Expert Holiday Decorating Tips and Trends (With Photos)

Be it modern, bright and glitz colors or the traditional reds and greens, there a loads of color options for decorating this holiday season. There’s also plenty of local experts willing to help get that perfect blend of new mixed with tradition. North Canton Patch recently visited two local experts to see what’s in for the holidays.

Jamie Prestier, the new owner of Patricia’s Floral and Plant Shop on Portage Avenue in North Canton, said they offer many traditional items including five of the annual containers offered through Teleflora such as a new Thomas Kincaid container with singing carolers. Prestier also suggests looking at some of the more modern decorations such as hot pink Christmas trees.

“We have items with reds, whites, greens, golds and silvers,” Prestier said.

“In addition to the traditional colors, we have items decorated in modern colors such as hot pink, lime green, purple and blue. We can use a plant-friendly spray paint to spay the white poinsettias to make them a color the customer wants. Plus, we are known for our glitter that we use to brighten up the arrangements."

Another new product this year at Patricia’s, Christmas silk arrangements such as wreaths and table center pieces.

On the other side of town and a different take on the modern approach is Rice’s Nursery on 55th Street in Canton. Bil Hickman, garden center manager, is seeing a trend for mixing retro styles with new colors.

“Metal finishes on ornaments and other items are making a return,” Hickman said.

“People can use metal in containers, or metal ornaments on trees or wreaths and swags making them more animated and fun,” he said.

For colors this year, Hickman said they offer softer blues and greens and whites. The reds this year are softer and almost an orange-red tone. Although Rice’s Nursery is expecting to sell 400 live trees this year, the garden center offers lots of other items such as ornaments, a large variety of poinsettias and lots of other decorative pieces.

“We’re offering a new item called “Bundle up for Winter” that includes coordinating wreaths, swags and other items such as poinsettias, roping or cut greens,” Hickman said.

Rice’s Nursery has several seminars planned for later this month and in December. Check their Rice's Nursery's website for complete details.

What do these design and decorating experts suggest to make this holiday season a meaningful one? Below Prestier and Hickman offer their best of the best ideas for sprucing up the season.

Prestier’s top three decorating tips for the holiday season:

• Think outside the box for both color and design. She recommends looking at the pinks available this year.
• Spruce up items at home by adding a brightly colored bow or silvery, glitzy items, or switching out the pots with the newer, brighter designs available this year.
• Consider doing a display using layered fabrics or add lighting to a decorated area. Both can make a big difference.

Hickman’s top three ideas for a merry, holiday season:

• Decorate trees and areas of the house with items that are meaningful. Rice’s will be displaying a gardener’s tree because the employees are so passionate about gardening.
• Put home and craft items together with bright and shiny, then mix some wrought iron or metal finishes to make it new and exciting.
• If buying a balled tree for planting in the ground, dig the hole now and store the dirt from the hole possibly in the garage and put straw in the hole. After the holidays are over, the tree can immediately be planted and the stored dirt will be soft enough to cover the tree ball.