History of Christmas Carols

Jingle Bells - Various / Golden Christmas FavEach of us has memories coming from Christmas songs that we treasure since our childhood. As children, we never question these things, we just listen to them and grow to love them. Legend tells that the first Christmas hymn would have been sang when Jesus is born. Can you imagine that it is well over 2,000 years ago? However, it is only during the 1200's that Saint Francis of Assisi made Christmas songs published in a language understandable and spoken by everyone rather than Latin.

As time has passed, there have been a lot of Christian leaders and parishioners who have make it common place to put on a show about Christmas and singing the carols have been a large part of the elaborate show. Christmas carols have been added to the American culture from every English speaking country, from England to Australia.

Back in 1447 when Johannes Gutenberg conceived the mechanical printing press, this allowed for things to be copied in a fairly short amount of time which meant that the words and lyrics to the Christmas carols could be copied again and again and distributed, which is what made Christmas carols become so popular.

Naturally, around this same time Christmas and Christianity were a very big part of everyone's life. Unfortunately, the year 1649, Cromwell abolished all Catholic customs in England, including Christmas. When in 1661 Charles II restored these traditions, singing carols became one of the most popular traditions.

The largest part of well known Christmas carols have been written from the mid-1700s to the early 1800s and are still popular today. For instance, Frederich Handel performed the well known "Messiah" for the first time at a charity event in 1742.

As for "Silent Night", it has been written in 1818 by the Austrian Joseph Mohr and its original title was "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht". The organ of his church had broken and he needed to write a song that could be accompanied by a guitar rather than this instrument and then, he wrote this marvellous Christmas carol.

Today, it is easy to create a carol: when the holiday season arrives, artists as well as Hollywood produce their Christmas hymn. But we still have a preference for the flavours and the sounds of the old Christmas songs. Every one of us tends to stick to traditions and while we might like new carols none of them could ever take the place of oldies like We Wish You a Merry Christmas or Jingle Bells. While the number of Christmas carols we listen to is very large, almost none of them is a new one.

So, this year, gather your family and friends around the tree and sing these beautiful carols; it is one of the greatest ways to celebrate the Christmas holiday.
For more information on Vintage Christmas Decorations And Ornaments, feel free to visit Christmas Time and receive a free Holiday Gifts Guide as well as a gift check list.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dominique_Halet

Creatively Decorating the Outside of the Home With Christmas Luminaries

Making simple tin can luminaries is a wonderful way of adding a cozy, homemade feeling to your outdoor area and are a great craft you can do yourself. Put them in groups scattered around the landscaping, on either side of the front door, or line a path or the walkway to the door for a truly festive touch.

The supplies you will need for making your own tin can luminaries are:

- Candles
- Cardboard
- Hammer
- Nail
- Newspaper
- Paint brush
- Pencil
- Tin cans
- Various Christmas cookie cutters such as a star, Christmas tree, and bell
- White paint

To make the luminaries:

1. First, wash the cans and remove the labels, then dry completely.

2. Paint the outside of all the cans with white paint, allowing it to dry thoroughly.

3. Apply two more coats, waiting between each for the paint to dry.

4. Next is time to add the shapes using the cookie cutter of your choice and the pencil to trace around the edges onto the front of a can. Choose shapes that are relatively simple, such as a Christmas tree, bell, or star for the best results, and add extra lines drawn freehand to signify snow if you like.

5. Stuff the cans as much as possible with newspaper and cardboard after tracing the designs in order to help them retain their shape while punching the holes through.

6. Now use the nail and hammer to punch holes through the cans, placing the nail's point directly on the penciled line before firmly tapping it with the hammer until you have broken completely through. For larger holes, keep tapping the nail through until it reaches its roundest and largest point. Alternately, for smaller holes, just let the very tip of the nail enter the tin. Try to space the holes evenly apart at regular intervals for the neatest results.

7. After finishing the holes, inspect the cans to see that there are no scratched areas where the paint will need to be touched up a bit.

8. After the touch-up coat has dried, place the candles inside your new luminaries using a long-tipped match to reach down in for lighting. Tea lights will burn out after only an hour, so choose larger votives to keep your decorations aglow for an entire winter's evening.

Start a new holiday tradition that everyone will come to love year after year and create a new luminary for each season, punching the new year into the can, or simply painting the number on the can's bottom. Now, your visitors will have no trouble at all finding their way to your home this Christmas Eve as your beautiful luminaries will be lighting their path.

