What’s your favorite holiday decorating tip?
ourblogcabin on 01 Nov 2008 | Uncategorized
Soon we will be singing, “Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la …”, as we trim our trees, get tangled in strands of lights and light our Menorahs. This is the time of the year when we dust off the boxes stowed away in our attics and basements and once again bring out the decorations that make the holidays so special and memorable from year to year. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing that ornament their child made in preschool twenty years later hanging on the Christmas tree once again? As a homeowner, year after year, you hang the lights on the roof and try not to fall off the ladder. You also wrestle with the light strand that appears to work perfectly until you tangle it into the Christmas tree only to discover it’s no longer works. Whatever the occasion or holiday, homeowners try to find ways to get all the decorating done quickly and efficiently while enjoying themselves while doing so. Do you have any holiday decorating tips you’d like to share? What’s your favorite decoration? Do you have a special way you get the family involved in the festivities so it doesn’t seem like a chore? Share your special tips and learn from others below on how to make the season festive and merry without the hassle.
Cheryl Luttinen on 03 Nov 2008 at 3:34 pm #
I haven’t done it for the last couple of years, but I used to wrap all of my pictures hanging on the walls of my house with wrapping paper and ribbon to make them all look like presents…now it just seems too wasteful. I love taking out all of my mother-in-law’s decorations that I have inherited since she died several years ago…somehow she never seems that far away at Christmas time…it was her favorite time of the year.
JANICE WILLIAMS on 03 Nov 2008 at 3:44 pm #
Well up until this year I would let my kids pick out their own new ornament for the tree instead of the same old ones we always use but this coming up year my daughter told me she wants new stuff. So we will buy some inexpensive decorations for the tree and add a few of the handed down ones to the mix. We will not be able to buy expensive gifts this year so this is the least I could do for them.
Wayne Hall on 06 Nov 2008 at 7:38 pm #
Decorating the outside. I like to make my house the talk of the block. A neighbor and I compete every year to see who can do the best. I have gone from colored lights to just plain white lights outlining the house, windows doors, patios, garage doors etc. On the front lawn santa’s sleigh sits loaded with packages and 8 tiny raindeer hooked to it.
Robin Winant on 07 Nov 2008 at 7:37 pm #
In order to beat the snow I decorate my backyard before Thanksgiving. There is a little hill with two spruce trees behind it. On the hill I put 5 lighted reindeer and on the trees I put colored lights. It looks so nice and wintery once the snow covers the ground. This also makes my Thanksgiving get together a little more festive.
MaryBeth on 07 Nov 2008 at 10:35 pm #
What fantastic house plans, I love tons of garland and tiny white lights.
Melissa H. Smith on 09 Nov 2008 at 12:30 am #
I like to keep it simple and fun. I buy candy at a local grocery store in the bulk bins and tie it together with curling ribbon to make a garland that goes up our entry way and around the top of things in our living room. An old-fashion train travels around and around under our Christmas tree that is trimmed with all of the ornaments the kids made over the years. A Christmas Village is assembled and added to each year. The stockings and tree skirt were made years ago when the kids were little. For me, Christmas is all about being happy and keeping the stress at a minimum.
Terri McCullouch on 10 Nov 2008 at 8:49 am #
Make the most of what you have! Brighten up your Christmas tree with more lights! (inexpensive) Pull out all those glass and/or metal dishes to place cookies and sprinkle peppermints on them for guests! (inexpensive) Light lots of candles and add fresh greenery to your rooms. (inexpensive) Make your front door inviting. It is the first impression! Use a pretty and full wreathe with lots of greenery around door area. Most important of all, make everyone you meet feel loved and accepted. That will make most memorable impression of the Holiday!
Claude Remondet on 10 Nov 2008 at 9:58 am #
We are plaining to build a new home,we love to look through this site to get ideas!
Sue Christensen on 10 Nov 2008 at 1:42 pm #
Each year since my kids were born, I gave them an ornament as a keepsake. When they were old enough for their own tree, they had at least 18 ornaments, some with some very special meaning.
I have now started the same tradition with my grand kids. They will always have a part of me and memories of me when I am gone.
Carolyn Roark on 10 Nov 2008 at 10:44 pm #
I go outside and cut fresh holly and camelia leaves and lots of greenery to give us the fresh holiday smell! This makes the mantel and all around the house look festive.
Gwen Schafer on 11 Nov 2008 at 12:52 am #
I love to decorate a live tree like my family did when I was growing up. I have some decorations that are 50 years old and cherish them and their memories. I have a grandaughter to enjoy Christmas with now and am looking forward to a blessed Holiday.
