By Madoline Markham Koonce
Buffy Hargett Miller has been creating Christmas magic as long as she can remember. Her floral designs have been featured on covers of Southern Living, Country Living, VERANDA and other magazines, and she has styled beautiful tablescapes, vignettes and holiday decor for countless magazine images and homes in Birmingham.
After decades running a florist business that did weddings and events, these days she’s stepped back from events but still works as a freelance stylist and florist and lately has been painting abstracts, faces and figures (follow her work at @buffyhargettstudios). Still, without a doubt she’s still a queen of Christmas decorating.
Heading into the 2025 holiday season, Miller recommends keeping your decor simple and focusing on the principle that less is more for busy people with limited time. “You want it to look decorated and beautiful, but you want it to be streamlined and quick,” she says.
Of course, trends come and go, and this year vintage items are big along with wood and felt, natural looks and colors like teal that break out of the traditional red and green. But most importantly, Miller also has a lot of tried-and-true holiday decorating tips. Below she shares some of them with us.
Go with faux greenery for early decorating.
Whether dried, preserved or artificial, the faux garlands and wreaths available today look better than ever. Plus, greenery wasn’t meant to last from Thanksgiving to Christmas, especially in our warm climate. Fresh garland lasts maybe three weeks, so wait to get it if you are going to decorate with it. You can also add fresh greenery to faux to help give it a natural feel and smell, and you can easily replace it when needed.
Tips: When purchasing faux greenery, look for natural looking branches that vary in color. Faux boxwood and magnolia look very real, and some of the cedar does too. To find fresh greenery to add to the faux, look at Home Depot or nurseries for piles of scraps they take off the bottom of Christmas trees and give away. While you are at it, buy a holiday candle to create the fresh greenery smell in your home too. Balsam and Cedar by Illume or any holiday candle by Nest are good ones.
Accent your decor with ribbon.
I’m all about some pretty ribbon. Invest in good high quality wired ribbon so it will last, and you can roll it up and reuse it the next year. You don’t have to stick to red and green either. My favorite ribbon color is chartreuse. It adds a good contrast to dark green Christmas greenery and can mix with red or any other color. Also, teals, blushes, copper and gold are trending this year.
Tip: Be sure to replace your ribbon every few years when it starts to look worn.
Wait to bring a fresh tree indoors.
I love a fresh Christmas tree, but I suggest that you purchase it and then keep it outside in a bucket of water until the first or second week in December so that the greenery stays fresh until Christmas. When you bring the tree
indoors to decorate it, add accents of ribbons in different widths for a full Christmas tree look. Trees should be full of memories, so be sure to include your personal ornaments that are full of memories.
Tips: I like to purchase coordinating gift wrap to complete the look of the tree. I wrap a few empty, recycled boxes to add structure to the bottom of the tree. Add to your ornament
collection each year by shopping the sales after Christmas.
Start with your mailbox.
Decorating your mailbox sets the tone for your home at Christmas. Even if you don’t decorate anything else, people think you have it all together. You can create a festive mailbox early with fresh greenery and then replace it as needed throughout December.
Tips: Soak fresh cut greenery in buckets of deep water for a day or two, and then arrange it with fresh fruit, pinecones and berries for a fresh welcoming look. For
stability and a water source, use a floral foam cage and string wire to attach the greenery to your mailbox.
Create tablescapes with potted plants and fruit.
I recommend potted plants for a tablescape that lasts the whole month of December and beyond. I love to create potted fresh green topiaries piled with cranberries, tangerines, kumquats and fresh pears make a simple tablescape.
Shop local.
Leaf ‘N’ Petal in Cahaba Heights, Shoppe in Forest Park, Oak Street Garden Shop and other local garden shops have great decorations and fresh greenery. At Home in Homewood is my favorite place for decorations, and Smith’s Variety has wonderful gift wrap and great ribbon.
