By Shellie Gardner

25 Things to Use for Christmas Decorating

It's that time of year again! Doesn't it feel as though you've blinked and it's once again time to haul out the strings of lights, the pretty Christmas bulbs and ornaments, and the holiday displays?

Perhaps you are tired of your traditional Christmas decor or would simply like to try your hand at decorating a few more rooms of the house.

We have 25 fantastic suggestions for sprucing up your holiday decor this year.

1. Wreaths are a traditional decoration for Christmas, but the style of wreaths available today for the holidays are anything but traditional. Pine cones, pine boughs, and grapevines are all excellent foundations for Christmas wreaths. Decorate your wreath with birds, poinsettia blooms, berries, mini Christmas ornaments or bulbs and lights.

2. Battery-operated Christmas lights are ideal for hanging wreaths in any area of the home and avoiding unsightly electrical cords trailing down the wall. (Especially the new LED style of lights that last longer than traditional battery operated lights.)

3. Are you really creative? Create a Christmas wreath from past holiday-themed neckties, linen napkins, or even mismatched Christmas ornaments and ribbon for a look that is uniquely yours.

4. What is Christmas decorating without a Christmas tree? Most homes feature at the very least a large tree in a central location of the home, such as the living room, dining room, or den. Consider adding smaller Christmas trees in different areas of the house to bring cheer to every room. Older children would love to have a small tree in their room to enjoy throughout the holiday months. Christmas lights come in every size, shape, and color imaginable today, so get creative and have fun when choosing the lights for your tree this year.

5. Outdoor Christmas displays are fun to create and they're enjoyed by not only your neighbors, but by the people who purposely go searching for holiday displays on a cold winter evening. Simple displays such as a Nativity scene and a few angels are always a lovely addition to your holiday decorating plan. Want to go all out? Create a winter wonderland in your front yard complete with Santa's sleigh, reindeer, snowmen, and snowflakes. Decorate your home, trees, and shrubs too using net lights, rope lights, icicle lights, C7 and C9 lights to add holiday cheer to the outside of your home.

Here are some other great ideas for decorating your home for Christmas.

6. Pine cones - fantastic nestled in pine boughs on windowsills, in bay windows, or lining the fireplace mantel
7. Holly berries/bittersweet - windowsills, nestled in the grapevine tree or wreath, on the mantel or around the base of a large pillar candle in the middle of the holiday table
8. Mistletoe - every doorway, of course! Real or fake - go for it.
9. Christmas quilts - pull out your beautiful Christmas quilts and place them in a basket beside the fireplace, over the back of your rocking chair, on table tops, and other prominent places in the house
10. Christmas table runners, tablecloths, napkins - wonderful for decorating the holiday table, small foyer tables, bedside tables, buffets, hutches, and sideboards
11. Christmas centerpieces - dining room, buffet, entertainment center, den
12. Lights of every kind, shape, size, and color - wreaths, centerpieces, doorways, holiday trees, windows, child's bedroom, fireplace mantel, Nativity scene, and anywhere else that seems to strike your fancy (don't forget the garage and garden shed!)
13. Garland - strung around the banister, doorways, and tops of large windows
14. Bows - on the Christmas tree, along the fence, on the front door, or the garage door to name a few options
15. Candles - on the fireplace mantel, the dining room sideboard, master bedroom, den, in each window, and in the foyer
16. Homemade ornaments
17. Christmas cards
18. Popcorn strings/cranberry strings
19. Ribbons with sleigh bells attached and adorning the banister
20. Christmas wrapping paper - cover your every day artwork with Christmas wrap for instant holiday cheer in any room
21. Nativity scene
22. Advent wreath and calendar (have you seen the new Lego advent calendars?)
23. Grapevine trees with twinkle lights - on the porch, in a sunroom, in the 4-season porch, large bathrooms, or in a bedroom.
24. Holiday villages - if you haven't started to collect a holiday village set, consider purchasing a few pieces in a set each year and watch it grow.
25. Trains and train tracks - surround the Christmas tree or put it around the perimeter of a room for visual interest.
26. Decorate your front porch, patio, balcony or deck with lights, garland, and red bows
27. Lighted Christmas signs

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, filled with family, friends, and delicious goodies. Holiday decorating can be a fun activity for the entire family when you think outside the traditional ways you've decorated in years past. In our fast paced world take on the challenge to build some memories with your family that will last.




Shellie Gardner is the owner of Christmas Light source, a great place to find Christmas Lights. Christmas Light Source is a one stop shopping website for all your Christmas lighting needs. From hardware to lights and everything in between, they have everything for holiday lighting decor as well as tips, tricks and do it yourself projects.