This year, 2020, has been a remarkable year in many ways. Ravaged by a worldwide pandemic that killed millions, it also saw beautiful stories of strength, love and kindness throughout. Festivals and events across the world were cancelled or celebrated low key. With social distancing and staying home being the norm, not being able to travel to meet friends and family or enjoy a good holiday has put a real dampener on the festivities.
Christmas is around the corner and while it is true that celebrating at your home, seeing your loved ones only virtually is really sad, but who says you cannot make it a bit bright and fun inside your house? You may be able to go quick-shopping this Christmas but if you are missing out on the fun of mall-hopping with your friends, we may just be able to help you. Part of having great fun during Christmas is everyone coming together to decorate the house and the tree. How can you still make it fun without the whole family together? By sharing and making do-it-yourself Christmas decorations for your house.
We are going to list a few things that you can share with your family and friends and virtually come together to bring in a beautiful and blessed Christmas. It’s the season, after all!
Follow a theme
Every year, when I am trying to figure out ideas to decorate my house for Christmas, I am lost on where to begin and how to choose things to decorate. What helps me is a theme. It can be a colour scheme like red and white or red-green-white or a look theme like old England with lots of wood, grey stone and faux snow.
From the entryway to your house to your living room and kitchen and finally the tree, a theme would make sure that it all falls in sync and looks cohesive. Start with a wreath on your doorway, using green leafy arrangement or wood shavings. Add balls in red or white, along with a few bells. Streamers and banners could be made or bought to match the theme. You can also cover your table with a cloth depending on the theme, while additionally add a few throw pillows on your couch in the colour of your theme.
Stringing tea lights in the shades of your theme is another good idea. If you are looking at an old England kind of vibe, light up some candles. Buy those long-stemmed ones or fat ones with great woody fragrances to bring the English countryside inside your home. Your tree decorations could follow a similar theme with Christmas baubles, stars, lights, snow etc., while your tree topper could be a simple star or something elaborate like a ceramic angel or Santa Claus. Follow the theme in your gifting paper, dinner table decor etc. to make it all come together.
Go the Green way
If you are not much into buying Christmas decorations, you can still decorate your home using your own garden plants and some household items. Tea lights are a common feature here that can be used to decorate your tree. Hang a few beautiful flowers on your tree, make baubles out of newspaper balls, colour and glitter, cut stars out of thermocol or cardboard, use a beautiful artefact or figurine as your tree topper, use scarves or sarees as banners and streamers on walls etc.
You can use the various plants to decorate your house by placing them creatively. Additionally, you can colour the planters in shades of Christmas colours to bring in the season. You can use flowers and leaves to build an organic wreath. Newspapers can be used to wrap gifts by painting them creatively.
A friend’s mother once used slices of dried fruit to decorate her Christmas tree. Another friend hung various vegetables and fruits to her Christmas tree. She had smeared a layer of glycerine on the fruits and vegetables for them to look shiny. You can also spray some edible glitter to bring out extra bling to your tree decor.
Bring in a white Christmas
Christmas is almost incomplete without snow. Although we Indians do not relate Christmas with snow, it is impossible not to feel like some snow, especially after watching movies like The Holiday or Home Alone. One way you can feel like a white Christmas is by going for a white theme for your Christmas decorations this season.
Use white as the main theme in your decorations. Add streamers and banners in white and silver, get white and silver Christmas baubles and bells for your tree, you can buy or cut out some snowflakes from cardboards to hang on your tree and build a snowman for your tree topper. Use confetti in white to arrange your table décor with white table cloth and white dinnerware. You can use white throw pillows on your couch and silver hangings to complete the look.
If you are looking at a complete snow-like look, there are snow sprays available in the market or you can simply use cotton. Spraying some on your Christmas tree along with a bit of silver glitter can look like a beautiful white Christmas. White plain paper can be used to wrap gifts with colourful ribbons as contrasts to give a beautiful look.
Refurbish and recycle
As shopping becomes limited this Christmas, why not refurbish and recycle things from your home to decorate it? Bring out your old Christmas tree and repaint it a bit to make it look new. You can hang a variety of items on your tree as decor, from Christmas baubles made of newspaper to painted eggshells, old earrings, buttons, beads, tea lights, photo cut-outs etc. Cut out any shape you want and paint it to make your tree topper.
Use your dupattas or scarves to decorate your walls creatively. Add tea lights to enhance the look. You can simply use old candles and ribbons to decorate your table. Corn flour mixed with some glitter is an excellent substitute for snow and can be used liberally on your Christmas tree. You can use a twisted metal hanger and some decorative scarves to fashion out a wreath.
If you are not too high on baking this season, simply decorate your platter with fresh fruits and cut vegetables. A platter designed as Santa Claus or snowflakes can be a beautiful addition to your table. Use kids’ drawings or newspapers or simple colour papers for gift wrapping and add a personal note with a thumbprint in different colours to personalise your gifts.
Bring out your quirk
What I love about do-it-yourself decorations is how it can bring out the maker’s personality to the fore. This is why I love quirky things that people do with decor. Why go for traditional Christmas tree ideas when you can use things to make a tree on your wall? Use Christmas baubles cut-outs from cardboard and other decorative items to stick on your wall to make a Christmas tree. I once saw a friend make a Christmas tree out of tulle cut out from old frocks. She added a few hangings cut out from old dupattas and blouse ties and made amazing hangings out of them. You must have seen Christmas trees made out of books at book stores during Christmas while most candy shops have a small one made out of chocolates and candies at their shop entryway.
Decorations can be made out of balloons stuck on walls, streamers hanging from them. You can use glitter and colour to make beautiful designs and Christmas symbols on thermocol plates and glasses and stick them on walls and tables.
Origami is a great tool in making quirky yet stunning items that can be used for decor. There is a video online that shows how to make a wreath from flowers made of different coloured paper. It looks lovelier than the standard leaf one and of course, lasts long. If you can get your hands on an old tyre, you can paint it and decorate it to make an amazing wreath.
One can use tea lights, candles, bulbs, sparklers etc. creatively to add a bit of light to Christmas night. Old sweaters can be folded and tied to make cute looking snowmen, with beads for eyes and nose. Decorate a tissue roll with colour, glitter, beads and buttons to make a beautiful tree topper. You can also cut plastic bottles into half, paint and decorate them and hang them from twine to make gorgeous tree hangings.
Christmas decorations can be made from a lot of things if you are looking to unleash your creativity. Simply change your perspective a bit and you may find a beautiful decorative item without having to spend a lot.
So, this Christmas, share ideas with your family and friends and ring in the Holy Night in your home decorated with Christmas decorations of your own making. #KhabarLive #hydnews
