Christmas Celebration

A Christmas celebration all year round.

3 Outdoor Christmas Decorating Ideas That Don’t Involve Hanging Lights From Your Roof

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outdoor christmas decorating without hanging lights If you are not able to or are simply just unwilling to hang Christmas lights from your roof or gutters, there are still plenty of ways that you can decorate your home and yard for Christmas.

You don’t have to get the ladder out in the cold weather and put up all the lights on your house in order to have a beautiful outdoor Christmas display that shows off your holiday spirit.

Here are 3 outdoor Christmas decorating ideas that don’t involve hanging any Christmas lights from your roof.

Outdoor Projection Laser Lights

You can still light up your house for the holidays with an outdoor light projector for Christmas . There are actually all kinds of great laser light projectors that can be used to decorate your house for Christmas.

The way that these work is that you simply plug in the light projector and then align it in your yard to shine on the area of your home or yard you want to decorate. It doesn’t take much more than plugging in the cord and then staking the projector in the ground with the attached yard stake.

There are all kinds of cool designs that you can choose from for Christmas time. There are projectors that make it look like it is snowing on your home as well as ones that project different holiday scenes or sayings.

You can even make it look like you have decorated the bushes or trees in your yard with hundreds of Christmas lights with a twinkling light laser projector.

Inflatable Christmas Decorations

Another idea for decorating your outdoor space for Christmas is to use inflatable air-blown decorations. You have most likely seen these decorations before but you may not realize just how many different ones there are to choose from.

I have seen everything from an inflatable nativity scene to Frosty the Snowman in a snow globe. You can find just about any type of inflatable that you are looking for to help make your yard look festive this Christmas.

Not everyone likes inflatable yard decorations but they are much easier than hanging lights on your home. Most inflatables simply need to be plugged in and then staked into the ground where you want them to be. You may need an extension cord for some of them if you have a large yard but most come with a long enough cord.

When it comes to turning them on, some are on timers and some of them you can simply just switch on the power when you want them to inflate. They come with an automatic fan that keeps them inflated until you turn it off.

Decorate The Inside of the Windows and Doors

If you don’t mind hanging lights but just not from your roof or out in the cold, consider hanging the lights inside of your windows and doors instead. If you have several windows in the front of your home you can easily wrap a string of Christmas lights around each window as well as your front door.

You can also add in some other decorations such as a nice, big wreath for your front door or some door garland. For the windows along with the lights you can add in a hanging snowflake or a candle light in each window as well.

If you have several windows this could easily add enough light and decorations that you wouldn’t even need to head outdoors to hang anymore lights. This works really great if you have a large bay window in the front that you can add all sorts of lights to as well.

If you have a porch you can always add a simple Christmas themed solar light as well to enhance the lights even more. The nice thing about the solar lights is that you don’t have to worry about running cords or turning them on at night.

You definitely don’t have to hang Christmas lights from your roof in order to nicely decorate your home or yard for Christmas. You can easily show your love of Christmas this year and not have to drag out the ladder or stand in freezing weather trying to get your Christmas lights just right.

3 Ways to Hang a Christmas Wreath On Your Front Door without Making a Hole

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how to hang a Christmas wreath on your front door If you have a nice front door the last thing you want to do is to put a hole in the door so you can hang your Christmas wreath.

Fortunately, there are several different ways that you can hang any type of wreath on your door and not have to make any type of hole or do any type of damage to the front door.

Here are 3 different ways to hang a Christmas wreath on your front door without having to make any holes.

1. Command Hooks

If you haven’t seen Command hooks or strips yet, they may just completely change the way you decorate for the holidays.

These products are actually one of my must have Christmas decorating items because I use them for all sorts of things not only for seasonal decorating but for a lot of my regular home decor items as well.

The basis behind these hooks are strips that attach to flat surfaces and won’t cause damage when you pull the strips away from the wall. The hooks simply attach to the strips and then you can apply them to your door wherever you may like.

There are different types of Command strips in different sizes and shapes. Look for ones that will be strong enough to hold the weight of your wreath. You may also want to consider the outdoor ones if you plan on using them on an exterior door that is out in the different weather elements.

Be sure to check out my recommendation for a great wreath hanging Command Hook .

