Saturated shades of peacock blues and browns mix with natural and homemade elements to rule trendy holiday décor this season.

But local event planners and boutique owners think anything goes for Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially if you keep it simple and heartfelt.

Tracy Murphy, owner of Southern Events in Helena, said people unnecessarily stress themselves out to create the perfect look each year. She said instead, your home should reflect the purpose of the season.

“Lots of people try and change up their Christmas décor every year — doing a different theme and color — and there’s something to be said for that. But it’s also great to make decorating a family affair,” Murphy said.

Lisa Sisk, owner of Chelsea Lane in Chelsea, agrees that decorating doesn’t have to mean a big fuss.

“People have a lot of things just around their house that can make a beautiful display,” Sisk said. “I encourage people to walk outside and see what they can find in their own yards.”

Sisk spoke at the North Shelby Library last week discussing inexpensive yet beautiful ways to decorate for the holidays. She encouraged everyone to create displays using pinecones, pumpkins, fresh fruit and dried flowers.

These elements allow the party host to throw together a table setting within minutes, at a reasonable cost, Sisk said.

“I personally love glass jars filled with ornaments or pearls,” Sisk said. “I even put my cake plate on top of them. It’s easy and doesn’t cost a lot of money either.”

Murphy said high impact could be obtained by personalizing basic items. She even suggests using ornaments as place cards and water goblets as vases.

“With tabletops sometimes simplicity is the best way to go,” Murphy said. “The food is usually so colorful itself that you don’t want to take away from that, plus simplistic is so much easier to pull off.”

Murphy plans to take her own children on a scavenger hunt around their home and neighborhood to find decorations. The list of items they’ll seek out includes pinecones, berries and flowers.

She’ll then employ the back–to–nature theme again with the Christmas tree in the front of her store using soy gumballs and dried hydrangea.

She said if you really desire a hint of opulence, use a mirror under your centerpiece with candles to bounce light around the table. Both Murphy and Sisk agree that any Christmas decor needs a personalized touch.