Special ways to decorate for Christmas

Mums Tips

Get Creative

Published on Sunday, 05 December 2021 23:47

Last Updated on 05 December 2021

Monica Costa

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Decorating the house for Christmas is a big job. It can take hours, you can chop and change your mind every time you hang a bit of tinsel up, and it can be hard to put the tree topper on when it’s over 7 feet tall! And now you might be standing in a pile of tinsel and fairy lights, and totally unsure of what to do next, and that’s why this post is here. 

And maybe you’ve already got your decorations up, or maybe you’re still deciding what would look good – either way, we’ve got some extra special decorating tips for you this year. Make this Christmas more special than ever by trying out a few new decorating tips, which we’ve listed below for your convenience. You never know, you might come across an idea that the whole family finds a lot of fun! 

Paperchains and Ribbons Add Dimension

If you’ve got a lot of lights set up this Christmas, make sure you’re adding a bit more dimension and class to them by adding a garland element. You can easily do this by putting together some paper chains, or getting out some spare ribbon from the kids’ arts and crafts box and simply entwining it all together. 

Make sure you drape these lit garlands across the ceilings as well as the walls; if you’ve got no pets or really young children in the house, you can also lay these to run against the skirting boards as well. You’ll get a whole new look in your living room and bedrooms, and festive lighting is always a welcome addition when it gets dark outside at 4pm! You may also be able to leave these garlands lit all night long, if they’re running off of batteries or are solar powered in some way – otherwise don’t rack up your electric bill! 

 

Set Out Little Christmas Scenes

Christmas decorating isn’t quite complete without a little Christmas scene setup somewhere in your home. There are many wooden and craft models you can invest in right now to put together a traditional Christmas village, or a snowman scene that the kids will love scattering the fake snow around for. You can also just get your hands on a bunch of snow globes for shaking from time to time, especially if it’s not snowing outside! 

So whether you’d like to see a little Santa on his sleigh, bright LED reindeer heads, a chorus of nutcracker models, a festive teddy bear or two, fake presents that help set the mood, or a traditional nativity set to remind us of why we celebrate Christmas at all, you’ll be able to find a model of any of these things in a shop near you. 

You might even be able to make your own versions if you’ve got some spare paper around, as well as a bit of glue, glitter, and colouring pencils. Rope the kids in, get them to contribute their own festive ideas to the scene, and set up a diorama that’s truly special to you. 

 

Take Photos for the Occasion 

Christmas is a big event in all our lives, especially when we’re young. It’s a day when we’re surrounded by family, have a lot of presents to unwrap and have fun with, and then comes Christmas dinner! All in all, it’s a pretty magical experience, even when you grow up and have to become Santa Claus yourself. So why not capture this moment in time? Get dressed up, take some family photos of you all at Christmas, and then get some extra special festive frames to hang them up in. 

They’ll form a very personal part of your Christmas decorations this year, and they’ll really help to break up all the hanging snowflakes and little wooden winter scenes you set up in each room. In the same vein that we used to take photos for the family Christmas card, these photos are all for you. They’re taken with a bit of love and fun in mind, and if you start taking Christmas photos each year, you can soon create a collage to hang up instead. 

 

Make Your Own Family Advent Calendar 

Advent calendars are a staple at this time of year. Maybe you’ve bought one for each family member and now they’re all stood up on the mantelpiece? And sure, this is a good place to keep them, and they act as a reminder that Christmas is only 20-something days away. But if you really want to do something different this year, why not come up with an advent system of your own? 

The entire family can use this calendar, and each person can unwrap an item once a day. So, if you’ve got a bit of time, and a small ‘stocking stuffer’ budget at your disposal, put together your own advent calendar. This way you can be sure the kids are getting neat little items they actually want out of the calendar, and it helps you to keep their chocolate consumption down! And if you’re out of ideas for what to put into the calendar, or how to make one altogether, be sure to check out this list for some inspiration. 

 

Have Edible Tree Decorations

What do you usually drape around the tree? Plenty of baubles? Some tinsel? A big string of lights? Do you put a star or an angel on top? Maybe you’ve got some cinnamon sticks on there as well, for drifting a lovely spice scent into the air? But even with all of these lovely decorations at your disposal, do you know what you’re missing? Some edible items to hang off those branches!

You can buy tree chocolates at more supermarkets, but there are many other sweet items you can hang off of the tree as well. You can make sugar strand decorations, or put together little strings of gingerbread men to drape across two or three branches. You can also pop some candy canes around for the kids to spot and pull off for a tasty treat, and even just some plain cookie cutter biscuits will work wonders here! 

 

Use Natural Green Hints

And finally, maybe you’re missing just a bit of festive greenery from your decorations this year? Maybe you need a couple of plants to hang around in the house for the rest of the season? Or maybe it’s time to use more green tartan in the interior? Swapping out your current table cloth or sofa throw for such a pattern, for example, is a great way to make your home look more ‘Christmassy’. 

Alternatively, hanging up a couple of traditional wreaths around the home is a good call. If you’ve never had a wreath before, this is a great way to really indulge your inner child for the month! Then make sure you’ve got some Mistletoe to hang up over a doorway as well – it’s a little romantic touch that’s just for you and your partner while the kids benefit from the rest of the Christmas magic – if you don’t like the thought of a Mistletoe sprig dropping leaves everywhere, you can also get yourself an ornament that’ll work just as well. 

If you want to decorate in a special way for this Christmas, all you need is a bit of inspiration to get the festive spirit really stoked! Take some time to brainstorm ideas like those above; most of them utilise decorations you’ve already got in the attic, so you won’t spend much either.