Surviving Christmas

As the Christmas holiday season starts to approach, a large number of individuals and families start decorating for Christmas. While just about anything in the home can be decorated, a large amount of focus is placed on the Christmas tree.

Since there is a good chance that you may want to purchase a Christmas tree this year, you may be wondering about your decorating options. 

 Perhaps, the most common Christmas decoration used on a Christmas tree is lights.

What is nice about Christmas lights is that you have a TON of options when using them. Depending on the type of Christmas lights you use, if you choose to use them at all, you may be able to set your lights to sing a Christmas tune or flash in a certain pattern.

One idea here: They have special, green, indoor extension cords with sockets placed about two feet apart. These are well worth their price. Given the “rule of thumb” is 100 lights per foot, you need something that is SAFE for all those strings – especially if your tree is large.

Watch for the sets that have a remote to turn them on and off – this option is worth its weight in GOLD. I despise having to get behind the tree, under the cloth and unplug the blasted thing every day during the season. Its SOOO much easier to push a button!

Aside from Christmas lights, Christmas ornaments are another one of the most commonly used Christmas decorations, for Christmas trees.

Christmas ornaments come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and styles. You can find them in just about any style – there are Disney characters, ball ornaments, resin animals, angels, and more.

You can also make your own. (Check out the posts under “Christmas Crafts” for some ideas!) Our tree hosts home-made and store-bought ornaments, and the main tree has no rhyme or reason – whatever we like when we shop or craft gets put on it.

We normally have several trees... Some are themed, but the main one hosts even ornaments that my Mother made when she was a child, gifts and other items – and now has 4 generations worth of keepsakes and crafts from our family.

You can “theme” your tree with your ornaments... Victorian, angels, teddy bears (my Mother had her own teddy bear tree every year), animals, fantasy, by color, even Star Trek and Disney characters. I've seen ornaments for hunters, fishermen, beer drinkers sports fans – you name it.

Christmas ornaments are most commonly hung from Christmas tree branches using ornament hooks, yarn, or thread.

While Christmas tree toppers, like all other Christmas decorations, come in a wide variety of different sizes, shapes, and styles, they are most commonly sold as angels or stars.

Despite the fact that many Christmas tree toppers are in the form on an angel, other popular toppers include stars, crosses, and Santas. In addition to coming in different sizes, you will find that many Christmas tree toppers are designed to light up, with Christmas lights, and some may even play a musical Christmas tune.

In addition to Christmas tree toppers, Christmas lights, and Christmas ornaments, garland is also used on many Christmas trees. In fact, it is sometimes rare to find a decorated Christmas tree that does not have garland on it. Christmas garland also comes in a number of different styles. Popular garland styles include floral garland and beaded garland. It is also possible to find pre-lighted garland.

In place of garland, tinsel is tossed on – which makes the tree look as if it had sparkling icicles hanging from it. If you are going to use this, toss it on after you have decorated your tree.

If you have small children (or cats, puppies, ferrets, etc) you might consider using mainly plastic or cloth ornaments – at least for the bottom half of the tree. These are hard, if not impossible to break, should not pose a danger to bare feet and paws, and can look just as good as glass.

A note if you have birds or kittens:

If you can't find them, look INSIDE your Christmas tree, about eye level, right next to the trunk or pole! Believe me... Kittens climb and birds, of course, love tree branches.

One year we had a litter of kittens – 9 of the little buggers... Each one of them had their favorite branch – AND – their own favorite color of lights. They do make the Christmas season interesting!

If you go the live tree route (or really, even with artificial trees), one item I find indispensable is a tree skirt. Usually I don't bother with purchased ones. I string plain white and blue strands of lights, and toss white sheets over them to look like snow.

The main benefit – beyond ambiance – is that it will catch most of the needles that fall off. And they DO fall off of artificial trees... just not in the numbers that come off of live ones.

With our main tree, its “the more the better” mainly because we all make ornaments every year, and we also have our favorite purchased ones. I usually opt for a little tinsel so as not to distract from the ornaments.

We usually have a ton of lights, too... I love to sit and gaze at the tree when everyone else is asleep, and I always get a little teary when I take the tree down in January, because I miss all the pretty colors that light up the night-time and give such a warm feeling. The house always seems plain and boring right after the holidays....

What are your favorite tree decorations?? Post suggestions below!

Many Blessings

GrannySue