Decorating with Holiday Ornaments began in 1500's

The definition of Christmas tree ornaments comes to us from the route word ornament which is defined as an accessory used to beautify, enrich, or improve the appearance or general effect of an object. To decorate a tree with a Christmas ornament is an adornment or embellishment. They are ornamental by nature and lend beauty or attractiveness to the Christmas trees.
German families adopted the custom of decorating a wooden pyramid with greenery and other objects in place of the Paradise tree. In Bavaria, Paradise was the term used for the Christmas tree for ornaments. In Latvia around 1510 a fir tree was decorated with roses which was associated with the Virgin Mary. In 1605 a tree in Strasbourg was brought in doors and decorated with paper roses, wafers, nuts, lighted candles, and sweets on trees. Later decorations included painted eggshells, cookies, and candies. Select here to view our Gingerbread Ornaments.

Until the mid 1800’s trees were decorated with edibles such as cookies, chains of popcorn, raisins, nuts, and pretzels. The tops of trees held flags, angels or stars. By the 19th century toys, bells, garlands and paper decorations were being included as decorations.
Germany provided the world with the bulk of its ornament production. Nuremberg in Bavaria produced metal decorations for export. Unique ornaments such as butterflies, stars, miniature musical instruments and icicles of silver foil were produced. Dresden and Leipzig Germany produced embossed paper or cardboard decorations known as Dresdens and angel hair. From the Thuringian mountains and Lauscha in Eastern Germany the creation of delicate blown glass ornaments began.

The Evolution of Christmas Ornaments

Things have come a long way since a Christmas ornament was likely to be just a ball hung by the window, or later on a Christmas tree.

Historians believe that this original Christmas decoration descended from a witch ball. The original purpose of a witch ball was to fend off evil spirits. However, being traditionally glass made, these balls were also very decorative, and people started to see their use for decorating the home. They were great decorations, so they started to move around the house a bit, and the original green colour was varied as time went on.
Over the centuries, and gathering pace in the Victorian era, they were made in different colours and sizes, and even the material from which they were made started to be varied.

Also by Victorian times, it became fashionable to decorate the home for Christmas, so Christmas ornaments started to take a hold in Victorian homes. Less concerned about evil spirits, people looked at ornaments as a festive display, a symbol of celebration. Instead of warding off evil spirits, they started to accompany a surge in other spirits, most notably brandy and whisky.

From Victorian times onwards the range has increased steadily. The decorations have been hung in different places too: the mantle, windows, and front door being favourites, as well as the Christmas tree, but there is really no restriction where to hang Christmas ornaments these days. Inside, outside, it no longer seems to matter.

A lot of the increase in the use of Christmas decorations has come from the desire to impress friends, neighbours and family with the decorative display, as well, of course, for one's own enjoyment.

The Christmas ball that was supposed to have been derived from the witch ball, is still a clear favourite of the Christmas ornaments used to decorate the Christmas tree. Over the years Christmas tree balls have been designed in a great variety of colours and finish, with an increasing variety of sparkling balls.

Another favourite for Christmas decorations nowadays are the coloured fairy lights. Flashing coloured lights are often a feature of outside Christmas ornament displays, as well as for the tree and other places inside the house.

It also became quite normal in the 20th century to hang a new type of Christmas ornament on a tree; some sort of food, especially chocolate, that would be covered with a colourful, shiny paper wrapping to add a festive decorative effect. On top of the Christmas tree, a fairy has been a popular adornment over the years, but that has been changing in recent decades, and other Christmas ornaments often now take pride of place at the pinnacle.f

As with so many things over the last hundred years, Christmas decorations have just got bigger and better, as well as with a greater variety. Now, in some localities, you will get local communities where house owners go to great lengths to decorate the outside of their homes with giant Christmas ornaments and lighting displays. Some such localities become well known simply for their Christmas display. Even here in the Philippines, some localities become well known in the Christmas season for their exuberant Christmas ornament displays.

For most of us, however, Christmas ornaments are about decorating our own little piece of territory to make Christmas a special occasion for the family, and it is unlikely that that will ever change.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Thomsitt

Christmas Decorations Start at Your Front Door

Christmas decorations start at your front door. Just like a wonderful book it starts with a great cover as an introduction. Eye appeal is part of creating the whole picture. There are plenty of ways to do it sometimes you will see a door that looks just like a huge gift. Others use a wreath to garnish their home. So walking up the walkway lined with candy canes lead to the presenter of the home with a beautiful decorated door.

It is just your preference what you would like to do. Your typical door welcome can be removed and replaced with one that says Happy Holidays. You can skip your door bell if you have a knocker installed with jingle bells. The sky is the limit when it comes to decorating. Use your imagination and add your special touch. You can surround the door with garland that is pretty during the day and lit up at night. If your child has colored a pretty picture, add it as a focus point to share with others. Children love the recognition, we all know the refrigerator is an art magnet.

