Share & Win Holiday Decorations for the Home

My tip is to hang xmas balls w/ string or thread around your windows at different lenghts

I love the smell of cinnamon in the winter. We have a huge pine tree in the back yard that drops hundreds of pine cones. My kids and I gather pine cones and put cinnamon oil on them and make them into wreaths and hide them in places so the whole house smells good.

My holiday decorating secret is I start very early I do my shopping in September through the week before Thanksgiving picking out only the best deals !!! I wrap everything before Thanksgiving as well then I decorate my home for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving so my family can enjoy cooking and shopping for the holiday STRESS FREE !!!!! :)

I love going on walks in the fall to gather pinecones, acorns, and other beauties from nature. I place these items in glass jars and bowls of varying heights and sizes and use these on my mantel. I get so many complements every year! I find that simple is easier and is beautiful to look at!

For an easy centerpiece I go outside and gather some pinecones and decorate the table with small pumpkins and pinecones. It is a great arrangement and easy to do.

Ever since I moved into my ranch condo in 2007 I have kept it simple and used the same decorations sometimes adding something new. I use large red velvet bows on my front porch light and the garage light and also in my 6 foot silk tree in the dining room. I set out my red poinsettia plant which I purchased at Michaels on the floor by the TV. I arranged red poinsettias in a bud vase and added a gold bow which I made. It all looks lovely and makes me smile as I survey it from my recliner.

Okay...this is not an original. I stole this idea. But it will go over wonderfully at anyone's gathering. When you use place settings, as you are writing the persons name on the setting, write down something about that person on their place card setting. You are to write something such as a blessing that the person has brought to your life or a memory of them that has caused them to be such a presence in your life. It will make you and your guest feel great. And it makes for great conversation.

I can do any decorating change each year as long as I put out this old, worn, thirty plus year old count the days calendar. The kids would go crazy to see who got to move the mouse to the next day. Find the game, special holiday toy or holiday decoration that brings back memories of holidays of the past. It doesn't matter what kind of condition it is in, or if doesn't make sense to an outsider. It's that look on the child's face when he sees it and he remembers past holidays that makes it worth saving through the years.

A simple homemade Christmas, country style is my favorite.

I llike to go to local craft stores to get general ideas. I do not like the decorations that everyone else has. I either make my own out of stuff from craft stores or use stuff that I find when my family walks outside. I like to use alot of natural elements in my decorating. They become one of a kind.

I usually get in the holiday spirit right before Thanksgiving. I find inspiration from magazines, like Living, Better Homes and Gardens and Country Living. I then head on out to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and spend tooooo much on decorations. Every year we add more and more decorations to our home.

My theme is simple and comfortable. If I like it and it makes me feel warm and cozy, I use it. I use a lot of live greens around the holidays. I love the smell and I find it so welcoming. My tip is this, use a lot of fesh greens and be sure to spritz with a little sugar water every couple of days. It keeps it vibrant and alive through the holiday season. And to add to that tip, if you use live greens, when they are lifeless and dry you can use them to make great little satchets to enjoy the rest of the year.

Float fresh cranberries in a pretty bow half filled with water, then add candles. It is pretty and easy. Will last several days.

I have always been a big time decorator when it comes to the holidays. For Thanksgiving I start with a traditional cornicopia set up on the table with fruit, nuts and indian corn. I pin up a garland made of pressed and waxed fall leaves down the stair case and make a wreath for the door as well out of various fall related items. Each year its a bit different as I gather things from nature during this season. Only after Thanksgiving do I begin to decorate for Christmas. Each day I put up another item so that by Christmas eve the house looks like a festive winter wonderland. When I was younger I blew glass and made dozens of glass icicles that I hang from the tree, garland, and wreaths that reflect all the lights around the house. And of course my pride and joy is my Nativity Scene sitting right next to the Christmas tree so that we are all always reminded of what this holiday is truly about.

For a quick table decoration, core apples and place a small candle in the core. When the candles are lighted, the apples smell wonderful.