Ideas for Christmas Home Decorations

A few decorations are all that are needed to decorate your home for Christmas.

The first frost of the year and Christmas carols playing in virtually every store you enter means its time to decorate your home for Christmas. Think colorful ornaments, crystal angels and mistletoe for just a few ideas for Christmas home decorations. You need only a little imagination to create a Christmas wonderland in your home.

Trees

Christmas trees are staple decorations for the home. You have the option of real, live trees or artificial trees. Pick a theme and put a tree in several rooms in your home. For instance, in your formal living room, put up a white artificial tree and decorate it with ornaments in the color scheme of the room. If blue dominates the room, use different shapes and sizes of blue ornaments on the tree. Miniature blue lights finish off the look. In your family room, use an evergreen tree and decorate it with a variety of ornaments from hand-made to store-bought. Give this a real "family" feel and use just those decorations your kids have made you throughout the year to add a nostalgic feel to the décor.

Wreaths

Holiday wreaths come in different shapes and sizes. If you have a fireplace, hang a wreath above the mantle. Place a wreath on the front door to greet your friends and family. Cut the cost of a store-bought wreath and make your own. You can find basic, plain evergreen wreaths at craft stores that you can embellish by adding pinecones, holly berries and small ornaments. Kids can create their own wreaths for the home. All you need is a few craft items such as a two round pieces of Styrofoam, Christmas wrapping paper, Christmas colored ribbons, bows, and glue. Take a solid color piece of wrapping paper and wrap one of the round pieces of Styrofoam. Cut small square pieces out of the other piece of Styrofoam, wrap them with colorful wrapping paper, tie ribbons or bows on the little presents, and attach them around the wreath.

Tabletops

Create a miniature Christmas village on top of long sofa tables. Spread craft cotton bunting out along the table to make the "snow" and place miniature houses and mini-trees on the table. Light-up village houses provide a whimsical look. Keep your formal dining table set and ready for a special Christmas dinner. Place a Christmas tablecloth on the table, silver or gold chargers beneath your China, and place decorative Christmas napkins across the plate. Place a holiday centerpiece in the center of the table. Use greenery such as holly as the base of the centerpiece and place a few red candle pillars in the middle of the greenery.

Outdoor

Simple outdoor Christmas decorations include a string of white lights along the front gutters and miniature twinkling white or colored lights strewn along the bushes. Some of the more elaborate Christmas decorations include light up Santa Clause figures, light-up reindeer, nativity scenes and more lights along the structure of your house, including porch posts and around windows.

References

• Country Living: Holiday Decorating Ideas
• Enchanted Learning: Christmas Crafts and Printable Activities