Christmas Home Decorating:
Joy to the World

by Giorgina Devereaux

For the entry way:

The entry way is the first thing we see when we open the door. If you happen to have a decent sized foyer, there are several things you can do.

Have a bare hall tree? You can dress up that lonely hall tree by wrapping garland around it to give it almost a candy cane like appearance and you can finish it off by placing a nice red bow on the bottom.

If you have a hall tree bench, you can intertwine red and green garland and place it over the top area and allow the rest to dangle on the sides.

You can also include lights within the garland for added shimmer to your Christmas home decorating.

Another idea is to place some pre-lit outdoor garland over the top of the hall tree bench.

On each side of the hall tree, you can place a lighted faux topiary that is contained inside a bronze, gold, or silver urn.

Another option is to place one large German nutcracker on either side of the hall tree bench, which almost seems to greet visitors.

A small lighted artificial tree is also a great way to adorn your foyer with Christmas home decorating. You can put faux sparkly gifts that are pre-lit with clear lights that appear to glow from within.

These types of glowing presents come in an assortment of sizes, which adds variety and is a nice decorative touch.

You can also place a tall father Christmas figurine that carries a decorated tree and lovely brocade bag in the foyer. This makes an incredible first impression as you make your way indoors.

If your entry way is small, there are still creative ways to decorate. You can place a German nutcracker as a way to welcome you indoors, along with placing a nice wreath on the wall opposite the front door (assuming you have such a wall).

Wreaths are beautiful and fragrant. You can find this herbal foliage handmade with:

• fresh bay
• sage
• purple oregano
• lavender
• chile de arbol
• dried dill
• marjoram
• thyme
• safflower
• achillea
• green artichoke
• fresh salal
• pepperberry
• eucalyptus leaves
• dried pomegranates
• poppy pods
• tallowberries
• pine cones
• and more

If the toy soldier appears too large for the entry area, you can display a medium sized snowman or reindeer figurines instead.

In addition, you can order vinyl lettering that makes a heart warming statement for the holidays, such as a biblical quote or something that speaks from the soul and display it on the wall next to or above the wreath.

This lettering can be ordered in red or green colors for that extra Christmas home decorating cheer.

Lastly, if this is part of your tradition, let’s not forget to hang the mistletoe over a designated doorway. This plant has a long and interesting history. However, in our modern day, hanging a mistletoe is associated with Christmas time.

Whenever someone is caught standing beneath the mistletoe, they have to surrender a kiss to whoever requests it. Be careful not to leave it lying around because it has been said that mistletoe is poisonous if humans and domesticated animals consume it.

For the family room/living room, there is an assortment of lovely items you can display. Above the fireplace mantel, you can hang a wreath.

On the fireplace mantel, you can place reindeer figurines opposite one another, with a mantel swag consisting of feather and garland surrounding them. Behind these items, you can display an assortment of candles set in lovely candle holders of varying heights in either silver or gold depending on your theme.

If you want to incorporate extra details into your candle sticks, you can add candle rings that consist of roses, pine cones, and a variety of leaves and berries.

There are so many mantel swags and garland to choose from. You can find some adorned with red feathers, while others have a snow frosting that welcomes the wintry outdoor feel inside.

If your staircase has railing, you can hang two or three wreaths or large red bows (if space allows) spaced out accordingly on the balusters.

You can intertwine garland along the banister for that extra touch.

You can also place rich boughs of multi-tonal faux bay leaves that are sold pre-arranged on your banister as well for that lush and magnificent look. It adds so much beauty and enchantment to your Christmas home decorating.

Stockings, along with stocking holders are a must have for the fireplace. It is a symbol of a long held tradition, and for some families, they want to continue this tradition for years to come.

You can stuff an assortment of lovely treasures into these stockings. You have so many to choose from, and they are available in different styles, sizes, and colors. There are some that feature a festive tassel, lush cording, and are made from beautiful burgundy and gold fabrics giving it a luxurious look.

You can even have them personalized with your name embroidered in a lovely script font.

