery.
Find out more about Carolina Bed and Breakfast.
Owl's Nest Inn at Engadine
Marg Dente & Gail Kinney
Place white, clear lights on your Christmas tree. Place at least 12 plain silver balls as close to the trunk of the tree as possible, all the way from top to bottom. Complete the decorating of your tree as usual. When the lights are turned on, the silver balls reflect the lights making it look as if the tree is full of lights.
Find out more about Owl's Nest Inn at Engadine Cabins.
Richmond Hill Inn
For an easy holiday centerpiece to complement the cuisine, the head horticulturist at Richmond Hill Inn, suggest making a natural arrangement. You'd be surprised what you can find in your own back yard and at the grocery store. Evergreen holly heavy with red berries and conifers such as hemlock and red cedar work especially well. Lemons and oranges mixed with evergreens add bright color, and you can use excess cuttings from your Christmas tree to fill in. Try using kumquats or fresh red roses as small ornaments on a Styrofoam cone covered with boxwood cuttings. Whatever you choose, you can't go wrong. Natural materials look great any way you use them.
Find out more about Richmond Hill Inn.
Related resources: Asheville Holiday Events and Traditions | Asheville in Winter | Holiday Recipes from Asheville Area Inns and Bed and Breakfast Accommodations | National Gingerbread Competition Video Tours
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