Elegant Christmas Home Decorating

!±8± Elegant Christmas Home Decorating

Decorating your home for the Christmas holidays can be exhilarating, but it can also be difficult to do it "just right" so that your home doesn't look gaudy or tasteless. To originate an atmosphere of sophistication and grace, you admittedly should have a plan before you begin. First, you need to settle on a theme, such as "The Nutcracker", "Santa's Workshop" or "An Old Fashioned Christmas", and build on that.

Most habitancy simply derive their decorations over the years and put them up at random. Instead, try to think like a store's visual designer by picturing how you would like your home to look, then join as many of the decorations you currently have as best you can. You may find that many of the ornaments and decorations you have collected can be used, but it may be that you need to give away or store others.

Christmas decorations admittedly should originate an air of always in vogue elegance, but it is prominent to join personal touches and mementos, as well. Your "background" should contain garlands of evergreens and holly, either live or artificial, around your home, especially on your mantelpieces and banisters. Placing attractive greens and colorful candles on your tabletops also adds warmth to your home. Next, add brightly colored ornaments nestled among the greens to add shine and interest.

Creating Christmas scenes such as the Nativity or a Christmas settlement on tabletops or other larger flat surfaces will draw your guests to them. You can also have "theme" areas in your home, such as Santa and his elves with a waiting sleigh and reindeer, a microscopic "skating pond" using a mirror and synthetic evergreen trees, or old-fashioned Christmas carolers with Christmas music playing. If you have small children or animals, you do need to be true where you place these things, especially if they are necessary or fragile.

Of course, a beautifully decorated Christmas tree is the key to the season, and it ordinarily is the focal point of your decorating. either you have a fresh-cut tree or an synthetic tree, you must first place the lights on it. There are incredibly real synthetic trees on the store today, and many of them come with lights already on them. If you have a fresh tree, be sure the lights you use are labeled as safe for this purpose. Most habitancy use clear bulbs, but you may settle on multi-colored or even single-color bulbs to originate a particular look. Once the lights are on, you can wrap garlands of broad ribbon around it, or you can add red or silver bows, either large or small depending on your taste, to make the tree "pop". Finally, place your ornaments evenly on the tree, trying to verbalize your theme.

A spectacular Christmas supper table is essential. Begin with an elegant lace tablecloth and table linens, which are the foundation of creating a beautiful dining experience. Use fresh flowers or originate a small Christmas-theme centerpiece for the table, but be sure that it is not so tall that your guests can not see others at the table. Add candles, either tall, elegant ones or some varied-sized ones, depending on your centerpiece. White or ivory candles are superior and timeless, but you may want to add color straight through the candles, again depending on your centerpiece. Use your finest china and silverware to originate the most elegant sense for your supper guests and make them feel very special.

Christmastime is a magical and wonderful time, and the way you decorate your home is one of the most remarkable ways to make your holiday special. Plan ahead, visualize the way you want your home to look, and pay close attention to the "little things" to originate your special memories.

Elegant Christmas Home Decorating

Discount Grilled Chicken Drumsticks Recipes Ethan Allen Sleigh Beds Quickly Overstock Wedding Rings Cheap

Christmas Lights - Finding the Best Lights for Decorating Your Christmas Tree This Year

!±8± Christmas Lights - Finding the Best Lights for Decorating Your Christmas Tree This Year

When it comes to Christmas decorating ideas, the consumer is awash in choices every year - mini Christmas lights, purple, red, blue or green LED Christmas lights, candle lights, old-fashioned Christmas tree lights with torpedo-shaped bulbs, LED Christmas light nets - the options are endless.

As the owner of a small company that sells a unique kind of traditional Christmas Tree Candle, I enjoy watching trends in Christmas decorations and seeing what kind of Christmas tree lights people buy. This little light looms large in Christmas lore. It has a long and fascinating history.

Christmas Lights -- History

It all started with the simple Christmas candle, which is credited to Martin Luther who, legend says, came up with the Christmas tree in the 16th century. The Christmas tree survived quietly for centuries until electric Christmas tree lighting came on the scene in the early 1900s and, as they say, the rest is history.

The first electric Christmas lights debuted in the White House in 1895, thanks to President Grover Cleveland. The idea began to catch on, but the lights were expensive, so only the wealthiest of the wealthy could afford them at first. GE began to offer Christmas light kits in 1903. And starting around 1917, electric Christmas lights on strings began to make their way into department stores. Costs gradually dropped and the biggest marketer of holiday lights, a company called NOMA, was wildly successful as consumers began to snap up the new-fangled lights across the country.