Tiny trees are great around the front door on your porch or deck. This will complete the welcome at the door. Taking a few simple and easy steps with Christmas Decorations can make your home glow with the Holiday Spirit. Use extra Christmas Decorations and your childrens Holiday pictures to create a unique entry to your home. These simple steps will greet your friends, relatives and visitors when entering your home and get them in the Holiday Spirit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Greer

Holiday Decorating - Create an Old Fashioned Christmas With Your Kids

These days, it seems like Christmas has become very commercial. Remember the days of yesterday years by creating an old fashioned Christmas decorating theme that your children can help with. It is easy to do when you implement some of the simple ideas in this article.

Make a Christmas ball decorating from old Christmas cards.

Use one size glass to trace circles onto twenty different Christmas cards. Have your children help you cut the circles from each card. Next, cut out an equilateral triangle out of cardboard that fits within the circle. On the back of each Christmas card circle, use a pencil and trace the triangle onto the card. Fold the three edges created by the triangle outward towards the front of the card. This will leave you with three flaps on each circle. With a low temp glue gun, attach five circles together by gluing the backs of the flaps together on two sides, triangle points to the center, completing the ball top by gluing the first circle to the fifth. Glue an additional circle to the bottom flaps of each of the original five circles, creating a sphere. Set aside and repeat for the remaining ten circles. Glue the two then circle clusters together at open flaps to create the finished sphere. Add a string or holiday ribbon to hang your ball and adorn with glitter or bells to finish.

Create a lovely tree garland from strung popcorn.

Make a large bowl of popcorn and let it cool. Take a needle and thread and string the popcorn onto the thread by pushing the needle through the popcorn. Do not cut your thread until you push the popcorn down the length and decide how long you would like your garland. Tie off your end with a large knot and continue stringing the popcorn until your thread is full. Tie off the last end and carefully place the popcorn on your tree.

Buy Styrofoam Christmas decorations and add glitter.

You can purchase Styrofoam trees, sleighs, reindeer and more at your local craft shop. Help your children decorate the Christmas items with glue, glitter or sequins. Use the newly decorated holiday ornaments on your tree or on your tables.

Make a candy Christmas tree.

Take a Styrofoam Christmas tree and cover it with red and white peppermints. It is best to use the candy that is individually wrapped and then you can glue the top of the wrapper to the tree and overlap the candies. This way, when you take the tree apart, the candy could still be eaten safely. Make a bow and pin or glue it to the top of the tree.

Create paper snowflakes out of white paper.

You need to start with a square of white paper. Fold the paper in half twice, forming a smaller square. Next, fold the smaller square corner to corner to form a triangle. Make different size cut outs on all sides and then open the snowflake to see what you have created. Next, attach a string or thread to the snowflake for hanging. You can use these to decorate your tree, hang in windows or hang from your ceiling.

Gather pine cones and make a holiday arrangement.

After you gather your pine cones, you might want to spray some with a false snow flocking to make it appear like snow is on them. Display your pine cones in a glass bowl, jar or vase. Add holiday greens around the base along with a Christmas bow to finish off your arrangement.

Make single stem flower holders from Christmas balls.

Remove the metal hanger and tops from a Christmas ball. Use a file and lightly file down the rough edges of the stem of the ball. Fill your Christmas ball with water and put it in a small clay or ceramic pot. You should paint your pot to match your Christmas decorations unless you have purchased a festive pot. Next, add a single rose, tulip or poinsettia stem to each Christmas ball. This makes a very elegant Christmas floral vase.

Use deep stemware or ice tea glasses with candy canes as table decorations.

Simply hang small candy canes around the perimeter of the glass, with the main stem of the candy cane inside the glass.

Turn a picture frame into a wonderful holiday decoration with the help of your child.

Staple holiday ribbon of your choice on to the back of the picture frame and then drape the ribbons over the front of the picture frame. Next, cut out your favorite holiday scenes from Christmas cards and glue them to the ribbon. Any of these holiday decorating ideas, or even all of them, make great inexpensive alternatives that will help you bring an old fashioned Christmas theme into your home this holiday season.

And, if you've enjoyed this article and would like more helpful home decorating tricks and resources, try visiting http://www.wallpaperhomedecorating.com

Make sure to sign up for the free monthly newsletter that is jam packed with white hot design ideas and the occasional cash saving offer. Look for the opt-in box in the right menu bar.

