Don’t get stuck using the same old holiday decorations this year. Try some alternative techniques and materials that can go from Thanksgiving all the way through the New Year. We’re talking elemental decorations that can go from November to January with a few strategic updates. So unless you’re emotionally attached to Henry the dancing turkey and the mechanical Santa that sings show tunes, it’s time to turn over a new leaf.

How exactly does one accomplish this decorating brilliance? Start with a color or two that can span all three holidays. Pick at least one neutral shade like white, cream, gold, tan or silver. Then add complimentary colors for each specific holiday. For example, if gold is your neutral shade, for Thanksgiving add navy or purple and trade those out for green, crimson or even something out of the ordinary like pink or orange for Christmas. Then at New Year’s add silver to the gold, or black or even white.

Once you have your colors chosen, create focal point displays. Great places for focal points include tabletops, a fireplace mantel, or even on the floor in an open corner of the room.

These focal points include a base decoration such as a grouping of candles, a flower vase with dry branches or stalks or even a group of topiaries of various sizes. Then, to these base decorations, add items that match the season and colors you’ve chosen.

A group of topiaries on the floor by the fireplace with pine cones, acorns and a few fall leaves scattered among them would look great for fall. After Thanksgiving, replace the acorns with cranberries or other artificial red berries, pick up the leaves and add a few sprays of evergreen or even a pomegranate or two and you’ve gone from one holiday to the next in a few minutes. For New Year’s, change out the berries and pomegranates for some twinkling lights and a few sparkling plastic or glass snowflakes and again you’ve got a fresh new look with minimal effort.

A holiday photo display can be a fun idea. Choose a group of frames that go well together and then fill them with pictures of past holiday moments. Leave the frames out for the entire holiday season, just change out the pictures to match the current holiday.

The holiday season is also a great time to display a personal collection or two. The collection doesn’t have to be directly related to the holiday, you can thread in some holiday cheer even if it isn’t a snowman collection.

Make sure you decorate throughout the house. After all, why should the main living areas have all the fun. Add some sparkle to bedrooms (especially guest rooms), kitchens, even bathrooms. It takes as little as, some holiday candles on a mirrored tray, a bowl filled with beautiful glass Christmas ornaments or some special family heirlooms that normally stay tucked away.

Decorating for the holidays should be fun and easy. With a little creative thinking, you can slide seamlessly through the holidays with a home that looks fabulous and decorations that don’t get stale before the season passes.