Useful Tips to Help You Decorate for Christmas and the Holidays
Easy and Frugal Ways to Add Seasonal Cheer to Your Home
© 2014 by Kelly Smith; all rights reserved; content may not be copied, rewritten, or republished without written permission.
A rain gutter repairman at work
This article was updated on 12/03/19. Happy National Day of Giving!
This time of year revolves around Thanksgiving and Christmas and is a great opportunity to indulge in decorating for the holidays. Some people do this for religious reasons, some do it for tradition (Santa Claus, Sinterklaas, and all that fun), and others to reflect the changing seasons as the trees change colors and the temperature drops.
It can be a fun experience that will create an atmosphere of festivity in your home or apartment. It’s also a great way to enjoy family time.
Decorating for holidays can combine elements of tradition and new styles! As might be expected, the latest trend will always be exploited but some timeless decorating trends won’t change. Blue light strings are a great idea; these decorative pieces will never go away.
But these lights are also subject to yearly changes. The icicle strings are very hard to find during some years if you aren’t on top of your shopping game.
How Should You Install When Decorating for the Holidays?
Exterior decorating can be either a DIY project or a professional installation. In many cases, a professional job is the way to go. Ultimately, many people do not have the time nor inclination to drag that ladder out there to install lights, especially on two-story homes.
The most important thing to remember is that time is of the essence. The holidays approach approach quicker than might be expected, but these tips will help you decorate quickly and efficiently.
The Many Holiday Decorating Options
Some decorating options are traditional and enduring and many are flash-in-the-time trends. Of course a Christmas tree is one that isn’t going away; the only thing that changes is that the number of ornaments keeps increasing.
- Change of seasons options are appropriate for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and when ushering in the New Year. Gourds, pumpkins, and golden and yellow leaves in bowls make good holiday meal centerpieces.
- Exterior Christmas lights typically begin going up as soon as the last of the Thanksgiving turkey has been consumed. Try to buy them as soon as possible though — when they’re gone they’ gone!
- There are numerous animal-themed figures and statues. What’s the most popular? You guessed it. Reindeer!
- Small chalk boards are not just for leaving family messages anymore. Use them for witty holiday messages or a daily countdown until Santa Claus arrives.
- Wreaths should always displayed. You do not have to simply buy one though; most arts and crafts stores are replete with the basic goods to make one. Use ribbons, feathers, and glittery paint.
- Nativity scenes are very traditional decorations and they are easy to build as opposed to buying a "Made in China" model (see the one I built in the photo below).
A homemade nativity scene
These are just a few holiday decorating ideas to get you going. Remember to include all the family members in both ideas and putting things together; this is how memories are made.
