Christmas Decorating Tips

With your plan in hand, you’re ready to put your Christmas decorating tips into action. These ideas should help get your creative juices flowing:
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The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is the center of most Christmas decorating adventures, and there are a lot of different approaches you can take with your tree. A tree lovingly decorated with handmade ornaments by the kids and overflowing with ornaments gathered over decades of shared Christmases is utterly charming and works in any home. Popcorn or cranberry garland complete the look.

If you prefer to have a more formal Christmas tree, consider using only two colors to decorate it – silver and gold work well. You can use silver and gold bulbs and bows, with white Christmas lights to pull it all together. For a formal tree, a light hand with the amount of ornaments is key.

Two Christmas tree styles that pass in and out of vogue over the years are colored lights and colored trees. Colored lights tend to have regional followings, and so your feelings on these might depend on where you live. White Christmas trees (either trees that are pure white, or trees that are green with fake white “snow”) can be pulled off. If you like kitschy design, a white tree could be your crowning glory. The rule of thumb - don’t sweat it. Pick what you like.
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Other Christmas Decorating Tips

These Christmas decorating accessories will make your home a winter wonderland:

* Wreaths – Christmas wreaths can be made of holly, berries, bells, bulbs or even candy. Wreaths work inside or outside, so stock up. Small wreaths look great hanging from bedroom doors.

* Garland – Put your railings to good use and wrap them in garland. Fake pine garland works best for inside – real pine needles will drop anytime someone goes up the steps.

* Lights – What could put you in the Christmas mood more than some soft, warm lighting? Battery operated candles on window sills are extremely popular at Christmas time, but these candles can be used anywhere in the house you want a warm glow. Christmas tree lights can be strung along your railings or run along the ceiling.

* Candles – Battery operated candles are great, but Christmas is also a good time for real candles. Yankee Candle has Christmas themed scented candles that will spread the Christmas cheer throughout your home.

* Windows – Don’t forget to jazz up your windows. Put the kids to work cutting out snowflakes and Christmas characters and display them in the window.

* Christmas Table – If you have a separate dining room table that you don’t use for every day meals, set the table up for Christmas dinner early in the month and leave it that way until the big day.