Easy-Does-It Decorating

Filling a table with gorgeous accessories is easy when you get help from the right person. Follow the lead of Atlanta designer Mary McWilliams (Mary Mac), who added a sign of the times to this Dallas dining room. Her three easy moves are below.

1. Garnish with garland. Instead of hanging your greenery, place it in a circle at the center of your table, or run it along a buffet. Jazz it up with small glittery trees, snowflake ornaments, and votives.

2. Place a wreath over an arrangement. Mary Mac used a wreath of colorful balls to bedeck star of Bethlehem in a weathered urn.

3. Bring in seasonal blooms. A potted poinsettia makes an instant centerpiece. Choose one in a color that complements the hues in your home. Poinsettias come in red, cream, yellow, pink, and peach. Keep your plant in top shape by placing it in a cool and sunny spot for a longer life.

To see more of this house decked out for the holidays, pick up a copy of Southern Living Home for the Holidays on newsstands now.

"Easy-Does-It Decorating" is from the December 2007 issue of Southern Living.