From Tammy Billings, the Wallpaper Home Decorating Blog Author, Interior Designer and Owner of http://www.USAwallpaper.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tammy_Billings

Christmas Decorations and Ornaments

Christmas Decorating began in the 1500's. Christmas Ornaments on trees first began in Germany. In Latvia around 1510 a fir tree (which is a traditional Christmas Tree still today) was decorated with ornaments of roses. Then they began to use wafers, nuts, and candles. Also Christmas ornaments of cookies and candy were being used and they are still used today. Mothers and children get together and bake the cookies and candy and decorate them to hang on the Christmas Tree. Some families make this a tradition every Christmas. In earlier years there were also painted ornaments made of wood and late with blown glass.

To this day the most beautiful Christmas ornaments come from Germany. Many ornaments have a story behind them and are passed down from generation to generation. Christmas ornaments hold many beautiful memories for families. The ornaments hold a roadmap of memories for all families.
The Christmas holiday is celebrated all over the world. It is the birth of Jesus Christ. The stories come from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The nativity sets, which almost every home has and displays, is a replica of at the place where Jesus was born. Again the most beautiful nativity sets are made in Germany. They are called nativity creches. Finland has Santa Claus. Russia has traditional handmade Christmas ornaments whereas Germany has Christmas markets. Christmas is the time of the year when families get together and exchange gifts, cards and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and families pray together and share memories of the past. There is also arrival of Father Christmas (Santa Claus) on Christmas Eve

Christmas Day is on December 25. It is preceded by Christmas Eve on December 24, and in is followed by Boxing Day on December 26.

It is also a tradition to decorate outside of the houses, hang banner on street lights and some houses display Christmas villages also.
When one thinks of the Christmas holidays our thoughts turn to the birth of Jesus. also we think of mistletoe, ivy. holly, snow covered hills, carolers, ringing bells and beautiful decorated homes. Ivy, mistletoe and holly and ivy are winters magic to admire. Christmas time with all the decorations and happy memories help to brighten up the cold days of winter and bring a feeling of warmth to everyone.

Mistletoe is always very popular at Christmas time. It is called the kissing plant. It is hung in doorways and anyone standing under it will be kissed. This tradition comes from the Norse Myths. Also in some European countries it is believed to have healing powers and is used year around for this purpose.

Holly another popular green at Christmas is believed to have magical powers. Germans consider holly to be a good luck charm against hostels enemies. As the Christmas season has grown over the centuries, food has become important. Batches of cookies, candies and sugared fruit are prepared several weeks in advance being brought out on Christmas Day.

Today as centuries ago people still decorate with holly, mistletoe, ivy, and namy lights. Children enjoy stringing popcorn and cranberries, baking cookies, using colored ribbons, paper stars and any colorful materials for decorating the tree on Christmas. But one never forgets the beautiful ornaments that come from all over the world. Many families buy one new ornaments each year and these are passed on from generation to generation. Holiday decorating is still popular today as it was hundreds of years ago and always will be.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hayi_Mansoor

Great Ideas for Christmas Decorations

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. It’s a season where happiness, generosity, peace, and kind feelings abound. It is also a time when everyone is thinking of new ideas for Christmas decorations for their home and yard. I always enjoy putting up decorations for special occasions like Christmas.

If you want to have new ideas for your decorations, you should visit the mall right after Thanksgiving. Their lavish displays can help inspire you with new ideas for Christmas decorations. You can also go to a production of the Nutcracker Suite to get into the holiday spirit. Many theaters in large cities sell unusual, Nutcracker-themed Christmas decorations in their gift shop.

My favorite decoration project during the Christmas season is outside lighting. I am fond of weaving strings of lights around railings of my porch. If your apartment has no porch or balcony, you can use a staple gun to dress your windows from the inside.

Some communities have whole neighborhoods participating in blocks of Christmas decorations and light displays. If you have the opportunity, you can visit one for inspiration.

The Nativity is a common theme of many Christmas decorations. Placing an oval-shaped mirror beneath can bring this display to life. There may be places in your home where this might be shown to best advantage. Your coffee table, mantel, and entry hall are good locations.

You can also explore the dried flower aisles of a nearby craft store to find possible materials for your Christmas decorations. You'll find many combinations of colors and textures to make festive vase displays in each room of your home.

