Ideas for Christmas Decorating

by Tonya Hillukka

sxc.hu/norriuke

The holidays are fast approaching. Are you ready for Christmas? Often, the first step to get into the holiday spirit is to decorate the home with festive decor. 

When preparing for the holiday season, you can use a number of Christmas decorating ideas to lend a festive touch to each room in your home. Available in many forms, from table-toppers to outdoor wreaths, decorations serve as cheerful accents to Christmas trees, and are an important part of many families' holiday traditions. 

Living Room Decorations

Decorate the main "gathering place" of your home for Christmas to welcome holiday guests.

• Drape real, or pine-scented artificial, garland woven with small lights on a fireplace mantel, a stairwell or a long windowsill.

• Hang handmade Christmas ornaments on your tree and place handmade crafts on end tables or on mantels. Children will love having their designs on display for guests and family.

• In a free corner of the room, set up a Nativity scene, Christmas caroler display or Santa and reindeer display using figurines made of a child-friendly material. Add cotton to represent snow and include small house or train figurines if desired.

• Set out Christmas-oriented items such as books, CDs, DVDs and magazines for guest and family entertain themselves.

Tables and Furniture

Table surfaces, chairs and benches look wonderful when decorated with Christmas-themed items.

• Throw pillows in various patterns, shapes, and sizes. Place a few festive pillows on couches, chairs, wooden benches and beds.

• Miniature artificial Christmas trees. Decorate your dining table, coffee table, or desktop with a small tree covered in bows, tinsel and ornaments.

• Candles in a variety of holiday scents. Yankee Candles offers fragrant jar candles in scents such as Christmas Eve, Peppermint Swirls and Holiday Garland.

• Patterned fleece blankets and guest towels. Hang towels with a Christmas design on bathroom and kitchen racks, and cover beds and sitting areas with Christmas blankets.

Outdoor Ideas

Share your love for the holidays with your neighborhood--decorate your front porch with various items.

• Real or artificial wreaths for windows, front doors and porch railings. Christmas wreaths are available in many styles and colors.

• A basket of scented pine cones placed on your porch for guests to enjoy as they arrive at your home.

• Single strands of lights, either white or colored, carefully affixed to window or porch trim.

• A painted wooden "Welcome" plaque with a Christmas theme (personalized with your family name if desired).

Unique Touches

Add some Christmas fun to game rooms, kids' rooms and kitchens with cute, unexpected decorations.

• Stand-alone Advent calendars, which give children the opportunity to "count down' to Christmas Eve and enjoy a piece of candy each day. These calendars are available in shapes such as Christmas trees.

• Musical Christmas clocks and telephones that play your favorite carols when activated.

• Snow globes, such as the one pictured at right. Be sure to keep these decorative items out of a young child's reach.

• Musical plush toys in designs such as reindeer, Santa and Mrs. Claus, snowmen or elves.

These Christmas decorating ideas can be tailored to fit your budget, as many department stores and retail shops offer affordable items for the home. Homemade decorations also add a cost-effective yet unique touch to your home's Christmas theme.

References

http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com/category/christmas-decorating/

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/indoor-decorating/

**Note: This article was previously published and removed from BrightHub.com.  The publishing rights were passed back to Tonya upon deletion from the site 11/04/11.

Where to Find the Best Dorm Supplies Online

DormSmart.com is set to be featured today on a back-to-school segment, hosted Mal Pearson, style and beauty guide and featured guest on the nationally syndicated show, The Daily Buzz. Pearson has named this website the only place to shop for dorm supplies.

Of course, I had to check out DormSmart.com for myself. There, I found virtually anything and everything a college student could possibly need for dorm life. As they say, they are the "#1 source of quality, affordable, & attractive dorm stuff all year long".

Where else can you buy dorm supplies online?

Dormbuys.com -  "Masters of your dormain."

Dormspot.com -  They will help check items off your shopping list.

Collegepad.com - Great discounts on college supplies.

Dorm supply websites will help you shop for all of the items on your shopping list in one place. There are many places where you can buy your supplies online, but these are just a few of the best. But, according to Mal Pearson, DormSmart.com is the only place to shop for your dorm supplies online.

References:
Interior Design News Articles

Design & Decorating: The Difference

Quote of the day: "I've been amazed at how often those outside the discipline of design assume that what designers do is decoration. Good design is problem solving." ~Jeffrey Veen

One of the very first things I learned in the Interior Design program was the difference between design and decorating. To be honest, I didn't really know what I was getting into. After all, isn't Interior Design about decorating an interior space?

Choosing fabrics, accessories...sure, decorating is part of the design process. But there is much more to it than that. If you are interested in learning more about what is involved in Interior Design, this article might benefit you.

Remember, "good design is problem solving."

Need some help with summer decor?

Yesterday was the first day of summer 2011, but if you're in Fargo, you might never have guessed. Since the beginning of spring, we have really only had a few warm, sunny days -- and the summer started out with a large dose of rain. It still hasn't stopped raining.

But summer will be here. Eventually. Even though it doesn't seem very summer-like (to me) right now, you might be itching to give your house a fresh, summery feel. Let's start out with some color palettes.

At some point, you will probably need to escape the summer heat. Sure, air conditioning feels great after spending some time outside, but the colors you choose for your decor can help cool you off even more quickly. In color psychology, "cool" colors -- blue, green -- can make a room feel much cooler. Learn more about using cool colors in your home.