The nice thing about these is that they will easily come off without causing damage to the door (read the instructions as there are some precautions to take) and you can actually get refill strips if you want to re-use the hook in a different spot in your home.

Check out all the different command hooks that you can choose from for hanging your wreath and other Christmas decorations.

2. Over the Door Wreath Hanger

You can find over the door wreath hangers at a lot of different stores in different colors and styles. Most of the time you can find a quality wreath hanger for your front door for less than $15 .

With these hangers all you simply do is place the hook part over the top part of your door and then the long strip part hangs down the front of your door. You then place your wreath at the bottom of the long strip part that usually will have a half circle hook to hold the wreath.

Wit this method you are not putting any holes in your door, but you will be able to see the hanger on the door. Some people like this look because they get a hanger to match the wreath or their door while other people don’t like the look of the hanger. It all depends  on your style.

Another thing to be aware of with over the door wreath hangers is the height at which your wreath will hang on the door. Sometimes you don’t get the desired look you want because the wreath hangs too high on the door.

3. Ribbon

Another great decorative way you can hang a Christmas wreath on your front door without putting a hole in the front of the door is with ribbon. Take any type of decorative ribbon that matches your wreath (preferabley at least 3-4 inches wide) and place the wreath in the middle of the ribbon so that it hangs exactly where you want it to on the door.

Take the two ends of the ribbon towards the top of the door and overlap them so they both come together in the same spot at the top.

Then, take a thumbtack and tack the ends of the ribbon into the top of the door. If you get the tack all the way into the top the door should still close properly. Make sure the tack is sturdy enough to hold the wreath securely.

With this hanging method you aren’t putting any type of hole in the front of your door but instead you may have a very small tack hole in the top width part of your door that no one will every see nor will it affect anything.

With this method you will need to have a wood door as this won’t work on a steel or aluminum door.

With all these methods to hang a Christmas wreath on your front door, my favorite would have to be the Command hooks. They allow you to perfectly hang the wreath right where you want and there is no damage to the door.

It doesn’t matter if you are hanging a fun Christmas ornament wreath or more of a traditional pre-lit evergreen Christmas wreath , the Command hooks will work great.

How do you hang your Christmas wreath on your door?

5 Inexpensive Christmas Tree Decoration Ideas

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inexpensive christmas tree decoration ideas If you are on a budget this year or you simply just don’t have the money to spend on Christmas tree decorations, there are plenty of ways that you can have a beautiful Christmas tree without spending a lot of money.

In fact, there are even some Christmas decorations that can be completely free. Or, spend as little as $10 to decorate your tree this year.

Here are 5 inexpensive Christmas tree decoration ideas that can save you a ton of money this holiday season.

1. Look Outdoors for Your Christmas Tree Decorations

You may have to do this before the snow starts falling and actually the middle towards the end of fall is a great time to start collection pretty items from nature that can work to decorate your tree.

Just some free nature items that you can collect outside include pine cones, acorns, and twigs.

You can fasten twigs into things like stars and snowflakes with some twine and you have instant decorations. For acorns and pine cones you can simply hot glue a ribbon on them to hang them on a tree. You can even make garland out of these materials as well.

If you are looking for some color on your tree, you can also buy some cranberries that would fit in perfect with a natural themed tree and make a bright red garland for your tree. This should only cost a few dollars at the most.

2. Make Paper Ornaments for Your Christmas Tree

You most likely have made paper snowflakes in the past, so why not use them to decorate your Christmas tree? You can use simple white paper or use different colored paper or even use inexpensive scrapbook paper that you can find for pretty cheap at a local craft store. You can even use cheap wrapping paper from the dollar store to make the ornaments as well

You can make more than just snowflakes though as you can also make stars, hearts, flowers, and fun 3D swirling ornaments.

To give you an idea of what kind of paper ornaments you can make for your tree, check out my DIY Christmas Ornaments board on Pinterest.

3. Go for Non-Traditional Christmas Ornaments

When you think of Christmas ornaments you may just think of the simple ball or bulb ornaments that you see sold at all the stores. But, you can have an absolutely beautiful Christmas tree without those traditional ornaments.

For example, check out your local craft or floral supply store for clearance items now through Christmas time. You can find things like all kinds of fake flowers, twigs with berries, fake fruit, and even ribbon. These items are great for decorating a tree as simple fillers all along the tree. You can place them where you want to add splashes of color and patterns to the tree.

