The Dos and Don’ts of Christmas Decorating

The holiday season is upon us and it’s time to start thinking about putting up the tree and thinking about your holiday décor.

Do:

• Personalized Stockings: Don’t settle for generic stockings. Get the family together and decorate them to make them unique to each person. Go the DIY route and steam on letters, use fabric glue to add glitter and beads, and the works. These stockings will then have a special meaning, and they’ll be a great conversation starter at your Christmas parties. 
• Use Vintage Décor: If you have vintage Christmas decorations from your grandmother or the local antique shop, break them out this season! Vintage is always in, and those unique pieces will really add a personal, homey touch to your holiday decor. Plus, you won’t find anyone else using the same decorations in their home!
• Take Pictures to Remember: Capture the festive magic! Take pictures of your Christmas decor to recreate the magic next year easily. A visual diary of your holiday home not only preserves memories but also ensures a seamless and nostalgic transition into each festive season. 
• Be Eco-Friendly: We all love saving money on decor by using stuff we used last year, but cheap items may not last through more than one holiday season. Whether it’s Christmas, Halloween, or Thanksgiving, you should focus on making something eco-friendly. Chicken wire ghosts, durable wreaths, and light machines are just a few of the ways you can use eco-friendly items.
• Bring In Nature: If you’re decorating your home for the holidays on a budget, simply step outside to find your decorations! Pick up logs, sticks, pinecones, and leaves. Go to town turning them into centerpieces and wreaths that will make your home look both rustic and sophisticated. (Pinterest has hundreds of DIY tutorials for the holidays.)
• Keep it simple: If you find yourself piling decoration after decoration onto your mantle, take a step back and remove half of the items. Using fewer, higher quality pieces will make your house look put-together and elegant rather than overwhelming and cluttered. 
• Have a Theme in Mind: If you just start decorating with whatever looks “Christmas-y,” you’re going to have a bad experience. Pick a theme and only use pieces that correlate with it. If you love reindeer, find gold antlers you can hang on the wall, throw pillows with reindeer, or reindeer figurines (like the ones pictured). If you want a traditional-but-chic look, decorate with plaid patterns.
• Use What You Already Have: Save yourself some money by perusing your old holiday decorations before your shopping spree. You’ll likely find at least a few pieces that are reusable or that have sentimental value, which can make your home feel comfortable and familiar. 
• Highlight Your Homes Best Features: Are you proud of your home’s wraparound porch? Show it off by stringing up some lights around it! Lights draw attention to wherever you put them, so use them to accentuate your home’s best features. 
• Get Creative with Christmas Lights: Trade in your traditional icicle or multicolor Christmas lights and opt for a projector instead. You put the projector in your front yard, and at night it looks exactly like a bunch of lights twinkling all over the front of your house. While great for shaking things up, it’s also a great option if you just don’t feel like taking an entire afternoon to string up a bunch of lights.
• Color Coordinate with Existing Décor: One of the best ways to save money on decorations is by using your existing color scheme. If you have a home that uses gold and pale greens, don’t be afraid to get decorations that complement these colors. You’ll need to buy far fewer decorations, which means more money in your pocket.
• Get An Advent Calendar: Advent Calendars aren’t just for children. Everyone loves chocolate or little gifts. It’s a great way to count down the day until Christmas arrives. There’s a wide array of adult advent calendars you can buy online from booze to gourmet candy and more.

Don’t:

• Heavily Decorate the Dining Table: Here’s the thing about heavily decorating your table: you’ll have to move it any time you want to use it. That means every family dinner, every time someone needs to do homework, and when everyone gets together for the holiday dinner. Decorate your table but leave enough space to eat.
• Don’t Overdo the Front Door: Many people incorrectly think that the front door should be the centerpiece of their holiday decor. While it is the first things guests see, if you take it too far, it can be overwhelming and tacky (and could potentially scare your guests away!). Stick with a simple, festive wreath and save the rest of the decor for inside. 
• Use Perishables as Ornaments: If you see a Pinterest idea for Christmas tree ornaments made from oranges or any perishable food, back away. These crafts will only look and smell good for a couple of days. After that, you’ll just have pieces of rotting garbage hanging from your tree! 
• Break out the Plastic Lawn Ornaments: They look cheap and tacky; not to mention they will shoot your electric bill through the roof. Instead, keep it simple with just string lights or a set of metallic gold reindeer to dress up your yard.
• Decorate before Grey Cup: Whether you are a CFL fan or not, wait until the big game is over. Decorating too early can make the holiday season less memorable. Pick an evening where the entire family is available and decorate the tree and the house together. Let that day or evening be the kickoff to your Christmas season. It will be a memorable start to each season. Make it a holiday tradition.
• String Lights like a Griswold: Getting into the holiday spirit by stringing up lights all around the house is great, but don’t get carried away like Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! It may be pretty now, but you’ll regret it when you get that electric bill.
• Expect Perfection: Life sometimes goes awry. Ornaments can break, turkeys may be burnt, and wrapping paper might not work properly. If there’s one thing we know about the holidays, it’s that something will go wrong. That doesn’t mean you need to lose your head. Take a deep breath, relax, and drink some eggnog.
• Leave your Decorations up for Months: We love the holidays as much as the next person, but it’s just weird to see Christmas decorations on Valentine’s Day. Some families have a tradition of taking down Christmas decorations on New Year’s by making it another holiday! Nothing is better than family bonding time.
• Use Multiplug Adapters: Do not use Multiplug adapters, such as a 3 in 1 electric adapter. Use a quality power bar with surge protection. This is a safety feature that you will thank us for later.