In the summer, less is more when it comes to accessorizing. A clean, open space gives your home a fresh, summery feel. So, what kind of accessories should you use, then? Find out here.

Each person might be looking for something different: new paint color ideas, simple accessorizing ideas...or even as much as a kitchen or whole-house remodel. But if you are just looking for some quick and easy ways to decorate for summer, try making smaller changes with new paint colors and accessories.

Get Your Outdoor Living Space Ready for Summer

Summer is drawing near. Right now is a great time to start getting that outdoor living space ready for the warm season -- gardens, porches, outdoor kitchens and all.

Let's start with the garden. 

I'm sure you have a fairly good idea how to plant seeds and make them grow into pretty flowers and such. But what about lighting? Not only gardens, but any outdoor living space will benefit from LED lighting: walkways, patios, pools and other water features. Combining lighting techniques in the garden (or wherever) creates visual interest. Learn more about setting up outdoor garden lighting.

Want to bring more color to the patio?

There are so many ways you can bring colors other than green to your outdoor living space. You're not just limited to planting -- or hanging -- flowers here, either. Think about all the fun elements you can bring into this area: water, stone, tile and so on. Need more ideas? You can read about the various ways to bring color to the outdoors right here.

Freshen your porch for summer.

Freshening this area of your outdoor space can give your home new life without a complete facelift. For starters, you can re-paint or stain the wood for a fresh look. And you can add flowers or greenery to add life and color. How else can you freshen your porch to get it ready for summer? Find out here.

Copyright: istockphoto.com/andykazie

What are some ways you get your outdoor living space ready for summer?

Pirate Ship Bedrom Design Theme by Designer Steve Kuhl

Some lucky six-year-old just got the bedroom of his dreams - actual floating "pirate" ship included. Designer Steve Kuhl created this nautical sensation, complete with a rope bridge, crow's nest and all.

How can you create a dream ship bedroom for your own child? 

 While Kuhl's design may be a little over-the-top for the average homeowner, you can give your own child the nautical room of his or her dreams with some changes that better fit your budget.

• Let's start with the focal point: the bed. Your child will love to role play in a room with these toddler and children's pirate ship beds.
• For the walls, ocean colored paint or rustic wainscoting will fit in with the nautical bedroom theme. You might even expand on the out-to-sea feel by either painting fish and ocean creatures on the walls, or attaching ocean-inspired wall clings.
• Lantern-shaped wall sconces or pendant lights are reminiscent of the bedroom's theme.
• For decor, think hanging ropes, lighthouses, compasses and even glowing stars for the ceiling.

Personally, I think Kuhl's design is really fun and unique - really! - but maybe a bit much for a kid's bedroom. The whole ship thing probably wasn't exactly cheap, so what happens when this kid outgrows the nautical theme?

Maybe it isn't a problem for these homeowners, and if that's the case, it's all fine and good. But I prefer to stick with timeless decor and themes that can easily be changed out in a few years when the kids are too old to play pirate. How about you? Tell me about your child's bedroom theme.

Temporary Solutions

Turning a Rental Into a Home with Small Decorative Changes

Since I graduated High School, I've lived in six different temporary homes. All in less than five years.

I probably don't have to tell you, but this is coming from personal experience. I have come to the realization that it is somewhat difficult to really settle down and make a home for yourself when you don't stay in one place for more than a year. This time around, though, I planned on staying for at least two years.

So I put hours into painting the entire main living area. Lots of money, too.

Sherwin-Williams Kilim Beige.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I put more money into decorating the place. Fortunately, I've been doing all this over the span of nearly a year, and I got a lot of these things for free, or nearly free.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be here for two years, either. 

I won't go into detail, because nothing is set into stone yet, but my point is there are ways you can put your own personal touches in an apartment or rental home without putting too much time or money into it.

The first thing to keep in mind is there are some things you cannot change about a rental home. So, work with the things you do have control over: paint color (if painting is allowed), furniture, window treatments, accessories and wall hangings.

Use these things to express your personality. As money allows, swap that your great-grandparents' old sofa for something you love. Is there a print in a calendar you love and cannot bear to toss? Tear it out and frame the picture so you can keep it without cluttering your apartment.

Finally, take your time. If you don't plan on sticking around for long, you will no sooner finish decorating and it will be time to pack up and move on. So, I'm not putting much more time or money into this place. I'll take what I have and pick up where I left off in another rental.

Learn more about decorating a rental to reflect your style.

Do you know what you want?

"If you have marvelous taste and know exactly what you want, you don't need a designer." ~Billy Baldwin

So, then why are there people who design professionally? As someone who graduated with a degree in Interior Design, here is my best answer:

We are there for the people who do not have marvelous taste, and those who have no clue what they want.

I won't ramble on, since I'm still working on setting up this blog, but I just wanted to share that bit of wisdom. Honestly, there are no rules to decorating - we are simply there to guide you along. If you can get it to fit, and if you like it, then go for it. I'll leave you with one more quote...


"Taste is a sharpened eye for the beautiful, the interesting, and the unusual - coupled with the talent to apply all of these to one's life." ~Eleanor Lambert, founder of the International Best-Dressed List