If you shop the clearance section you may just be surprised at how many great items you can find for really cheap that would go great on your Christmas tree.

4. Use Ribbon to Decorate the Christmas Tree

During the holidays I’m able to find Christmas themed ribbon fairly cheaply at my local craft supply store. They even send out coupons so I can get the ribbon even cheaper.

If you have a smaller Christmas tree it may not take as much ribbon as you think to wrap your tree to add some color and design to it. If you plan on doing this, I do recommend that you use a ribbon that has a wire edge so it can easily be molded and folded to where you want it to go.

Check out this video on how to weave the ribbon around your Christmas tree for ideas. (In the video she uses very wide ribbon garland, but for a smaller tree you can easily use a regular wide ribbon)

5. Shop At the Dollar Store for Christmas Ornaments

You may be surprised at what kind of ornaments you can find at your local dollar store. The ornaments may not last you several years, but they are nice for a few years and you can definitely get out of the store for less than $10 and have your whole tree decorated.

Look for larger ornaments that take up more space as well as packages of multiple ornaments for the most bang of your buck.

If you get creative and you aren’t afraid to spend some time on making some ornaments you can easily decorate your Christmas tree without spending a lot of money. In fact, if you get really creative, I bet you can decorate your whole tree for under $5-$10 and save money for Christmas gifts instead.

5 Fun Christmas Tree Color Schemes for Something Different This Year

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If you are looking for something a little different for your Christmas tree this year, why not change it up with a fun  color scheme.

Christmas doesn’t have to be just about red, green, white, gold, and silver. In fact there are so many color combinations of all kinds of different colors that you can choose from to give you that unique Christmas tree you are looking for.

Here are 5 fun color schemes to choose from for your Christmas tree this year.

christmas tree color scheme ideas

Purple, White, and Brown

The purple and brown ornaments go great with a white Christmas tree. There are different shades of purple you can choose from but I would go with a deeper jewel toned purple instead of a lighter purple if you plan on using a white Christmas tree.

An idea would be to incorporate brown pine cone ornaments along with the purple and brown ball ornaments. The pine cones will look great and will stand out and add some more of a Christmas-y feeling to the tree.

For the top of the tree you can top it off with a white angel or even something like a purple star tree topper.

Black and Silver

Not a lot of people think of black when it comes to Christmas, but  you may be surprised at just how many elegant and modern Christmas ornaments are made in black. Add in the touch of silver along with the black and you have a great modern feel that is also elegant for your Christmas tree.

You can find all kinds of silver and black Christmas ornaments or you can go with simple black bulbs and silver bulbs intermixed. You can even add in some black or silver ribbon to go along the tree instead of garland.

A sparkling silver star tree topper completes the look of the tree.

Green and Brown

Stick with a more natural and earthy color scheme for your tree with green and brown ornaments and accessories.

If you want to add in a little more color to the tree, then choose an ivory or light gold color to go along with the natural look of the tree. You really do have a big selection of green and brown ornaments to choose from and you can even incorporate the natural ornaments of pine cones an acorn garland to the tree.

For this color scheme you can play it really simple and not have a tree topper or you could make your own natural looking one from twigs, sprigs or whatever you want.

Navy Blue and Silver

Usually when you think of silver and blue Christmas trees you think of a lighter blue or even more of a blue/green color, but navy blue and silver make a great color combination for a tree.

The dark navy color looks great when paired with the lighter silver color and you can even add in some white or clear ornaments as well. You can still go with a winter or snow theme tree with navy and silver and add in some fun silver snowflakes along with your dark blue Christmas ornaments .

A great big silver bow at the top would complete the look of the tree.

Jewel Toned Rainbow

If you like lots of color for Christmas, consider a jewel toned rainbow color scheme for your tree. This color scheme you can really do just about anything with from plain colored ornaments to ornaments with all kinds of designs. You can add in colorful garland or use colorful ribbon to wrap around the tree as well.

To stick to the jewel tone, choose colors like pink, purple, blue, bright green, and even silver. You want a little bit brighter and darker ornaments than pastel or light colors. This is a tree that will stand out and light colors won’t do.

You can really have fun with these Christmas tree idea and even incorporate a white or silver Christmas tree instead of the usual green.