At the base of the fireplace, you can display a poinsettia set in an urn on each side of it for added beauty. The history behind the tradition of displaying poinsettias dates back several centuries to one Christmas Eve in Mexico.

On that Christmas Eve, a little girl named Pepita who was very poor had no gift to offer to the Christ child. Her cousin Pedro convinced her to give a humble gift. While en route to the church, Pepita gathered some weeds that she found along the road. Once at the church, she approached the altar and an amazing thing happened – the weeds turned into brilliant flowers.

It is interesting how there is a story behind every thing, including how for years many believed that the poinsettia was toxic if consumed by humans and animals.

Although the genus (Euphorbia) to which the poinsettia plant belongs to does contain some highly toxic plants, the popular poinsettia itself is not considered toxic.

The rumor about the dangers of poinsettia leaves is associated with a poisoning case that occurred in 1919 where a two-year old child died. At the time, the cause of the poisoning was mistakenly determined to be a poinsettia leaf.

An information source by the name of POISINDEX, which is the primary resource utilized by the majority of poison control centers nationwide, states that a child who weighed 50 pounds would have to consumer over 500 poinsettia leaves in order to reach an even potentially toxic dose of compounds in the poinsettia plant.

Another option for the base of the fireplace is a nativity scene. Nativity scenes are beautiful and consist of a depiction of the birth or birthplace of Jesus.

Christian nativity scenes display Jesus in a manger, Joseph and Mary in a barn, a donkey and an ox, and it may even include the Magi or Three Wise Men, shepherds and sheep, angels, and the Star of Bethlehem.

The traditional scenes that include the shepherds and the Magi are not representative of the actual Bible story, since the Magi arrived much later than the shepherds.

However, incorporating the Magi into the nativity scene brings to mind the origins of Christmas.

For the dining room, you can hang snowflakes from the chandelier or decorated garland with pine cones. You can also hang snowflakes from the ceiling as well to give the impression that it is snowing.

Other ideas include taking garland and hanging it below the ceiling in a swag pattern.

If you have sconces in your dining room, a drop swag can be attached at the base of a sconce.

It is a beautiful fixture in your home because of the combination of lush greenery adorned with ribbons, pine cones, and other flowers.

For Christmas home decorating in the bedrooms, you can display snowman designed candle holders and other decorative Christmas figurines on your nightstands and dresser.

If you have a canopy bed, you can tie red bows to the top of each post.

If your bed has a headboard, attaching a nice red bow in the center adds punch.

For the bathroom(s), you can place gorgeous figurines of angels trumpeting, along with a mantel swag in the center to add interest. On the vanity, you can include candles set in gorgeous candle holders.

There are beautiful Christmas towel sets available in red, green, or gold colors that can be placed in the bathroom. These little details go a long way in making your holiday special because of the time and effort invested.

If you have a long vanity, you may also place a poinsettia in each corner. Poinsettias have such a magical look to them.

If you happen to have a lonely hallway, you can hang a couple of wreaths or bows on the wall. A beautiful pine berry topiary set in an urn displayed in the hallway corner looks fabulous too.

The kitchen is the place where everyone convenes no matter what the occasion is.

A must have is an advent calendar. It is a fun way to count down the days leading up to Christmas as well as an excuse to delight in what lies behind each little door.

There are so many to choose from – some come with a Santa design, while others with a snowman or a depiction of a child leaving cookies for Santa.

You can also incorporate poinsettias in a bronze, silver, or gold urn into your kitchen. A great place to put them is on a ledge above your cabinets or refrigerator (if you have a ledge), or you may display one on the counter.

You can also display a small fiber optic Christmas tree on the kitchen counter, along with small Christmas figurines consisting of angels, reindeer, Santa, or a snowman.

On the kitchen table, a Santa, snowman, or Christmas themed candy dish is always a great decorative item and a pleasant treat for visitors.

I am thrilled to pass on these ideas because Christmas is such an important occasion that merits making Christmas home decorating as unique and spectacular as possible.