Early Designs

Many early Christmas bulbs were shaped to look like what they had replaced: the classic Christmas tree candle. The candle shape fell out of vogue, and in time new varieties shaped like glass balls, animals, lanterns and Santa figures hit the scene. A new and improved candle-shaped bubble light re-emerged later on in the 20th century. This one was filled with percolating colored liquid that cast a flickering light on the tree as the bulb grew warm. You can still occasionally find vintage bubble Christmas lights like these in flea markets or antique shops. Electric Christmas lights continued to hold sway into the 1980s.

Today's consumers have been embracing LED Christmas lights as enthusiastically as their great-grandparents gobbled up the first generation of electric Christmas tree lights 90 years ago. Is the LED Christmas light close to the saturation point? Every year I think so, but then the manufacturers come out with a new twist - LED lights in a web, LED Christmas lights in a large mesh net, blinking LED Christmas tree lights or some other variation.

Hope for the LED-Weary Christmas Connoisseur

One thing is clear: LED Christmas lights are huge energy savers. That's a good thing. But virtue has its price. LED illumination has a different optical quality -- so different that some Christmas-lovers feel it is sterile and devoid of any warmth. LED-skeptic Christmas buffs who want to give their tree a real glow have been boxed in by a lack of choices -- but persistence pays in the end. There are a few sources that supply the original Christmas Tree Candles and traditional Christmas Tree Candle Holders, and people are beginning to tap them as an alternative.

If LED Christmas lights are too soulless for you, but you don't want to go back to the energy-gobbling electric lights you grew up with, consider switching to traditional Christmas Tree Candles this year. They've been around for centuries -- much longer than the electric light. And they're even greener than LED Christmas lights because they consume absolutely no electric power.

Christmas Off the Grid

Say the idea of an environmentally friendly, candle-powered Christmas tree appeals to you, and you've decided you "won't take LED for an answer." You would like to get off the grid and go candle this year. You'll have to make a few choices - but the process of looking at the design options and figuring out what you like best is fun.

First, you won't want to just melt the end of the candle and stick it on your Christmas tree (as Martin Luther is reported to have done). You'll need Holders for your Christmas Tree Candles. Find a source of good-quality traditional metal Candle Holders. And make sure they're German - they're the best.

Second, decide what kind of Christmas Tree Candle Holders will look best. This is simply a matter of taste. There's no right or wrong. The classic Clip On Candle Holder is a popular solution. It clamps on to the branch and has a swivel mechanism so you can adjust it. The Clip-On Christmas Tree Candle Holder is usually available in silver or gold.

The Pendulum Christmas Tree Candle Holder is an older design. It was first patented in the U.S. in 1867 by Charles Kirchhof. This model has a stem with a weight at the end, which balances the candle holder and helps it stay straight. This model generally has a ball-shaped (Kugel) weight or a star weight. All candle holders have a wax catcher to catch drips before they reach the carpet.

Third, get the right kind of Christmas Candle for your candle holders. The fit is crucial, so it's not worth cutting corners or trying to substitute another kind of candle. The candle really has to be snug in the base of the holder for safety reasons. Birthday candles are too thin. Dining candles, tapers and many pyramid candles are too thick. Make sure you get genuine Christmas Tree Candles. Again, the best are from Germany.

Finally: Stay flexible. The advantage of Christmas tree candles is that they don't restrict your overall design or look. You can use them with other Christmas decorations - for example, your favorite vintage, antique or contemporary ornaments or tree toppers - or virtually any other decorations you have. If you want, you can even use electric lights and Christmas candles together.

Virtue Has its Rewards

Christmas Tree Candles are Kilowatt-Killers. You can feel good about using them because they don't draw a single watt of electricity. You can also pack them up with your other ornaments at the end of the season and use them again next year.

But the real payoff is aesthetic. The sight of a stately evergreen bathed in the soft light of Christmas candles is heart-stoppingly beautiful. Candlelight hushes the heart and casts a warm glow that electric Christmas lights and LED lights just can't match. Candle power has a way of capturing the Christmas Spirit and spreading it among your family, guests and friends who will be seeing your tree over the holidays. Granted, you have to be careful and use common sense (position the candles so the flame won't get close to anything and stay in the room). But the delight and magic of your candle-powered Christmas tree will last the entire season.

Resources

I am publishing a series of articles covering the history of Christmas lights, practical tips, and information about lighting your tree with Christmas Candles. Be on the lookout for these articles. If you are interested in Christmas traditions or are thinking about "going green" this year, you will find them informative and useful.

Christmas Lights - Finding the Best Lights for Decorating Your Christmas Tree This Year

Guinness Dart Boards Save Dizzler Music Fast

Unique Christmas Tree Themes

!±8± Unique Christmas Tree Themes

If you are a style maven who is a bit bored with the customary then you might be interested in unique christmas tree themes. Here are some unique suggestions for christmas tree themes that are sure to be real conversation starters.