It can be lots of fun decorating your Christmas tree in a new color scheme. It can inspire all kinds of different ideas and let your imagination go crazy to get the perfect Christmas tree for your home this year.

How to Make a Christmas Tree Topper Bow Out of Ribbon

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DIY christmas tree topper bow There are all kinds of Christmas tree toppers that you can choose from, but one of my favorite ideas for a unique and inexpensive topper is a beautiful big bow made out of Christmas ribbon.

I know that some people like the bow option because they aren’t really religious so the bow serves as sort of a “holiday” tree topper instead of a “Christmas” one.

You can choose whatever Christmas ribbon you want that goes with the style of your tree or keep it simple with a plain red, gold, or silver ribbon.

It may take you a few tries before you get your bow topper perfect, but it really doesn’t take much time at all and best of all you can personalize and accessorize the bow anyway you want.

Click Here to Check out Pre-Made Bow Christmas Tree Toppers

To make a big bow topper you will need wide ribbon that has a wire edge so that it stays in the place that you want the loops to stay in.

You will also need a chenille stem, which can be found at your local craft store. You could also use floral wire if you have it on hand to secure the bow as well.

Follow along with this bow Christmas tree topper tutorial to make your own tree topper.


Make sure you play around with your bow topper to get the desired look you want.  It may also take some playing around to get the bow in the desired spot on top of your tree.

You can also add in some other items such as some stars, berries, Christmas sprigs, and glitter garland to make your bow stand out even more. Or keep it simple with just your big beautiful bow as the main attraction of the tree.

If you don’t want to make your own bow topper you can always buy one pre-made so that all you have to do is place it on your tree.

I recommend Etsy.com as there are lots of sellers that will customize your topper and you can choose from a huge variety of different ribbons.

5 Budget Friendly Christmas Decorating Tips

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budget friendly Christmas decorating ideas You don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a nicely decorated house this Christmas.

There are lots of ways that you can decorate your home for the holidays and not completely blow your budget. In fact, there are some years that I get by with only spending a few dollars on some new Christmas decorations.

Here are 5 budget friendly tips for decorating your home this Christmas.

1. Make Your Own Decorations and Make it a DIY Christmas

There really are so many simple and beautiful Christmas crafts you or your children can make that look wonderful as Christmas decorations. Don’t be intimidated even if you think you aren’t very crafty as you can find all kinds of tutorials for easy crafts that just about anyone can do.

A lot of these crafts don’t cost a lot of money and you can find the materials for pretty cheap around Christmas time. You can find things like Christmas ribbon and craft supplies pretty cheap at your local craft or discount stores.

The best thing about making your own Christmas decorations is that you can give them the personal, unique touch that you can’t get from a store.

Check out my Pinterest boards on DIY Christmas ornaments as well as Christmas crafts for tons of ideas on what you can make this Christmas to decorate your home.

2. Use Free Printable Pictures to Decorate Your Home

A few years ago I came across several websites that offer all kinds of different free Christmas printable items that are great for decorating your home.

There are all kinds of things you can print out from signs that simply read “Merry Christmas” to more unique subway art graphics that are all about Christmas time.

If you have a printer at home you can print them out yourself or you can have them printed out at a nearby photo station for a few dollars if you are looking for a little better quality.

Then head to your local dollar store and stock up on some wood frames. What I do is by the size and shape that I need and then I buy some paint or stain and make the frame whatever color I want.

If you already have a few extra frames at home, this may cost you nothing and you can have beautiful Christmas décor for your mantle, shelves, and your walls for free.

3. Save Money with a Real Christmas Tree and Shop After Christmas Sales for an Artificial Tree

If you don’t already have an artificial Christmas tree, then don’t go out and buy one if you can’t afford it. Instead for this year, stick to your budget and check out any local churches or organizations that sell Christmas trees for a donation or for cheap.

I know that I have several churches in my community that sell Christmas trees for $20. That is a lot cheaper than spending $200 on an artificial tree.

If you don’t want a real Christmas tree very year, then wait until after Christmas clearance sales and see if you can score a cheap artificial tree to use for the next few years. Most stores will dramatically reduce their Christmas trees starting December 26, but you got to shop quickly because they tend to sell out quick as well.

