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Nothing creates a cheerful Christmas mood better than a beautifully decorated home. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive to give your home that special Christmas feeling. The centerpiece is, of course, the tree, but there are dozens of other possibilities for bringing a festive spirit to your home with beautiful decorations. On this page you will find some suggestions for decorating that will spruce up your rooms and put you in a festive mode in no time!
The Christmas Tree Debate:
The Christmas Tree Debate:
Real or Artificial?
Real or Artificial?
A real Christmas tree, or an artificial one?? There are valid arguments on each side. But I'm sorry, I have to come down on the side of the real trees. The smell of it alone is worth the money, even if I have to have a smaller tree, due to the expense. I admit, I have never had an artificial tree before, but that is why my childhood memories of Christmas are tinged with the piney tang of a real evergreen tree. I would rather not have a tree at all than resort to an artificial one.
** I'm afraid I must amend this section (2022). I have moved in to my parents' home while they've gone to a nursing facility. As I'm living alone with a dog and three cats, I finally gave in and bought an artificial tree, just a little table-top one. It's not SO bad, but I do spray it with piney scent. I guess I will survive.
No offense to those on the other side of the debate, but for me, there is no choice. I know the artificial ones can be very realistic and attractive, but for me there is simply no substitute.
And, they're actually ecologically superior, since it takes a lot of energy and resources to manufacture the artificial trees, and of course, the real ones are bio-degradable as well as a renewable natural resource. Go with your artificial trees if you must, but at least bring in some real greens for decorating so that you get a little of that glorious Christmassy smell!
Christmas Villages
Dollar Stores and discount stores are your friend, when it comes to Christmas decorating! Even on a modest budget, for example, you can put together a cute little Christmas Village to set up on a shelf, mantle or side table. Why not invest in a few pieces, such as a church, a shop and a few little people, and then just purchase one or two new pieces each year!
If you can afford it, you can buy the buildings that light up, though make sure you have a supply of extension cords to hook them together. If not, a simpler village can be just as charming. Try saving some small cardboard boxes in different sizes to use as levels, covering with the cotton blanket to make a hill. You can even find sledders to place on a little hill, and don't forget to add some trees. Christmas villages are a delight for children, who will want to help set it up and arrange and re-arrange the people.
Evergreens
Evergreens
You'll want a wreath on the front door, of course, but there are many places within the house that can be dressed up with evergreens as well. Plain branches of pine in varying varieties is really all you need, although holly, with its bright red berries, is a lovely touch, if you can get it. (Do be careful that any holly you use is out of reach of children and pets, as the berries are not good to eat. Same goes for mistletoe!)
If you don't have fresh holly or mistletoe, you can use artificial mixed in with the real evergreens. Accents of ornamental fruits, wrapped little boxes with ribbons, a string of mini-white lights or artificial poinsettia flowers add to the effect.
(Be sure to use fresh greens, which are less flammable than when dry, and never leave candles unattended!)
Decorating the home with accents of real evergreens is a fresh and wonderful way to bring cheer to the season. It dates back to the ancient pagans, who brought evergreens into their homes at winter solstice to reassure themselves that spring lay beyond the bleak winter.
Draping evergreens on a stairway is always charming, which can be affixed to the rail or stair rungs with bread ties or wreath making wire that you can get at a craft or hobby shop. But you don't have to do a big project like this to bring the pungent tang of evergreens into the house. A centerpiece with a pillar candle or taper in a pretty holder, surrounded by evergreen sprigs is a simple but festive touch.
Crèche/Manger/Nativity Scene
Crèche/Manger/Nativity Scene
In many parts of Italy, it is customary to build a huge and detailed Nativity scene in the home called a "presepe" (pronounced pre-seh-peh), complete with a mountainous landscape of paper maché, trees, buildings, dozens of travelers making their way toward the stable, and, of course, all the main characters at the center of the scene. A beautiful star, often times lit, is always included above the stable. (see about presepi (plural) HERE)
I was fortunate enough as a child to attend several Nativity scene dedication parties at the home of some Italian friends of my parents, and it was both a reverent and a joyful event. Collect your manger figures and put them up, year after year. It will add a feeling of peace and a gentle reminder to family and friends who see it.
A display of the Christmas story is a beautiful reminder of the reason for the season! Even non-religious households can celebrate this joyful Bible story with a representation of the nativity scene. You can go as elaborate as you wish, including the Three Kings, shepherds, angels, and animals of all sorts. Or, you can keep it simple and have just the holy family themselves and an animal or two. When I was a child, my mother would put the little stable out on December 1st, and I was allowed to add one figure per day to the scene, with the baby Jesus being added only on Christmas morning.
You can find just about any type of Nativity figures online, of course, and the variety is endless. From simple stick figures made of straw to elaborately painted porcelain ones, there is a manger scene for every taste and décor.
In my own nativity scene (left) I create the look of shepherds and travelers coming slowly toward the stable on different levels. This effect is created by simply laying a cotton drape over a collapse-able spice shelf that you can get easily online. I have a large angel in the upper corner, overlooking the vista, and palm trees complete the scene.
Decorate with Christmas Cards
Decorate with Christmas Cards
If you're fortunate enough to have friends and family who still send Christmas cards, these can be used to decorate your home! Find a pretty basket to display them in, or tape them at an angle down the sides of an entryway door from living room to dining room or kitchen. Or purchase or MAKE a card hanger as shown here.
Another simple Christmas cards decoration is to remove the bottom of a coffee can, and wind red or green yarn vertically around the can, tying the ends on the inside to secure. Then just slip the Christmas cards through the yarn loops and they will fan out around the can.
One more idea is this cool wreath Christmas card display that you can make HERE. These card display holders can be packed away to be used, year after year too. And don't throw the cards away when Christmas is over! HERE you can find some great ideas for recycling Christmas cards from the previous season!
If you've given up on Christmas cards in this age of email, why not revive this custom among family and friends? So many cards are beautiful little pieces of art, and it's always a joy to open them as the season approaches.
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