Living by the coast can give a person a slightly different perspective of the holidays. I can remember sending out Christmas cards (with glee) to my friends in the Midwest and East, that would have the whole ‘Santa on the Beach’ thing going on. I can also remember Christmas in Chicago - one winter it was 60 degrees below zero! And while the snow has its charm, I prefer Christmas on the beach.
If you’d like to make your Christmas décor into a beach party, here are a few ideas to get that beach ball rolling:
Turn seashells into Christmas ornaments
This one is easy, cheap, and can even be used for year-round decorations. If you're lucky enough to live near a beach with lots of shells, kudos! Otherwise, bags of seashells can be purchased cheaply at craft stores or on eBay. When you find a shell that has a great pattern, simply make a small hole at the top for twine or ribbon and use it as is. Or, to really bring the pattern of the shell out, use clear nail polish (or clear spray paint). If you have a shell that is not too interesting, make it pretty with nail polish (or spray paint). I like using nail polish because of the colors available. If you don't want to deal with making seashell ornaments yourself, you can find them pre-made for you online.
Easy Sand Ornaments
Use Salt Dough (recipe here) to create your own seashells, mermaids, dolphins, or seaweed. Before the items are dry, sprinkle them with sand to create a sandy-look beach ornament. This also works well with cardboard and glue, or you can follow the easy tutorial from Pottery Barn Kids
on how to make plaster sand casts (this is a great interactive idea for children). You can apply little pieces of seashells, driftwood, sea glass, just about anything you can think of!
Got the Blues?
Or the greens or aquas? Think color when you’re going for a beach theme. All the lovely shades of ocean blue, green, and aqua will add a bit of beach to your décor. Coordinate aqua-colored ribbons for hanging items throughout your home. Use blue and green ornaments, create dust covers for books with blue or green nautical themed wrapping paper. Bring the ocean into your home with color.
Leave it Natural
We usually think of natural and fresh when we think of the beach. Try using pieces of driftwood with cream-colored poinsettias, blue glass ornaments covered in natural netting, oceans rocks or glass with a clear coat applied to make them look wet, and pieces of burlap tied into bows applied to a wreath with seashells and twine. Coral displayed in a bowl with Christmas greenery and candles is a lovely beachy touch.
Or make it really sparkle!
Who thinks of the beach and doesn’t think of the bright sunshine reflecting off the waves? Bring that natural bling into your holiday home with sparkling shimmers of silver and gold. All you need is some glue, some glitter, and a bit of imagination and you’re on your way to the glam shore.
Decorating with the beach in mind doesn’t always need to equal sand. There are lots of nautical items that can easily be turned into Christmas decorations such as life preservers (add some shells, greenery, etc.), buoys, small anchors, and tiny fish can all be used in a nautical-themed Christmas. Think of what makes you happy when you're by the shore and incorporate that into your holiday season.
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