Greenery? Stockings? Lights? Decorating interior stairways can take many forms. This holiday season, as people are quarantined indoors, they can expand decorations beyond the tree and mantel to include unique stairway accents.
L.J. Smith Stair Systems, experts in manufacturing stair parts for more than 135 years, has gathered stairway decorating tips from several influencers across the country.
According to Kelly Lee with KellyGolightly, it’s great to think “outside the box” for stairway decorations.
“You can use small peppermint pool floats or inflatable candy canes for holiday decorating,” Lee says. “I like to repeat the same float in multiples for a graphic and visually impactful look that’s a playful, unexpected spin on holiday decorating.”
Lindsey Cline with Fueling Mamahood likes to take a more traditional approach.
“We stick with simple greenery on the stairs,” Cline says. “A touch of red bows pulls the eye toward the stairway. And, in our case, matching pajamas make for a great family picture on the stairs!”
Influencer Samantha Sutton simplifies her stairway decorating with just a statement piece on her newel posts.
“A cluster of garland or greenery with a focal item works great at the base of the stairs and can save on costly decorations,” says Sutton, with Samantha Leigh Studios. “Anything from a cluster of ornaments to pine-cones, or even a colorful stocking overflowing with small wrapped gifts, will draw attention to the stairway.”
Kait Welch with Habits of a Modern Hippie likes to decorate her stairway with seasonal garlands. However, her top tip deals with safety.
“Make sure your decorations are secured properly to the railings and balusters,” Welch says. “I love using mounting tape that peels off easily but keeps garland firmly in place for the whole season!”
More Decorating Tips
The decorating elves at L.J. Smith Stair Systems have a variety of additional ideas and tips for stairway enhancements this season:
- Drape swags of garland the length of the railing. Between each dipping swag, hang a unique holiday ornament.
- Light up the night with lit, green garland that attaches to the handrail from top to bottom of the stairway.
- Space out your decorations on the stairway. Hang Christmas stockings mixed in with ornaments or balusters wrapped in garland or white lights.
- To create a “stairway quilt design,” weave a variety of different holiday-themed ribbons throughout the rails going up the stairway.
- Go whimsical. Wrap fluffy white cotton around the entire handrail. Then position silly stuffed penguins, reindeer or snowmen as if they’re sliding down the railing.
- If you have white balusters in your stairway, wrap each one with red ribbon to make them look like candy canes. Then attach real candy canes up and down the stairs.
- For a fast way to decorate your balusters, create large, oversized bows out of red plaid ribbons. Attach them to alternating balusters or just on the newel posts.
“Our final tip is to remember your stairs,” says Beth Galigher, director of marketing at L.J. Smith Stair Systems. “You can position items going up the steps to carry through on your decorating theme.
Consider placing poinsettias, wrapped gifts or battery-lit candles on the stairs. As an alternative you can fill decorative lanterns with red and green ornaments and place them on a few steps spaced out going up the stairway. It doesn’t matter what style stair system you have, there’s always a way to decorate it for the holidays.”
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