Christmas Decorating By Lorna Sixsmith
These large glass baubles come with 20 lights - perfect for making an elegant statement on your Christmas tree €24 at www.dotcomgiftshop.co.uk
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hy do we put up a Christmas tree with lights and decorations? The Christmas tree is an evergreen and is the symbol of life - when all other trees have lost their leaves, the ground is covered with frost and snow and nothing else is growing, the Christmas tree stands proud and strong. In the past, candles and fires were used to light up the darkness and symbolise how light triumphs out of the deep darkness and cold. Lights in the window meant a welcome to any travellers. Germany has used trees as Christmas decorations since the sixteenth century but the use did not become widespread until much later when Prince Albert (a German) brought a Christmas tree to Windsor Castle in 1834. It was the Victorians that brought about the custom of sending Christmas cards and added more decorations to the Christmas trees. As time has gone on, we have increased the extent of our decorations to exterior lights and decorations and decorating bedrooms as well as the living areas of the home. When should the Christmas decorations be put up? With Christmas decorations on display in the shops even before Hallowe’en, one could be forgiven for wondering when they should be displayed in the home. Some homes have their decorations up already, but they are few and far between. With the increase in artificial and non-shed Christmas trees and the trend of watering them, there isn’t such an emphasis on ensuring your tree won’t have shed all its needles by the big day. Some people say 6th December 16
is the correct date, others put it up the night of the Late Late Toy Show - but that gets earlier and earlier each year. It really is up to personal preference, however, there is a definite agreement as to when the decorations should be taken down by - 6th January! Space Saving Tips Christmas trees, decorations and gifts can take up a considerable amount of space. If you are concerned about this, why not use Christmas stickers and apply them to the wall or windows. Many are re-usable and can be used year after year. Apparently upside-down Christmas trees are very trendy at the moment - introduced by retailers so the decorations will be at the customers’ eye level providing more space underneath for all the gifts. I’m not so sure I’ll be adopting that idea but it is worth mentioning.
Scandinavian decorations tend to endorse simplicity with subtle and elegant detailing
Great space saving ideas from Australian company Mae - fabric wall stickers that are removable and reusuable. You could be very eco-friendly too and put your Christmas Tree on your wall this year. €62 at www.garrendennylane.com
Gorgeous decorations for a children's bedroom or indeed the living room - bring the reindeer into the scene with the 'Holiday Decorations' stickers together with 'Build a Tree'. All the stickers are removable and reusable. From €50 at www.garrendennylane.ie
Create a wall of Christmas cards rather than trying to display them on the mantelpiece, shelves and sideboards - simply stick them to a wall surface with blue-tack or similar. Tie bunting or ribbon to the banisters of your stairs, it doesn’t take up any space at all. Similarly, ribbons tied to dining chairs bring festive fun to the dining table. Elaborate ribbons with a decoration tied to a doorknob really bring a vintage Christmas tone and again doesn’t require any space as such. Is there a particular colour trend this year? It can be too expensive, apart from displaying a throwaway culture, to follow a particular colour trend for your Christmas decorating each year. If you wish to use different colours in different rooms, simply have a dominant neutral colour - for example, silver, whites and clear glass or golds, beiges and creams, and use coloured ribbons and bunting in ‘the colour of the season.’ If you are decorating various rooms in your home, co-ordinate with the furnishings. For example, if your living room has reds in the curtains or cushions, then add reds and golds to your Christmas tree. Icy blues, turquoise and teals are popular this year, but as they tend to be at the colder end of the spectrum, they are not colours that I would invest heavily in when purchasing Christmas decorations.
Advent calendars are becoming more popular and more elaborate. This one from www.contemporaryhome.co.uk shows a colourful felt house, emphasising the cosiness of winter with its red colours and connotations of homeliness. €25
and other household or garden items. And above all, have fun. Eco-friendly Christmas decorating Rather than purchasing a real tree that has been cut down, transported and ends up being thrown away, how about buying a small tree (ensure it has plenty of soil and space in its pot) that can be planted in your garden when the festivities are over and used again the following year. Although artificial trees aren’t strictly ecofriendly, they are in the sense that they can be reused for many years. If you are purchasing a real tree, get one from a supplier you know will plant more trees in its place. Pinecones make lovely Christmas decorations - all you need is a little paint, a few accessories and some ties.
If you are very proud of your Christmas cake, you could decorate it with these gorgeous silver cake decorations from Braybook & Britten. £200/€225
Home Made Christmas Decorations Children will enjoy making Christmas decorations and these have moved on from making paper chains from cut up magazines and newspapers or making crepe paper chains. Martha Stewart’s website (www.marthastewart.com) has to be one of the best online sources for providing you with ideas and instructions for making beautiful homemade decorations.
While you will have to purchase items such as accessories, glue, wire coat hangers, ribbon, glitter, spray adhesive, there are many that are free - pick up some pinecones, use some greenery for your wreath
Use left over fabric or wallpaper for gift-wrapping. The Love Mae removable and reusable fabric Christmas decoration stickers (available online at www. garrendennylane.ie) are great - you don’t have to chop down a tree or get pricked by spiky pine leaves. Once the stickers are stored away, they can be used again and again - great for homes that are tight on space as they simply stick to your walls, doors or windows. Send e-cards instead of physical Christmas cards this year. www.JacquieLawson.com have some beautiful musical cards that are loved by children and adults alike.
But above all, have a happy, healthy and safe Christmas. Lorna Sixsmith is the owner of the online home, gift and lifestyle store at www.garrendennylane.com. You are invited to use the discount code PLA2 when purchasing from Garrendenny Lane to receive 10% off your gift shopping this Christmas. 17