The Christmas Cocktail Party Tree

This christmas tree theme looks great on both big and small trees. First, if your tree is not a prelit tree try stringing it with a string of novelty lights instead of the usual egg shaped lights. You can buy plastic novelty lights in the shape of Chinese Lanterns (for a 50's feel), chili peppers (for that modern martini bar feel) and Pink Flamingos (for that Tikki cocktail party atmosphere.)

Then try decorating the tree with tiny cocktail parasols and multicolored cocktail picks. If your tree is legitimately big you could also decorate it with plastic champagne glasses into which you have glued sequins or glitter. slight chocolates filled with liquor also make nice tree decorations.

The Gingerbread Tree

This most beautiful of christmas tree themes never goes out of style. It looks best on a green or red tree. Decorate it with gingerbread man cookies, red glass balls, tons of candy canes, red velvet bows
and homemade paper snowflake ornaments.

This tree looks great accented it with white or gold beaded garland or a bushy red or white tinsel garland. Or icicle-look garland. Top it with a Christmas themed stuffed white or brown teddy bear.

The Chocolate and Gold Tree

This is probably the trendiest of the christmas tree themes described here. It looks great on a red synthetic tree. The color scheme in this case is reds, browns and golds. Tiny twinkling gold and red
lights look best. Think of the eighties when you decorate this one. Decorate this tree with walnuts, pinecones and chocolates wrapped in foil. Gold coins are a nice touch. Then tie large transclucent gold
and red ribbons, using the kind of ribbon that has bendable wire inside onto the ends of the trees. The extreme corollary of this tree should be very opulent and lush.

The New Baby Tree

If you are celebrating the birth of a child or a child's first birthday this is a great tree to honor how happy you are about the new arrival in your home. The decorations suggested look great on
any kind of tree but you could consider buying a small blue or pink synthetic tree. This is a good idea so any toddlers or infants nearby can't get ahold of any shed needles. Also if you buy prelit synthetic trees then you don't have to worry about them yanking lights and pulling the whole thing down. If you have lots of toddlers nearby then you might want to opt for a small ceramic christmas tree until they are old enough not to grab at decorations and xmas tree limbs.

Pink, mint green, lavender and blue frosted glass christmas balls look particularly nice on pink or blue synthetic trees. You can also decorate these trees with baby toys, baby bottles filled with candy,
teddy bears, baby booties and socks, pacifiers and wooden alphabet blocks. slight stuffed animals look great on this type of tree and a larger teddy bear or soft plush toy makes a great tree topper. If the
baby is a girl you might want to consider topping the tree with a doll dressed as an angel.

The Peppermint Twist Tree

This most minimalist of christmas tree themes looks fabulous on a fascinating white, prelit synthetic tree. The color scheme of this is red and white but you can add a touch of green in the lights that you
string nearby it. Purists however think that keeping the whole thing red and white in every way looks best.

When it comes to the decorations stick with red and white round glass balls. Red and white frosted glass balls look much great than the conical ones. Also festoon the branches with as many red and white peppermint candy canes as you can find. Remember too that you can also stripe red or white christmas balls with white or red glitter by naturally adding some glue in a striped shape to the ball and rolling it in the glitter.

You can also accent this look with red and white ball shaped peppermint candies. A large lollipop with red and white striping and surrounded by a sunburst bouquet of candy canes makes a great tree
topper.

The Sea Side Tree

This most unusual of christmas tree themes looks best on synthetic trees in aqua or light blue colors. however it would also suit any tree that has a coral color such as light orange or pink.

This tree is decorated with treasures from the sea including seashells, sea horses, and ornaments made from aquarium decorations (treasure chests, coins and corals.) Strings of pearls can be used as
a garland and novelty lights shaped like seashells or even fish can be strung to improve the aquatic theme.

The Snow and Ice Tree

This is one of the most unusual of christmas tree themes as it is white and icy blue instead of the more well-known red and green. First decorate it with a garland of novelty lights shaped like icicles or snowflakes. Your decorations should be made of see through plastic or crystal so it looks like the tree is dripping with frozen, glittering shapes. Instead of cotton batten, drape the tree with faux spider
webs or cotton shreddings to simulate boughs heavy with snow. You can even mound this cotton at the ends of the bough so it looks like it has been clumped there.

Your final step is to spray the whole thing down generously with flocking. Flocking is simulated snow that comes in an aerosol can. You can spray this stuff on just about any kind of tree including synthetic prelit christmas trees and ceramic trees to make them look frostier.

This treatment is stunning on a white synthetic tree but it also looks great on red, purple, blue or other synthetic trees as all of the white provides a nice distinction to the tree's customary color.

Unique Christmas Tree Themes

Best Prices Garden Hose Reel Swivel