Craft stores also sell many types of wreath bases for your Christmas decorations. Many craft stores have handouts with pictures and instructions of decorations you can make with their products.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Christmas Decorations. Visit our site for more helpful information about Christmas Decorations and other similar topics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Morgan_Hamilton

Time-Saving Christmas Ornament Storage Tips

Every year we accumulate more and more Christmas ornaments. Sometimes we get them as gifts and sometimes we buy them. Once we had children we began the annual tradition of making ornaments to commemorate the events of that year. As we unpack the ornaments and add them and the new ornaments to the tree, we stand back and admire the beauty of the tree.

At the end of the season, we are always amazed to find our ornament collection appears to have increased astronomically. We can't get them back into the same boxes we had used the year before, thus leading to another annual tradition: searching for the perfect Christmas ornament storage solution.

You can buy ornament boxes that help make storing your ornaments easy and also help protect the ornaments. Buy plenty of boxes because most fragile and special ornaments need plenty of space if you want to avoid breaking or damaging them.

What we have decided is that, the easiest way to start with ornament storage is by packing all of the fragile items together and storing them in a safe place so we don't have to worry about them ending up at the bottom of a bunch of heavy boxes.

We also suggest that, if you have more than one tree, that you purchase Christmas ornament storage boxes for each tree and label them accordingly. That way, if you are in a hurry and can only get one tree done you don't waste time searching for the ornaments that go with that particular tree.

One final tip: Don't forget to label all of your storage boxes clearly with location and type of ornament. Labeling only takes a minute and will make finding, using, and packing away your ornaments next year a lot easier. Of course, Christmas ornament storage is just half the battle. Now you have to think about Christmas storage for all of your other Christmas decorations.

Are you spending too much time packing away your Christmas decorations? I was too, until I took some time to explore my options. If you want to know what I learned about Christmas storage, head over to my blog at http://www.AlmostChristmas.info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anya_Richfield

Fresh Ideas for Outdoor Christmas Decorations

People often go for tours to other places to spend their Christmas vacation. The main reason their tour is sometimes to see the extravagantly decorated houses and shops of people during this season. The decoration includes sparkling lights, illuminated in green, colored lawns and Santa Claus, animated train sets, and last but not the least, a beautiful Christmas tree, whether real or artificial.

The decoration of a normal lawn in winter can turn it into a wonderland which may have in it a jolly snowman or the sight of a reindeer that merrily runs on the freshly fallen snow. A well decorated Christmas tree brings joy and happiness to people and the surroundings as well. Also, a beautifully organized house, both indoors and outdoors, is a great environment in which to spend the Christmas season, and to leave an impression on friends and family as well as yourself.

So what can you do to make your Christmas decor better? Given below are few suggestions to help you out in your Christmas plans of outdoor decoration, thus making the normal surroundings appear bright and full of life, all geared up for a celebration of the family.

Decorations for outdoors at Christmas are available in various sizes, styles and types, with or without lights. Once you venture out to shop for these, you will find that there is a huge variety of styles to make a selection from. But make sure that the decoration is not overdone, which will make it look quite tacky. So the important thing is to get a proper balance of decorations which gives out the feeling of the spirit of the festive season ahead. The actual challenge lies in the selection of proper ornaments outdoor which would gel well with the neighborhood and surroundings.

Most common and attractive outdoor decorations are the ones having animation like a scene of Christmas where St. Nicholas waves to people on a cart drawn by reindeer on the snow. Some other decorations in the market include a snowman that is ever-smiling, and there are always lots of pre-lit Santas to choose from. Also popular are holographic decorations for the lawn, such as like Snoopy or the Charlie Brown, Snowman, Holly or a Bell, Santa Claus, or a 3-dimensional Christmas tree placed in your lawn.

The outside of the house can be made to look alive and bright with proper decoration, but if you are going for an elegant but an attractive look, here are some suggestions you will need to follow:

Stick to one theme, and do not try to mix various themes. This will help in giving an interesting look to the outside of your house. So a flashy kind of decoration should not be combined with something light. Then, if you choose a nativity scene, opt for conventional characters to make it look simple and lovable. If you go for a modern theme, get hold of the newest decors available in the market to reduce the chances of clashing with neighbors' choices. A greeting message at your front gate or door is always a warm Christmas welcome.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roy_Thomsitt

Outdoor Christmas Decorations - 6 Things to Consider When Decorating Your Lawn This Holiday Season

It is that time of year again to pull out the old outdoor Christmas decorations and decide what to do this year. You may want to toss several lights and lawn ornaments that have become outdated or pretty run down looking. Now what do you do? Here are some things to consider as you decide how your front lawn will look this holiday season.

1) Choose a Theme

It is better to have a few related outdoor Christmas decorations than many unrelated items. Decide if you want to go modern or traditional. Bright Christmas colors with Santa or a more subdued look with a nativity scene. It is important that you do not mix themes. Santa and a nativity scene together on your front lawn is not a good choice.