Sara Davis on 11 Nov 2008 at 12:13 pm #
Since I live in Florida we don’t get to use our fireplace as often as we would like. So I use a fireplace candle fixture and put red candles in it for the holidays. Then I can light them and they are festive but don’t put out a lot of heat.
Debra Maas on 14 Nov 2008 at 12:38 pm #
I actually have two favorite decorating tips. The first, if you have smaller evergreen trees or fence posts, I like to put a felt santa hat on it. They look so nice in a row, and then I ad evergreen garland from post to post. The second decoration that we started a couple of years ago is really fun. Since opening gifts seems to fly by so fast, first we all sit around the table and create a new ornament for the tree. I have purchased different craft items, such as confetti, and colored pipe cleaners. Put these inside of the clear ornament. Then with craft paints design the outside. Use a pipe cleaner for the hanger. We like this tradition because it includes all ages and we just sit around the table and talk and laugh. It really is a great time and some of the ornaments are,,,,well, lets just say, INTERESTING.
Heidi Malone on 20 Nov 2008 at 12:46 am #
My best decorating tip is one to help each year when it’s time to decorate. Every year when I pack up my lights, I use a cord wrap to keep them from getting tangled. This is an item that is normally used for extension cords. It saves me a lot of time when I put my lights out each year.
Lynne Greenwalt on 20 Nov 2008 at 8:13 pm #
Going for a walk in the woods always starts the Christmas decorating for our family.The children are given baskets to collect pine cones for kindleing for the fire place as well as decorating the mantel,wreaths,or where ever it looks good.We also take along sissors, garden shears and a small saw.We gather pine boughs,Greens of any kind, berrys,sticks,whatever draws your attention.Use these to decorate or make crafts its amazing what you’ll come up with.And if you don’t come up with much it doesn’t matter you and your loved ones had great quality time!!!! For a little more than a dime.Which is great for our economic times.Here is one craft project we do with the sticks gathered from the woods.Cut sticks in even lengths and glue them onto a coffee can, soup can,or any container you choose,then put some raffia around it and tie a bow, or do the same but with ribbon.you can then put a vase or glass inside fill with water and put plant,flowers or something from your walk in the woods.Put a candle in it. put cookies in it.Get creative have fun and enjoy the little things!!!!!!!!
Paige Best on 21 Nov 2008 at 12:20 pm #
We make a party out of decorating each year. We have snacks and play Christmas music. It always sets the mood for the season and gives us the Christmas spirit.
Wendy Ober on 24 Nov 2008 at 10:39 pm #
I enjoy simple decorating. I love the ormaments my children made when they were little. It makes me smile each year when I get them out. We stopped using real trees a few years ago. It is just easier for me as my family gets older. I do miss the smell of fresh pine though.
Kim King on 27 Nov 2008 at 1:18 pm #
Fresh greenery such as pine garland remnants is easily accessible at most florists or grocery stores and sometimes even given away free. The smell of pine adds something special to the interior of my home during the holidays and throughout the winter.
Susan McC on 28 Nov 2008 at 6:25 pm #
My daughter and I put on Christmas music and get to work bringing in and unpacking the holiday boxes from the shed. We decorate my little 4′ tabletop tree set in the middle of the china breakfront, take everything off of the bookcases and put up various snowmen, reindeer and Santas. The front door is decorated, gel snowflakes are put on the windows and the dining room table has a holiday runner and placemats put on it. In the yard is a snowman yard flag, a reindeer cutout staked into the ground and a poinsettia plant placed amongst the palms. Very low cost as we use our imaginations in decorating differently each year utilizing the same decorations. Grouping things differently or adding roses/flowers, ribbon, garland or other festive decorative ornamentation. Coming home each day from work to a lighted tree, decorated house and holiday music playing low on the stereo puts one in great spirits and is a quick destressor.
Patricia Darley on 29 Nov 2008 at 1:57 am #
I buy a new ornament for each of my three children each year. When they are adults, I will hand them the box of their ornaments so they have a start on their own trees. Decorations are done differently every year here due to limited space. So some things don’t get taken out of the bins every year. I do have a very favorite ornament though, and have been on the look-out for similar ones.
Carol Grieve on 30 Nov 2008 at 8:44 pm #
We didn’t have a Christmas tree a couple of times so we used our artificial garland and hung it up around the entrance to our dinning area added small lights and then hung our ornaments on it. I looked very decorative and beautiful in a pinch.
Elisabeth Estes on 08 Dec 2008 at 10:34 pm #
Although we live in Florida, we love the Southwestern themes and colors. We decorate a large (plastic for safety) Catus with “chile” lights, hang Western style ornaments, even have a Cresh scene with Native America characters.