February 22, 2012

Decorations

Christmas decorations, trees, lights, etc.

The Live Christmas Tree

October 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A living Christmas TreeAlthough I do love the feel and smell of a live Christmas tree, it just never made sense to me that we should cut down a healthy tree just to decorate our home for a few weeks (at most).  It just seems like such a waste.  That’s why I’ve always had artificial Christmas trees.  Sure, they aren’t quite as nice, but you can reuse them over and over again.

When I was a teenager, one of our neighbors had a different take on Christmas trees.  They got a living Christmas tree.  I don’t mean a “fresh cut” tree.  No, I’m talking about a living tree with the root ball attached.  They would decorate it for Christmas (all in blue if I remember right) and have it during the season.  Then, when the Christmas season was over, they would move the tree outside and plant it in their backyard.  What a great way to have a Christmas tree.  You get all of the smell and feel of a real tree with none of the waste.

Whenever I would walk outside and look at the trees in our neighbor’s back yard, I would flash back to Christmas and remember how beautiful the trees looked when they were all decorated.  It was like having a little bit of Christmas all year long.

If you decide to do this in your home, be sure to check with local nurseries to find out the best planting tips for your area.

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Memories

How To Decorate A Christmas Tree

October 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

How To Decorate A Christmas TreeWe want our homes to look the best they can over the holidays. Before the Thanksgiving turkey is even cold we are pulling out the yuletide decorations. While we spruce up the inside and outside of our homes with bells and whistles, don’t forget about the Christmas tree.

Decorating a Christmas tree is a family affair. Now, the husband and the kids may not want to go around the house hanging Christmas banners and Christmas cards with you. You may not enjoy climbing on the roof of the house to hang lights either. Everyone can, however, participate in the Christmas tree decoration. Your tree says a lot about you as a family – your choice of ornaments, tree topping, and tree skirt.

First choose your tree. Many go for artificial trees because there are no dried pine needles to pierce the bottoms of tender feet or vacuum up. Some artificial trees come pre-lit so that eliminates the need to buy strands and strands of lights. Artificial trees are available in many different colors, white, blue, pink, as well as green and are of varying heights and types.

For a real tree, some families get theirs a couple of weeks before Christmas. Tree farms and tree lots usually have a nice selection of Christmas trees with hearty branches. Be sure that you can’t see through the tree. If you can, then it will be too thin to hold heavy ornaments.  Also make sure to water real trees frequently once you’ve brought them home and placed them in their stand. This will prevent drying out of needles and possible fire hazards or a brown tree on Christmas morning. 

Here are some decorating suggestions no matter which type of tree you choose for your family this year.

  1. Start with the lights. It’s going to be hard to put strings of lights on the tree after you’ve put all of the other goodies on the tree. For kids, it’s fun to put a strand or two of running lights so that they blink instead of staying on all the time. Depending on the size of your tree you may only need a couple strands of lights.
  2. Add a touch of garland. There are many different kinds. Most people shy away from traditional icicles because they are a fire hazard especially on a live tree. The garland that has icicle like strands are just the same. Some opt for homemade popcorn garland (fun for kids!), colored beaded garland, or snowflake garland made of plastic. Wrap the garland loosely so that it doesn’t strangle the tree. Let some of the length hang between the branches so it can be seen.
  3. Now for the fun – the ornaments. Some families use a color scheme of two or three colors for their ornaments. Others may purchase pre-packaged ornament sets with a certain theme. Kids can hang ornaments they created in school. You could end up with quite an eclectic looking creation. Space ornaments so they surround the tree and leave no bald spots.
  4. The tree topper goes on last. There are angels, stars, and even bows. Some have a plug that fits into your string of lights. Just remove one light on the strand and plug in the tree topper. Others have their own plug that can be connected directly into the top strand of lights or the wall outlet. Some still don’t have a light at all.

Once you’ve finished the decorating of the outside and inside of the house and your tree is dressed to its best, the house is completely ready for the holidays.

Filed Under: Christmas Trees Tagged With: , ,

Great Christmas Decorating Ideas For Kids

September 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Picture of Christmas craft itemsIf you’re a parent, you already know just how much children love Christmas.  In fact, you probably have many fond memories of your own childhood Christmases.  Now, it’s time to fashion the Christmas memories that your kids will carry with them throughout life.

One of the best ways to do this is to let your children help you decorate for Christmas.  This goes beyond merely allowing them to hang decorations.  Let them make some of the decorations.  It will mean more.

If you are like most families, who celebrate Christmas, you’re most likely going to have a Christmas tree.  One of the best craft projects for children would be to let them make ornaments for the tree.  This is quite easy because ornaments can be made from a wide variety of materials.  I remember when our son was younger, he made an ornament, shaped like a Christmas stocking, out of construction paper with a yarn loop to hold it on the tree.  Let me tell you that this has become one of our most cherished ornaments and, although our son is now grown, it goes on our tree every year.

Your local craft store should have many pre-designed “kits” that you can use to make inexpensive ornaments and decorations. 

This is an excellent project for children, or anyone else for that matter.

Another great decorating idea would be to have your youngster draw or pain a Christmas picture.  It could be something featuring Jesus in Bethlehem, Santa flying across the night sky or anything that sums up Christmas for them.

You could hang the pictures on your refrigerator or, even better, you could purchase inexpensive frames and hang the pictures throughout your home.

Another fun Christmas decoration that your children could do is make a centerpiece for your dinning room table. In fact, you may also want to use that centerpiece for your Christmas dinner.  If you are looking for a somewhat elegant centerpiece, you could easily have your children make their own.  You can do this by purchasing artificial flowers, a large bowl or vase, as well as other decorative items. Your children can easily arrange these items to create their own unique centerpieces for your dinning room table. It may also be a good idea to let them really exercise their creativity. Your child may also be able to create a centerpiece in the shape of Santa or a Christmas tree by using construction paper and a few other small supplies.

 The above mentioned Christmas craft decoration ideas for kids are just a few of the many that exist. In addition to using your own craft ideas, you can also find a number of other fun Christmas craft projects for kids online.  You can find a collection of ideas by performing a standard Internet search.  Also, in your local library or at one of your local book stores, you may also be able to find a collection of Christmas craft books for children. These books tend to outline the supplies needed, as well as give detailed directions on how to make Christmas decorations.  These decorations may include Christmas drawings or paintings, tree ornaments, table centerpieces, and much more.

 Regardless of which type of Christmas decorations you allow your child or children to make, they will likely enjoy the experience, especially if you participate as well.  For a child, there is nothing like seeing their Christmas drawings hanging on the walls or their Christmas ornaments hanging on the tree. That is why you are advised to let your children make their own Christmas decorations. As mentioned above, there are a number of decorations that they can easily create; decorations that may require little time and money.

Filed Under: Decorating Tips, Featured, Homemade Decorations