Keep in mind what your closest neighbors are doing. If neighbors seem interested in having their Christmas lights visible from outer space, perhaps you should take the high road and create a subtle, but extraordinary display. Consider using all one color so as not to clash with the holiday kaleidoscope surrounding you.

2) Determine the Lights you want to use.

Mini lights are lower voltage, sparkle, and come in many colors. Mini lights come in a variety of prices. Beware of cheap sets because they will not last as long and could have the whole string go out if one bulb goes out. These lights also come in LED.

C7 or C9 lights are the traditional lights. Their large size makes them easily visible and bright. When a bulb goes out the string will always stay lit. C7 bulbs are just over 2 inches, while C9 bulbs are just over 3 inches long. These lights also come in LED.

Icicle lights are a very popular light set to hang from your roof. They are usually available in both multi and clear.

Net lights are great for bushes and trees. These are a mini light that usually come in multi or clear lights and green or white wire.

Rope lights are a great alternative if you are tired of untangling strings of lights. Most rope lights are about 18 feet long and come equipped with mounting clips and cable ties for easy hanging. Rope come in all colors imaginable.

Moravian lights, Starlight Sphere and various other design lights can also be a nice addition to your Christmas outdoor decorations

3) Determine what Outdoor Christmas Lawn Ornaments you will use

Inflatable lawn ornaments are increasingly popular and much easier to store than more traditional large yard decorations. Due to their large size you will want to use these sparingly, even a large lawn is better off with only one.

Holographic Christmas decoration are nice because during the day the holographic design add Christmas cheer to your outdoor decorations. At night lights will bring these decorations to life. Very often there are in Disney or Peanuts animated characters, in additional to the traditional Designs.

Sculptured Illuminated Decorations are designs made out of rope lights. These can be found in a multiple of classic designs including reindeer, Santa, and nativity scenes

Outdoor Topiary is a great subtle addition to a traditional theme or design that focuses less on color and more on a natural setting.

4) Put a Plan together

When planning keep in mind that less is better than more. You want to convey the spirit of the Holidays with out having your lawn looking like a miniature theme park.

Sit down and plan out your design. Draw a rough sketch of your home and yard and draw in where you would like to place your lawn decorations. Planning will allow you to put up your Christmas Outdoor Decorations up more quickly when the time comes and also create a better overall design.

5) Determine the Number of Lights you need.

Check the lights you already have to be sure all your strings are working. Plug in the strings and check for bulbs that no longer light. You can easily replace bulbs. Aside from checking bulbs, you should also check the wires. Finding frayed or exposed wires means that it is time to for you to buy new lights.

Decide how many feet you will need to light up all the areas you would like to decorate, such as your doorways, windows and roof line. Do not forget to include measurements for width and length.

6) Make sure you have Everything you Need for putting up your Decorations

Extra light bulbs for lights that may have burned out or will during the next month or so. It is always good to have a supply on hand

Gutter hooks are needed and sometimes you will need more that what is provided with the sets or some may have disappeared from last year

Wireless Remote control power switch or outdoor timers are excellent tools. They enable your lights to go on or off with out having to go out side. A very worth while purchase

Several extension cords are usually needed to connect all your lights and decorations together. Make sure that the ones you use are sturdy and safe for outdoor use

Connectors are sometimes unavoidable if one outdoor Christmas lighting string is not enough for a specific area. You should make sure though that your connectors are not too exposed and are kept away from wet areas. You can put electrical tape around the connecting line for extra precaution.

Some Final tips to Consider before you go Shopping

Do not deviate from your plan and theme when you go shopping. It is very easy for you to get carried away when shopping for outdoor decorations so decide what you are doing, stick to your plan and do not deviate! When you see something you like that is not related to your theme or plan-DO NOT BUY IT!

Whatever you buy for your outdoor Christmas decorations, remember that you have to find a place to store them for the next eleven months.

Price does matter. Fire incidents have happened due to cheap but faulty Christmas lights. You can avoid getting these sub standard products by choosing local government standard approved products. Standard outdoor Christmas lighting may be a little more expensive but avoids the potential fire hazard

ENJOY PUTTING YOUR OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS UP THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leslee_Masoero

Christmas Decorations Bring Fantasy to Life

Christmas decorations bring fantasy to life. Your yard starts as a beautiful green carpet. Then you add Santa and his sleigh, or Santa in a huge snow filled ball. Bring in the lights with deer to roam and you have a wonderland in your front yard.

