Deck Your Halls

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Members of the A-Team have been known to dive under curtains just as a show starts, while putting the finishing touches on one of their many high-end Christmas design projects. But, this A-Team is less “ex-army commando” and more “practicing design professional.” The team is made up of six designers who have been working with Jeanne Waters-Hill of Touché Designs, Inc. for at least 10 years.

The team’s work is high-end, highly organized and is often theatrical design work for local headliners such as Yakov Smirnov, John Q. Hammons, Anne and Jim Stafford, Steve and Raeanne Presley and commercial hot spots like Chateau on the Lake, six Hammons hotels, the Titanic Branson museum and Tri-Lakes Center in Branson. Projects like these are a year in the making and can take something like 60,000 lights, six miles of garland and four 17-hour days to complete (Chateau on the Lake, for example).

Inside the Chateau’s atrium, an Italian-made, life-sized nativity scene is perched atop a specially built platform (did we mention it was signed by Tuscan artist Elio Simonetti of Fontanini?), so the atrium’s water feature cascades from just below the feet of the Three Wise Men. That kind of big-time centerpiece is probably not what your relatives expect to see at your house this Christmas, but we thought you might need a few fun new ideas to make your home a mini-Chateau, whether you decide to do it yourself or hire the pros to take care of business for you.

DO IT YOURSELF

Just within the DIY realm, there are different price ranges that you can shoot for when decorating your home. You might want to take the simple (read: low-budget, affordable) route. We have tips to help you out. Want to spend the big bucks and go all-out? We can help with that, too. Three designers give their expert opinion on how to DIY on a budget or when money is not an object.

Small Budget? No Problem!

A tree lit simply with lights and glass ornaments creates a modern look with lots of sparkle. Get a simple, fresh balsam wreath with a bow from your local florist, and hang it on your front door. Then, pick up inexpensive votives with candles and put them all over your home to create a warm, Christmas-y mood. For a fun, personal project, see if your mom-in-law has a photo of your significant other as a small child on Santa’s lap that you can frame and put on the cocktail table. Pieces like this make for great conversation. For unique design ideas, watch for local Christmas bazaars, open houses and craft fairs —from Jeanne Waters-Hill,Touché Designs, Inc.

Hobby Lobby, Michaels or your own backyard are great resources for Christmas decorations. Start by making a large pine cone wreath with cones from the yard. Next, make a table centerpiece by filling a simple glass bottle with spiky twigs. You can also dust the twigs with a white flocking spray to mimic snow. To continue the natural theme, decorate your tree with dried seedpods or dried flowers. The theme could be an environment-friendly Christmas. And it’s a natural way to decorate with minimal cost. —from Marciann Patton, Missouri State design lecturer and freelance designer

Make a high-fashion tree with a low budget by giving it the professional treatment. Don’t just throw those lights on willy-nilly! First, run a green or brown extension cord up the trunk to plug in all the lights. (Read the packaging on your lights; there is usually a three-strand maximum when plugging them together.) Be sure to use 100 lights for every one to two feet of the tree. Run lights up the branches of the tree instead of in a circular motion for a designer look. Make your tree fuller and add more texture by slipping stems of holly, greens with pine cones or sprigs of berries between branches. Be sure to apply garland in a draping fashion, circling the tree from top to bottom. Attach your tree topper. Apply the largest ornaments down to the smallest ornaments to your tree, making sure the colors and sizes are evenly distributed around the tree.
—from Heather Goller, Right Stuff Interiors

Splurge!

Use a florist for centerpieces, and pick up fresh greenery for the mantel, stair banister or front door. Set a beautiful ornament next to each place setting at Christmas dinner. It’s a great gift for each dinner guest to have as a memento of the evening. —from Jeanne Waters-Hill, title, Touché Designs, Inc.

Try a new theme, and search far and wide for the best items to fit your plan. Internet catalogs provide ideas on ornaments and decorating styles from around the world. And don’t stop with the decorating. Have a dinner themed with international foods used at Christmastime, like Italian panettone, Christmas cake, or English pudding. —from Marciann Patton, Missouri State design lecturer and freelance designer

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