Tartan plaids are a perennial favorite when it comes to decorating for Christmas and the New Years and they always will be. That is because the decorations can stay in place for quite a few months into the winter and Spring to continue to give the home a cozy look.
One nice touch for Christmas is to add plaid ornaments to your tree. Canadian Tire makes a very nice black, green red and white set of points and balls that are available on line. Many designer ribbon stores also carry gorgeous tartan ribbon that you can use for decorating trees. Wired ribbon looks great tied on a bow and fastened to a Christmas tree branch.
You can also get gorgeous tartan plaid wallpaper that is designed by Vivienne Westwood. They are sold by Cole and Son and come in Red/Brown, Beige, Gray, Red/White and Blue/Brown.
Throw cushions in plaid also perk up the room and make it look more like it is in the spirit of the season. Snoa Rutan is a company that makes throw cushions in red plaid that can be buttoned over your existing pillows and then unbuttoned when you do not want your place to look so Christmas-like anymore.
A single tartan throw rug and a few tartan blankets in your living room can make the place much cozier. Of course nothing says tartan like a big beautiful armchair and footstool in the center of the room. Ralph Lauren makes great footstools. The most popular tartan combos for tartan furniture lately tend to be caramel, chocolate and pea green. The look is very fifties and very Norman Rockwell but the plaids are unobtrusive enough that they are a lovely addition to a room all year long.
You might not have ever thought of dressing up your kitchen in tartan but you can now buy tartan dishtowels, utensils with plastic tartan patterns and serving trays with tartan designs on them. Plaid placemats and tartan napkins also give a nice touch of Scottish Christmas to a holiday table.
Nowadays you can even get candles that have a tartan design on them. For a very Scottish looking spread consider getting a gelatin print of your favorite plaid and have it served as the icing on cake.