When the snow comes your decorations are in their glory with the wonder of the natural snow. The trees bow to the weight of the snow and add calmness to the scene. For those in the north the snow is an added charm to the decorations that the people in the south usually do without.

Adding your Santa inside that talks and sings is a great entertainment for the little kids. They love talking and singing with him even though hes not the real deal. They are still happy to be reminded of Christmas glee. The season is one for the little ones that are still believers and we as adults make it as real as we can. We have just as much fun getting the stage set for their delights.

We loved believing in Santa and its great to pass the fantasy to the next generation. What brings back the memories to us? Santa was a special guy at your favorite store that wanted to listen to our list and send us off with a small candy cane. When we look at our photos that were taken, we wonder why we were pitching a tantrum.

Remember when creating your winter wonderland, you are creating memories that will last forever in your children's lives. This all leads up to the special day when the presents are opened. We have kept the magic of Santa alive for another year.

The magic of Christmas starts with the Christmas Decorations that are set up in your yard and in your home. After Thanksgiving is a special time to get your decorating started leading to the big event.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Greer

Why are outdoor Christmas Decorations fun?

Decorating outdoors can be done many different ways. The choices in outdoor Christmas decorations are overwhelming and you can see this in many people's outdoor displays. When it comes to decorating outside, sometimes you need to remember that less is more.

For example, you will be overdressed if you wear your formal gown along with seven diamond bracelets and four diamond necklaces. In much the same way, you want to refrain from overdoing your yard during Christmas. Showing your Christmas spirit is great, but too many Christmas decorations can possibly detract from your outdoor decoration.

It begins to be a problem when you start picking and choosing among all of the different choices available. It is best to have a few related outdoor Christmas decorations than many unrelated items, because it makes the whole yard look uncluttered and too busy.

I have seen yards with revolving reindeer, Santa, his sleigh, lighted palm trees, icicle lighting, and even several of those blow-up decorations. This yard was overshadowed by all of these outdoor decorations and ended up looking busy and disturbing, rather than giving you that Christmas spirit.

You may want to jump into your decorating with both feet, but with outdoor Christmas decorations it is best to refrain. You can use restraint in your outdoor Christmas decorations choices and help to make your yard festive, without turning it into the brightest spot in the neighborhood.

To help yourself stay on track it is best to choose a theme and then stay with it. You don't want to put the Grinch on top of a manger scene. If you choose the nativity as your theme then choose traditional decorations over the characters. It will make the yard more cohesive and more interesting to your friends and family.

Another thing to remember is that just because you have a certain decoration does not mean that you have to use it every year. You may love the Nutcracker fiber optic Christmas decoration that you have, but you want to do your yard in a more traditional nativity theme. You can just not use the Nutcracker set this year and save it for another Christmas.

It is very exciting to decorate for the Christmas season. It can be difficult to tone it down because all of the decorations are so fun and interesting to look at, but you need to keep it simple. Keep in mind that the people passing your home only have a couple of seconds to see your entire yard. Simpler is better, especially when we are discussing outdoor Christmas decorations.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Caxton

Homemade Christmas Decoration Ideas

If you own a collection of picture frames, you can easily turn your Christmas picture or drawing to a framed work of art; a work of art that may look good show in your bathroom, the living room , Or even the entrance to your home.

While this may be a little bit difficult to do, you can also create your own Christmas tree decorating by using things that you have in your home. This can be good, especially if you have children. In a small piece of construction paper, scissors, tape, or Staples, you or your child can create your own Christmas tree decorations. Disruption of construction paper in small strips and then connecting it to the Circles, with links, is a good substitute for Christmas lights or garland. You and your children can also make your own Christmas ornaments in a similar fashion.

In addition to making your own Christmas decorations, have a good chance that you may already have Christmas decorations inside your home, from the previous year. If this is the case, you may want to think about using the same Christmas decorations again. If you want to spice up things a bit, you can easily adjust the decorating and how they are displayed in your home to prevent them from searching for similar before. You may also want to change the decorations that you have. You can easily do this by adding a Christmas bow on a wreath and so on.

Why spend money on new Christmas decorations if you do not have that, especially if you do not have extra money to spend? By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you can easily save your money for something better, such as your Christmas dinner or Christmas gifts for your friends and family.

