Christmas Decorating Ideas

I did all my decorating today. Put up lights outside and the tree inside  

I wish I could have gotten to it, but it's been so busy it will have to wait until later this week.

LIWnut wrote:

I bought new outdoor lights yesterday.  These ones have a clip that you just clip onto the eaves on the house (gutters for my US friends).  Now all I have to do is find a ladder to get to the eaves, hmmm.  I LOVE coloured lights, could hang them all year and enjoy them every day but people would think that I'm weird.

I have neighbors who don't seem to think it's weird at all.  

JW wrote:

I did all my decorating today. Put up lights outside and the tree inside  

Yay!  I am all decorated---I did the inside last week, since I knew I wouldn't have time this weekend.  But I still haven't done any outdoor lights.  Lights and I just don't get along.  The last two times I've done the outdoor lights, they stop working after a short time.  Not sure it's worth ALL the work!  And this year EVERY strand of my tree lights were dead when I want to put them up, except for two.  I had to go out and get all new!  I put them away so carefully every year---WHY does this happen?!?! 

bethandmanly wrote:

I wish I could have gotten to it, but it's been so busy it will have to wait until later this week.

Have you done your inside yet, Cheryl?  I'm guessing you're just talking about the outdoor lights, right?  

Post pictures, everyone!  I'll have to post some soon....I have done an 'English cottage theme' this year....I'm kind of paring down the formality of the house and am going with more of a cottage style.  I didn't put up half my Christmas ornaments this year too, like the really elegant formal bulbs that I have.  And I took down the gold tree topper and bought a tartan plaid bow tree topper instead---love it! Just want to go for a more simple, old fashioned feel from now on.

Amy i always had the same problem the lights always went out after i had put them up and this year too the christmas tree lights were all out, but a few years ago i bought a Christmas light repair gun. Its amazing! it turns on all the lights again except the ones that are burnt out then you can replace that one bulb instead of replacing the whole set.

Getting our Christmas decorations ready. Took down our Thanksgiving decorations down.

JW wrote:

Amy i always had the same problem the lights always went out after i had put them up and this year too the christmas tree lights were all out, but a few years ago i bought a Christmas light repair gun. Its amazing! it turns on all the lights again except the ones that are burnt out then you can replace that one bulb instead of replacing the whole set.

We had something like this when I was a kid. It did work. I have NO idea whatever happened to it, though! It was very good to have.

Well, I did the tree yesterday. It always ends up an all-day event for me. I have an artificial tree that is pre-lit. For that reason alone it shouldn't take me all day! Last year the bottom didn't seem to light up but, miracle of miracles, it did this year! Luckily it did because there has really been no good deals this year on trees.

Anyway, I always put up the tree and just look at it occasionally as I watch TV instead of decorating it. So, I put the tree up around noon, I think, and I didn't start decorating it until 5:00. I was done by 6:00. So, since it doesn't take me that long to do it, wouldn't you think I would just get it done when I first put the tree up?!? I never do, though. It is the same thing every year!

I brought up the rest of the decorations today. So I will take down the Thanksgiving and put the Christmas up later today.

I'll put the stuff up outside towards the middle of the week as it will be around 40 degrees then. I am not going to put too much up as someone ruined the lights last year and broke our decorations. Just because of that I don't have it in me to go to crazy outside. After all, how many of our decorations are ruined, anyway?!  

This is probably the worst tree you've ever seen right?  The tree it self is nothing to brag about and i didn't put on enough ornaments.


Ok so i posted a picture of my tree now i wanna see your trees

JW wrote:

You're a white lights person, huh? I tend to stick to the colored lights. But guess what?!? I have all red/white ornaments on the tree, too!   

I actually really like the look of your tree. I think the star is very pretty and I like how your tree looks like there is a glow to it in the picture. I should try and take a picture of the tree this year. I took one a couple of years ago (it generally always looks the same  ). But it didn't show up that well. I should try to take another one and post it.

Very pretty tree, Jacob! We also hang white lights on our tree. White lights outside as well.

Miss Oleson The trick is taking a picture in a dark room just the tree on other wise mine didn't show up good either. I actually really like colored lights but for the tree somehow i like White lights better its a prelit one  

Teresa Post a pic  

Nice job, Jacob!

Jacob, I love it!   I like the idea of the red & white ornaments...very pretty!

I love white lights on the tree but I also use a TON of lights, lol, (like seriously, 800 to 1000) and that is BLINDING.  Ha!  This year I used multi colored along with gold and I love the combination---my favorite yet.

Thanks for the tip on the light gun thingy---I saw one at Lowes but it was $20.00!!     And it still seems like just such a pain in the butt---I spent all of $1.50 per box on the new lights and it sure was easier!

A decoration that a friend of mine in Arkansas has.....  

Lovely!

Ah yes, the beloved 'leg lamp'!   (I love when the hubby accuses the wife, "I knew it!  You were always jealous of her!" )

What a pretty tree.

In Tucson, when you only have palm trees and cactus, you just have to make do!

I love your tree, Jacob. Mine still aren't up, but hopefully on Saturday we'll make a big dent in decorating. I'm switching things up this year. I'll put a larger tree in the dining room and instead of wrapping garland around the pillars in the formal living room, I'm using red velvet ribbon to make them look like candy canes.

Looks like Liberace signaling a touchdown.

bethandmanly wrote:

I love your tree, Jacob. Mine still aren't up, but hopefully on Saturday we'll make a big dent in decorating. I'm switching things up this year. I'll put a larger tree in the dining room and instead of wrapping garland around the pillars in the formal living room, I'm using red velvet ribbon to make them look like candy canes.

Oohh, sounds pretty, Cheryl!  Would love to see pics!  I can hardly believe your trees aren't up yet though!

I know that many people have Christmas Village Displays set up during the holiday season and wondered if anyone here would like to share photos of theirs.  My mother used to collect many of the village pieces but we don't display them anymore due to lack of space.  BUT, today I found a new way to display them and save space, I'll have to try this next year.



I'd love to see pictures of your Christmas Villages. Please post them here.

Wow, that's beautiful! And what a creative display!

Marilyn, I love that method of displaying a village in the photo you shared! It is very creative.




Here is a picture of the village my mom and I set up this year. It's not a very good picture but I wanted to take it with the lights off so you could see the lights in the village. We have three horse barns, a school, a grocery store, a house, a church, and many other items in it. We try to add something new to it every year.

That's beautiful, Kristina!

Beautiful Kristina!    It's just perfect!  And I love the ladder idea, Marilyn!

LOL, here's my very 'simple' village display from a few years ago....on Jacob's "Christmas Decorating thread"...just scroll down:

https://lhotp.editboard.com/t4244p50-christmas-decorating-ideas?highlight=christmas+decorations


Since then, I now have my mom's Department 56 Village pieces, complete with people and trees, displayed on the piano.  It's not a huge setting, I think 6 buildings, but it's just right for the piano!  I wish I could upload pictures right now.  Something is wrong with my 'pictures library' and I can't upload anything until I get this fixed.  

I'm going to save my other village though---was thinking of giving it away but we're going to do built-in bookcases next to the fireplace soon and I saw a picture of how someone displayed their village on those shelves, so I'll wait and see if I want to do that someday!  Can't have too many Christmas villages!