Blending Beaches and Boughs: Christmas Ideas for Your Home

©istockphoto/ampueroleonardo

The holiday season is upon us and it’s time to start decorating for the most wonderful day of the year. If you’re living on the coast or just enjoy a beach-y feel to your environment, there’s no need to start panicking. Who says Christmas and sand aren’t compatible? Not us, that’s for sure!

Color is Everything
Beachside scenes aren’t complete without some seaside greens along the shoreline. Most beaches have some sort of vegetation around them, from palm trees to shore pines, which works out perfectly because green is also synonymous with Christmas. Bring the color green into your home through your furniture, alone with some dashes of red, and it’ll feel like the holidays without much effort at all.

A Warm Weather Tree
Rather than the typical pine trees used in most home Christmas displays, there’s nothing wrong with sprucing things up this year with a warm-weather tree instead. Hawaiians love decorating their palm trees for the season, so bring one inside and string up some lights to get things rolling. It might not provide as much room for hanging ornaments, but it can still look spectacular if done properly.

Use Wood
From Christmas wreaths to trees to painted scenes of cardinals on snowy limbs, wood is a large part of capturing the Christmas spirit. Adding some wood furniture to your décor can help capture the spirit. There’s no need to go overboard if you prefer upholstered, but a room full of wood furniture can also hold its own appeal.

Seashell Crafts
The great thing about being surrounded by seashells is that they’re good for just about any craft project imaginable. Need a beautiful Christmas wreath for the mantle? Use white and red-tinged seashells. How about ornaments? They work there too. You can place them anywhere around the house to add a dose of color or have them resemble snow for the season.

Change Your Sheets
Sheets should be changed on a regular basis and there’s nothing wrong with having a themed design for the winter. The lovely thing about coral is that, in the right situation, it can somewhat resemble a leafless tree in winter. The right comforter, a mixture of red, white and/or green, can really set the Christmas mood in your bedroom with paired with the right décor.

Change Up the Typical Red and Green
Some people prefer to eschew the traditional palette of red and green for Christmas and opt for a more subtle collection of white and blue. Both options are equally as valid, but you might find using blue and white accents in your home lends itself better to the season. You can go really bold with a blue-focused patio set or subtly add color by using pillows and blankets around the home.

Add Art
When the holiday season rolls around that usually means it’s time to start taking down your typical wall décor and replacing it with Christmas-themed arts and crafts. This doesn’t mean you have to ditch the beach theme entirely, though. Focus on art prints that still include beach-related things like oceans, sand and even birds, but try to use ones that include brighter reds to keep with your color scheme for the season. Or, of course, if you’re going the white and blue route you can always plaster the walls with ocean scenes.