The
nip is in the air and it’s time to light up those fireplaces, make some hot cocoa and get the Christmas decorating ideas
flowing. So put on some cheerful holiday tunes from your favorite Christmas CDs and let’s get started. Where should
you begin?
Since the outside of your home is the very first sight people see, you can
start there and work your way inside the home or you can work from the inside out -- whichever direction you take really isn’t
as important as getting the job done.
Outside of your house, if you’re putting decorations on your rooftop
-- things like waving Santa or Santa in his sleigh or the lighted, animated reindeer, start there first. You’ll want
to put them up before you string the lights.
And remember if you have a really large amount of displays you’d like
to put up, you don’t have to get it all done in one day. Don’t exhaust yourself. Next, hang the lights -- the
icicle lights are a hot selling item this year and look great on any home. Once you have the lights in place, don’t
forget to wrap the ends where they connect with tape to keep any moisture from getting in.
After the lights are done, you can start on the bushes or trees in your front
yard. The net lights make decorating small to medium hedge bushes a breeze and the cool to touch LED lights are good in trees.
If you have taller evergreens, you can decorate them like you would an indoor
tree, complete with lighted gift boxes beneath the tree. When the trees are finished, set up each display in an area of your
yard. As you go along, constantly test for any lights that fail to light. You don’t want to get everything hooked up
and then have to begin the hunt for a burned out or broken bulb.
Line your walkway with the lollipop decorations (especially if you’re
aiming for a gingerbread house theme) or candy canes-whatever you like. Put poinsettias by the front door and remember to
decorate the mailbox with a holiday covering.
Inside the house, decorate the mantle with garland (fresh or artificial boughs
either one) and then if you’re going for a traditional look, you can weave miniature lights through the garland. If
you’re aiming for a country Christmas or a Victorian Christmas, instead, loop strings of cranberry beads so that they
dangle down in small loops from the top of the mantle.
Set out your Christmas collectibles and/or Christmas villages and, if you don’t have a collection
of them, now is a great time to start. They bring a certain nostalgia and are a lot of fun to set up. The lighted ones are
perfect with any kind of theme. Or
If you want a complete holiday décor inside, remember to replace your rugs
with ones in holiday colors or with ones that have holiday decorations on them. There are many different Christmas decorating
ideas you can choose from –- the key to success is in taking time to plan it out.
