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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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