You can decorate simply and on a budget

Can the holidays be here already and today be Thanksgiving? Where did another year go?

Many of my clients have told me that they are no longer bringing out all their decorations. They want things simpler and easier to put up and take down. I've also had others who have moved and didn't bring much with them. They don't want to go out and buy a lot again, but would rather try and use what they have before heading to the store. They have less storage space and a smaller budget.

So, in this year's holiday column I thought I would address your questions with 10 simple, budget-conscious and clever decorating ideas.

1. Set your dining table with your holiday china. Enjoy it for the month instead of just one day. If you don't have any, just pick up a few things at the dollar store. Use a white dinner plate and then place a holiday salad plate on top. Add festive place mats, napkins and glasses. Make it a fun and buy different pieces and patterns to mix and match.

2. Change the pictures in your table top frames with photos from past holidays. To make it easy for next year, put other ones you like behind the pictures you normally have in the frames. Then all you have to do is switch the pictures.

3. No-sew pillows. One yard of fabric can go a long way. Place the right sides together and tie the corners with rubber bands. If you want to dress it up, tie a tassel in with it. Turn it inside out, use a safety pin to close the bottom and you have a no-sew pillow.

4. Holiday tissue boxes, napkins and paper towels. Why not decorate with items you use every day? It's simple and there's nothing to store.

5. Gather up all those clear glass vases we all have around the house and make a centerpiece. Put something different in each one such as battery-operated lights, colorful ornaments, candy canes, ribbon, holly leaves, red berries, garland and pine cones.

6. Buy a few decorative boxes. I have a set of three nesting boxes of snowmen. I stack them on the floor, and use them to store my decorations. They are double-duty items, functional and decorative.

7. Tuck artificial poinsettias in your china cabinet, shelves and bookcases. Buy ones in a bunch and cut them apart. One or two will do the trick.

8. Removable mirror etchings. Check out the dollar stores. Just peel and stick.

9. Have table coffee books? Wrap them with holiday paper.

10. Bowls, bowls, bowls. I love them. Fill them with holiday potpourri, candy, pine cones, ornaments, berries or paper snowflakes.

Since I don't like doing a lot of holiday decorating, one year I kept it real simple. I bought a 4-foot live tree, then went to a discount store and spent around $25 for a couple of boxes of lights, ornaments, red bows and ribbon. When it was time to take it down, I donated the decorations. It was quick and easy and there was nothing to store.

Want some very clever, out-of-the-box Christmas tree ideas? Check out the blog post from Dec. 15, 2009, at www.InspireBohemia.com. I have never thought to decorate a ladder with lights and ornaments or that just by rearranging books in your bookcase, you can create a tree. Or how about making a bottle tree? Now that is something I just might give a try this year, especially since my husband is a home brewer we have plenty of empty beer bottles hanging around the house.

Have a very happy holiday season.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by email to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.