Decorate your home for Christmas, original ideas:
http://www.1recommended.com/homechristmas/

Create your own Christmas gifts:
http://www.1recommended.com/christmas/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elhusseiny_Shahin

Christmas Outdoor Decorations

Its not normal for any Christmas festivities to pass you by without putting any decorations, especially outdoor Christmas decorations, nothing quite brings mood home like outdoor Christmas decorations. Outdoor Christmas decorations are very famous and are the most sought after decorations compared to other types of decorations. By letting your yard to shimmer with some of these amazing decorations is just amazing. Right now at a time like this people can't seem to hold their breaths any longer, for many the rush to buy of any of the left amazing outdoor Christmas decorations has already began, and its very easy to be left out.

A shopping advice to you if you happen to be a decoration enthusiast just like me. Fact is if you really want to secure your outdoor Christmas decorations in time why not shop early, or even better why not shop early and shop online while you are at it. Shopping early will enable you get the amazing stuff before they sell out, and believe me they will especially by mid December.

Shopping online too has its advantages and it includes not having to queue plus not having to rush in order to get hold of favorite piece of outdoor decoration before it sells out, plus shopping online will enable you to get great prices and discounts for your outdoor decorations. So heed my advice do as i say shop in advance and try shop online and i assure you are going to be on the safe side.

So what are the amazing outdoor Christmas decorations that might cause quite a stir this Christmas.

First there is the waving Santa they come in inflatable or lighted version any would do plus there is also the shinning or in our case the lighted Star and the hanging wreath, and many more you will soon find out on my blog. Its amazing how simple outdoor decorations are able to rekindle the holiday spirit. Regardless of your budget this Christmas you can't afford to miss out on decorating your yard with some amazing outdoor Christmas decorations. All in all shop wise and don't stretch way beyond your means and merry Christmas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Hennry

Italian Christmas Decoration Explained

If you are interested in learning about the various types of Italian Christmas decorations, you have come to the right spot! Perhaps an Italian relative is coming to visit you during the holidays, or maybe you want to purchase some nice decorations that are Italian based for a relative of this descent.

Regardless of why you want to learn about decorations that are common among the Italians, it is important that you take the time that you can to learn as much as you can on the subject as Christmas draws near. Here, you will learn about the common Italian Christmas decorations.

Christmas lights and Christmas trees are common in Italy, just like in the United States. As a matter of fact, in Monte Ingino, one of the largest Christmas trees in the world is exhibited, hosting a number of sensational light decorations. This particular tree was measured to be about eight hundred meters in height, and is said to host approximately five hundred different types of light decorations.

Typically, it is lit on the night just before the "Immaculate Conception" feast. This feast takes place on the eighth day of December, and the tree is introduced to the people of the area on the seventh day of December.

The basic nativity scene is another popular type of Italian accepted Christmas decoration. All throughout Italy, a large number of nativity scenes consisting of both plastic, resin, and other types of statues as well as live actors and actresses are displayed. There is a large emphasis placed on the pure and perfect conception of Mary with Jesus right around the time of Christmas.

If you are looking for Italian Christmas decorations, anything that displays Christmas trees, Christmas lights, and even the nativity scene are sure to be welcomed by any person who is Italian, or any individual that lives in Italy.

Father Christmas and torchlight ceremonies are often considered to be quite popular when it comes to individuals living in Italy, as well as those that are Italian in the United States. If you are looking to purchase ornaments and other types of decorations that are reflective of the Italian heritage, you may consider those that accurately reflect the "Father Christmas" that they tend to take a liking to, or even the decorations that reflect the symbolism of the ever-popular torchlight ceremonies that occur all around Italy in the Christmas holiday season. There you have it! The most common Italian Christmas decorations explained.

Christmas Tree Lights

Candles used to be used as Christmas lights on Christmas trees. Buckets of water were often placed by the tree in case of fire. Using real candles for decorating became a real fire hazard. The invention of the electric light changed the way we decorated. Soon strings of lights replaced candles. Today, however, battery operated lights and candles have become popular. They tend to be a bit more expensive, but as time goes on, the prices will drop. They are also much more safe to use than real candles. You can string them in your tree or use the battery candle sticks. Many churches now use flameless battery candles in their church services because of the ease of using them. There is no fire hazard and they are easy to store.

Christmas Cheer a Christmas poem by Thomas Tusser

Good husband and housewife, now chiefly be glad,
Things handsome to have, as they ought to be had.
They both do provide, against Christmas do come,
To welcome their neighbors, good cheer to have some.

Good bread and good drink, a good fire in the hall,
Brawn, pudding, and souse, and good mustard withal.
Beef, mutton, and pork, and good pies of the best,
Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well drest,
Cheese, apples and nuts, and good carols to hear,
As then in the country is counted good cheer.

What cost to good husband, is any of this?
Good household provision only it is:
Of other the like, I do leave out a many,
That costeth the husband never a penny.