Five-minute holiday decorating

Got 5 minutes?
I consider myself a holiday speed decorator. When I transform my home into a festive sparkling wonderland, I have one rule: Spend 5 minutes or less on what designers call "vignettes."

Holiday decorating ideas in magazines and online always make it look so fast and of course, easy.
Make a candy cane wreath? Right. Watching the how-to video alone would break my 5-minute rule.

Or else the materials required are expensive and impossible to find. One "simple" tabletop centerpiece was composed of white tulips clustered in glassware surrounded by pinecones and ornaments. I'm pretty sure Bylerys isn't offering bunches of tulips in December.

I recently was inside a house gorgeously decorated by pros for a fundraising home tour. The garland draped across an antique sideboard was so lush and rich — not your typical fake wintergreens.
The designer explained that she held three different artificial garlands (pine, cedar and one with silver foliage) in her hand and twisted them together. Then she tucked in pinecones, jingle bells, and shimmery picks. She assured me it was easy. I was far from convinced. Plus, it would definitely push the 5 minute limit.

It's true that setting a red poinsettia on a table is fast and easy -- but hardly creative. So here are some of my 5- minute speed decorating ideas, using items you probably already have:

Tie ribbon around tiny ornament balls and hang from your dining room light fixture. I stole this from a Pottery Barn showroom.

Sprinkle fake snow on a glass or ceramic cake stand and arrange stylish ornaments.

Place ball ornaments on different height candle holders and arrange on the mantel.

Tie silver ribbon around silver icicle ornaments and suspend one on each latch of a bank of windows. I copied this from the Bachmans Ideas house a few years ago.

Place ball ornaments or jingle bells, all one color, inside glassware displayed in your china cabinet. 1 minute tops.