by Theo Chester

Created on: October 21, 2008   Last Updated: September 06, 2009

How would you like to put some extra sparkle in your Christmas? It's really not difficult to deck the halls while creating memorable fa-la-la- feelings for the holiday season. Christmas decorating is a bit like magic.

Holiday decor has the power to add warmth, fantasy, and beauty to your environment, bringing visual joy to you and yours at Christmastime.

Christmas Decorating:

There's no need to spend a lot of money on Christmas decor. You can stay within your budget, or not spend any money at all, to do your holiday decorating.

*Natural Christmas Decorating

Get some exercise and find your Christmas decorations at the same time! Walk in the woods, or nearby parks and trails to gather pine cones, twigs, fallen branches, whatever looks interesting has the potential to become a beautiful Christmas ornament or decoration.

Pine Cones

Leave them natural or spray paint the pine cones, depending on the style of your Christmas. Use the pine cones to make wreaths, fill baskets, or line them up on the mantle.

Twigs, limbs, branches

Spray paint and place 24", 36", 48" lengths oftwigs, stagger sizes and place in painted terra cottapots containing floral foam for support. String tiny white lights around the branches of the twigs. Small sized Christmas ornaments can be hung on the limbs. Another addition is to hole punch your Christmas cards in the corner, string a ribbon through the small hole and hang form the limbs.

Hang a painted twig/ limb with mono-filament from the ceiling. Tie Christmas ornaments with the clear wire or ribbons to the twig/limb at a length that will be hung high enough not to knock any one in the head. You may also string small lights to the limb if you can disappear them.

*Christmas Ornaments

Fill a glass cylinder, any old floral vase, with Christmas balls. Choose a special plaid, gross grain, or satin ribbon to tie into a simple bow around the vase and place on a table or a counter.

Tie ornaments with long strands of raffia, ribbons, wire, or any combinations and string them over doors, in windows, or from the bannister's.

Make a mobile, using wire bent into a spiral shape and hang ornaments, or anchor wire into a pot and make a Christmas tree decoration, covering it with ornaments. You can place the Christmas tree pots on either side of the front doors to your home or on either side of a fireplace hearth.

*Sources

Craft stores sell wonderful shapes of styrofoam and floral foam. Make wreaths, cut out Christmas trees, Christmas stocking shapes, etc. Use a glue gun to attach cut-outs from old Christmas cards, magazines pictures, or ornaments and cover the shapes. Also available are styrofoam balls for making your own ornaments.

Fabric Stores

Buy felt and other substantial fabrics and glue sequins for names and designs, or any beads and ribbons to customize your own hand made decor. Use the same fabrics and techniques for making Christmas stockings.

Whatever you choose to use for Christmas decorations is up to you. Make your Christmas a beautiful holiday, a holiday filled with the spirit and meaning of the season. Make it special!

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