Aside from baking (and eating) tons of Christmas cookies, turning on festive tunes and decorating the house is one of our favorite ways to get into the holiday spirit this time of year.
But since our to-do lists are also overflowing with gift-buying, holiday parties, watching classics like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and just normal life stuff too, we don’t have all weekend to do it.
Is it really too much to ask for decorating ideas that are quick, feel effortless and frustration-free? In a surprise to no one, social media has you covered. Our new favorite tip started with an older favorite tip (and by “older,” we mean it stretches waaaaay back to early November).
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A few weeks before Thanksgiving, TikToker @thekwendyhome shared a fun and easy holiday decorating hack that had everyone buying tension rods, which are typically used for hanging window curtains or shower curtains. She adjusted the rod to fit in the open doorway in her living room, wrapped it with garland and lights and slid it up to the top of the doorway.
The genius trick is fast, easy, practical—and very popular, racking up more than 14 million views so far. We love it because not only does it make hanging garland a breeze, but it’s also a genius solution for doing so without putting holes in your walls, making it perfect for apartment dwellers too.
Related: 31 Easy Christmas Decorating Ideas
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More recently, food writer, recipe developer and crispy feta fried egg star @graceelkus took the idea and moved it to the kitchen.
In her video, Elkus installs the tension rod low in the kitchen window, just as @thekwendyhome does, so she can easily decorate it. She drapes garland and lights around the tension rod, then slides it up to the top of the window once she’s finished decorating it. She lets the garland hang down on both ends to frame the space nicely (fresh or artificial garland both work well here.) And the final touch? A few Christmas ornaments on one side for a trendy asymmetrical look.
At the end of the video, Elkus turns off the kitchen lights, turns on the holiday lights, lights a candle next to the sink and pours some hot water into two mugs. Her cute pup, Bodie, even swings by to check out the scene, proving it’s the perfect decorating idea for every member of the family.
“It makes the whole room so cozy,” says Elkus. “I might as well decorate where I spend the most time.”
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