Christmas decorating is one of those activities that holds a lot of overwhelm for many people, particularly if you are the chosen one to host Christmas dinner! You don’t want to go over the top with your Christmas decorations, but you still want to make enough of an impact to create a solid festive feel. Because it should be fun and not hard, this handy guide might have come at exactly the right time to help you get your things in order before the big rush!
Start with your canvas
This is to say, your home. The backdrop of your Christmas decoration spree! Use your phone’s camera to take a few pictures of the exterior parts of your house that you would most like to decorate. Christmas lights can either look fantastic, or go horribly wrong when miscalculated. Avoiding miscalculation can be as simple as familiarizing yourself with your home’s outside, so don’t rush this part.
Although you might think that you know your home, you’ll be surprised at the amount of detail a quick exterior scan can deliver. Remember too that you are not looking at your home from a living perspective, but a decorating one, and there is a difference.
What are the best decorations to buy?
Christmas lights, and the Christmas tree itself are, for many people, the not-negotiable part of holiday decor. Christmas tree decorations also come into the picture, and as the year starts coming to an end, this kind of decoration becomes a complete seasonal hobby for many people!
Not taking the outside of your house into consideration, the most significant area of the house that you are likely to decorate, is the living room. This is where the fireplace will be, this is where the family gather. Because the living room tends to be one of the larger rooms in the house, it also means that you can go to town with decoration, without it being “too much”. Decorating the mantel goes without saying, and making it a seasonal home for Christmas cards is a popular option. Hanging Christmas lights indoors can also add to the cozy atmosphere. And finally, use cushions, throws, and natural decor, like pinecones, to boost your festive score in this room.
Real or artificial Christmas trees?
If your space is extremely specific, one of the benefits of an artificial tree is that you can buy one that is manufactured to be the right size for your space. The lighting in the room and the color of the room could influence your decision. Some might argue that you can’t go wrong with a natural tree, while others prefer the predictability that comes with an artificial one.
How do we bring the look together?
One word: lights. They go on the tree, they go one your house, they can even be used as part of your table decorations. If the thought intimidates you a bit, why not stick to a single color palette, and then take it from there? Less can sometimes be more, if you stick to high impact displays around a common theme, feeling your way through what looks good and what doesn’t.
If stringing a tree with Christmas lights feels like too great a hassle, why not look at a pre-lit Christmas tree? These snazzy little trees have built-in LED lights at the ends of the branches, and come in a variety of finishes and colors.
Is LED or Incandescent better?
Let’s start with what not to do. Mixing incandescent lights and LED lights is a no-no, as their power consumption and appearance varies hugely. Pick one or the other, but rather don’t combine them, as your display will look mixed and matched, and your power supply has to serve two different types. Also remember that incandescent light bulbs give off a far warmer heat than LED does, which affects how cool to the touch your display might end up being (or not!). LED bulbs are also far more long-wearing than incandescent, meaning that their lifespan is far longer. Although this might not seem like a big deal at the outset, bear in mind that a shorter lifespan equates to money wasted. As an example, incandescent bulbs can last up to 3 seasons, while LED can last as long as 5 – almost twice as long!