Christmas Decorations

Holidays Forum

How do you decorate for Christmas and when? Share some ideas and inspire others.

Mystic, you are so lucky. My husband is the anti-Griswold. He is not into the decorations at all.

So, I put up a tree-fake due to allergies- that is decorated with white and gold ornaments. All of the ornaments are resin or foam so they won't break. I switched to a non-breakable tree two years ago so that I could let the kids be around it. It actually looks like a very expensive tree. I have a ton of really expensive glass ornaments, but they will have to wait until my kids are much older. I have a Santa's Village but I am not sure if the kids are old enough for it to be out. I do think Damon and Nikki will have their own little tree to decorate this year.

Outside I hang up red and green icicle lights.

I do the decorations for our house, and I like to keep it simple...

All the bushes in our yard, and the two big oak trees, get covered in white lights. To me, they are like the stars that the Shepherds were lookin at on Christmas Eve. Inside, the stairway and mantlepice get garland, and the tree (a real one) gets white lights and all sorts of ornaments. The fish gets a little plastic LEGO Christmas tree.

There is one dude down the street who built this 1:12 G scale railroad in his yard, featuring the elf seesaw car, the rudolph-driven engine, and the santa sleigh caboose. His train passes by an elf workshop, a life-size manger scene, and a North Pole loading/unloading dock... He's had it out there every Christmas as long as I can remember. If he does it again this year, I'll post some pics.

Mike I love that the fish get a tree. So original. I am so reassured that someone else thinks about the Christmas Star when they see Christmas lights.

I have an unusual Christmas lamp my mother-in-law gave me. It is a large wine jug with christmas lights in it. It is very pretty. The hard part in making them is drilling the hole for the lights, but everyone who gets one loves it.

We have a house about 1/2 from us that goes all out. You take a tour around the house. He has thousands of mini houses with lights and figures, all types of trains, ect. He does it every year.

Many of you have little ones around and so have a slightly different take on things ... but in that you also have the greatest gift and automatic, built-in joy

We've never gone crazy with outdoor lights, and just keep that simple and include a few things that can be seen/enjoyed in daylight as well ... wreaths, sparkly garland, reindeer peaking in the window ... like that.

However, anything that radiates cheer, warmth, and joy from the inside is fair game

We have done everything from all get-out garish to more composed "theme" decorating.
By "theme" I mean decorations that focus around a LOT of something ... like snowmen, or angels, or stars, or cardinals or teddybears.
This builds a decorations inventory that allows reverting to the aforementioned all get-out garish at the drop of a hat

One thing I think is fun to do, is wrap some of the pictures on the walls in gift wrap like Christmas packages, and replace some others with photos from Christmases past.

As said, usually keep it festively simple.

Old, I love themes. I think they are so neat to look at.

You are so right about the joy of having little ones around. I can't wait for Christmas. I just want to see the excitement and joy radiating on Damon and Nikki's little faces. They are so excited about every little thing.

Well, I didn't think that we were really going to have any decorations up this year. Since it's normally my mom's house that we decorate and not our own... and we're remodeling mom's house this year, no decorations there.
This weekend, Heidi suprised me and took out the few decorations that we have put away and had them up for me. Helped lift my spirits a bit, which have been down lately...


She put up stockings over the window. Two big ones for us, and two little baby ones for our cats. Plus, this really cute xmas sock that is for cats. Then, she put up this reindeer wreath type thing as well. And this three piece train, that's really nice looking. And a few other pieces. It's not much, but it's cute and it makes it christmasie.

OBAF... thank you!!! I needed that!!!

Let me tell you... I have a friend who is in her early 20's. She married her husband when they were like 19, and have a 3 year old and a 20 month old. He walked out on her a month ago, and she had NO clue. He cleared out their bank account, took their new car, destroyed the transmission on their old car, took her phone book (so she wouldn't have phone numbers to call friends for help), and so much more. She has NOTHING!!! Then, she was laid off from her job.

So, Heidi and I went shopping for her today, for supplies, clothes, food, etc... and we took it to her tonight. That was the BEST feeling in the world, knowing that it doesn't matter what is going on in your life. You can be there for someone that needs a friend, a smile, a kind word, ANYTHING!!!

There are particular things in my life that have me down, but I can't complain now. Look what my friend is going through. I am so grateful for what I do have...