The holiday season is in full swing, and that means the time will nearly be here to host parties and dinners with family and friends. And you don't want to just invite a few people over to eat pizza and crash on the couch -- you want to show off your ability to decorate! If you're determined to unleash your inner Martha Stewart and make your home elegant yet festive, you've come to the right place. (And as an added bonus, everything in this list has serious Maryland style, too!)

If you don't have a Christmas tree up yet, now's the time to get it in place. A live tree will fill your home with a lovely scent and feel more authentic, but will have to be thrown away as it dies, and can be a big mess. An artificial tree can be reused from year to year and requires very little cleanup, but may not look as real. No matter which kind you decide on, tasteful decoration is key. Start with your tree skirt and then add lights -- we like plain white.

Stick with a color scheme with your ornaments (we especially like red, black, white and yellow, but that's just us!) for a consistent and striking look. We've got plenty of Maryland-themed ornaments to choose from. They make excellent party favors, too -- your guests can go home with a special memory of Christmas 2017, whether they're from out of town or right down the road. 

Now, it's time to focus on the place settings. There's no way to impress your guests quite like folding the napkins around the silverware in an elegant manner -- they'll feel like they're sitting down to a meal in a 5-star restaurant! Not sure how to make those lovely folds? The queen of homemaking herself, Matha Stewart, has your back! (Click here to see 15 ways to do it -- then, use some of Maryland flag ribbon to add a bow! You can see how we did it in the pic below.)

Of course, napkin folding doesn't have to be a whole event -- you've got food to cook and a house to clean, so time may not be on your side. If that's the case, no need to panic. You can simply roll the napkins up (neatly, please) and bind them with some lace and a Mayland Flag lapel flower. In the words of dinner party expert Ina Garten, how easy was that? (Really easy! And your guests will think it took forever.)

Some table or window decor is in order for this shindig, too! There's plenty of great stuff you can buy pre-made (like wall art or candles), but if you want to show off your crafty side, why not pull a decorative napkin ring through a Maryland flag bandana and nestle it among some fancy linen napkins? Arrange them inside a vase or a rustic container (we used one that looks like a tree trunk) and set it on a surface that could use a little brightening up. 

See? Getting an utterly gorgeous, Maryland-themed holiday celebration space isn't as hard as it looks, not by a long shot. May all of your parties be merry and bright!

How have you decorated your home for the holidays, Maryland-style? Let us know on social media!