Make your mantel glow.

Sometimes the best holiday light displays are indoors. To make your mantel merry and gorgeously bright, just spray-paint a faux leaf garland in light-reflecting shades of silver and gold. Glimmering metallic votives team up with an oversized mirror to magnify the sheen. Round out your transitional mantel with a couple of evergreen boughs (easily scrounged from yard clippings!) for color, balance and a nod to the season.

Pile on the apples.

Make a modern cornucopia by piling Granny Smith apples, pinecones and greenery in a vintage suitcase. Double the visual impact by using the open suitcase top as a frame for your favorite winter photograph; just use double-sided tape to secure the image in place.