4. Use the Décor You Have and Add Some “Christmas” To It

Look around your home and in your cabinets at any décor items that you have that you can add some Christmas spirit to make inexpensive Christmas decorations.

For example, you can take a glass vase or bowl you have and fill it up with dried cranberries and add a small candle in the middle and you have a simple but beautiful Christmas centerpiece for your dining room table.

You can also find some inexpensive evergreen circles and simple use them to decorate a nice plate that has pillar candles on it. You can use candles that you already have around your home as well as a nice plate or even a plain mirror that you may have in your home.

For a very simple décor item that can be used just about anywhere in your home is to fill a basket or any other nice container or bowl you have with a bunch of plain colored or patterned Christmas globe ornaments.

The key with this is to get creative and try to find items that you can re-purpose into Christmas decorations without spending a lot of money.

5. Head to Your Local Dollar Store for Christmas Decorations

Even though I have enough Christmas decorations to fill my entire house, I always make a trip to my local dollar store during Christmas time just to see what they have and what I can use to enhance the decorations I already have.

I have bought everything from Christmas ribbon to little Christmas figurines at the dollar store and of course only paid $1 for every item.

Now, the quality may not be the best, but there are lots of décor items that you can use that enhance something you may already have or that you can use to make your own unique decoration. For example, you could use some tea light candles to enhance the look of the evergreen garland you wrap around your fireplace mantle.

You may just be surprised at what you find at the dollar store that won’t break your Christmas decorating budget.

5 Simple Christmas Card Holder Ideas

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Chirstmas Card Display Holder Ideas

One of the easiest ways to decorate in your home for Christmas is to put your Christmas cards on display.

It’s sort of like free decorations for Christmas time.

There are all kinds of ways to display your Christmas cards in all kinds of different Christmas card holders.

You can make your own Christmas card holder or you can buy one of the nice pre-made holders as well.

Here are 5 simple Christmas card holder ideas that would look great in your home during the holidays.

wreath christmas card holder

This wreath Christmas card holder is great for hanging on your wall and showing off all your beautiful Christmas cards. It can hold up to 50 cards and is really quite large at 44″ x 36″. There are slots that you easily slide the cards into to form the large wreath that is even complete with a red bow at the bottom.

It is made of a heavy fiberboard and comes completely ready to hang. It even folds up for easy storage to pack away after Christmas is over.

The wreath is quite inexpensive but really will add a lot of interest and color to your wall.

long wall christmas card holder idea

This scroll wire Christmas card holder is another simple idea for displaying your cards on your walls. It can be hung either horizontal as shown above or you can hang it vertical as well.

The holder measures 5 feet long and has spots for 38 cards to be hung. You can adjust the hooks to be able to hold thicker or thinner cards in place.

This would look great hung horizontally above a fireplace or over a couch on the wall or hang it vertically on a wall that has all empty space.

christmas card memo board holder

Take a regular memo board, like the one shown above , and simply place your Christmas cards in the ribbon areas to display them on the wall. The memo board above would be a good option since it is an ivory colored one that won’t look out of place in a Christmas scheme.

Or you can get crafty and check out this tutorial on how to make your own Christmas card memo board. This way you can decorate it with Christmas themed fabric if you only want to use it during the holidays.

The thing that I like about this idea is that you can re-use the French memo board all year long for other pictures, cards or just to-do lists.

christmas tree card holder

If you don’t have any room on your walls or you simply don’t want to put a nail or two into the wall for your Christmas decorations, then check out this beautiful tabletop Christmas tree card holder .

It has space for 18 cards to be displayed and when it is completely full you have a colorful, festive tree for your table or dresser.

This is a simple yet unique card holder idea that works great for people who may be short on space or just want something a little different than hanging cards on the wall.

ribbon christmas card display holder

For something really simple that you can do with Christmas ribbon of all sizes, is to simply attach your cards to the ribbon and hang them down off a door or even the wall.

There are all kinds of ways that you can decorate with the ribbon to find the right design and scheme that you like. As well as cutting the ribbon to make them fit the space. Be sure though to dress it up some and add a nice bow at the top or even use some cute Christmas themed clothespins to make it even more festive.

You can find all kinds of different Christmas ribbons for quite cheap at Amazon.com .

Hopefully these give you some new ideas for displaying Christmas cards in your house this year.

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