Whenever the Ber months hit the Philippines, many families start to go crazy decorating their homes for the season. But if you are tired of the usual Christmas lights and stuff, it’s about time to try something new. Here are some great holiday decorations and ideas to spruce up your home this season.
Holiday decorations idea no. 1: Use common household items
When decorating for Christmas, some families often spend a considerable amount of money buying all the needed stuff. To cut down on the expenses, use everyday household items. You can do this for both the actual decorations and the various things needed to prop them up.
For instance, you can use an ordinary ladder or stepladder to hold your Christmas decorations. Use the rungs of the ladder to hang the gift boxes and small decorative items. On the other hand, the ladder posts are a great place to wrap around the Christmas lights. Make sure you place the ladder in an area where it will not fall over or be disturbed.
Tin cans of various sizes are another set of household items that work well for decorating. One of the quickest ways here is to cover the cans in wrapping paper or paint them and use them as holders for your Christmas trinkets.
You can also make food risers out of these cans. Look for several tall and narrow cans and large tin covers. Stack them on top of each other to create your stand. You can use the riser to hold the fruits you serve during Noche Buena or Media Noche. This can also be handy when serving treats at parties.
Holiday decorations idea no. 2: Natural decors
While store-bought Christmas decorations are great looking, they can be harmful to the environment. One way to deal with this is to go with natural decorations. Not only are these good for cutting down your plastic waste but you will also come up with a unique twist to the usual Christmas decorations.
Natural Christmas trees
While making a Christmas tree from an actual tree is not advisable, you can still create your own natural tree. Gather branches and twigs of different sizes from around your house or the neighbors. You can also use whole logs if you have some
Get the largest branch you have and attach the smaller twigs around it. You can glue the twigs or attach them with wires. For a stand, you can either mount the tree on a large wooden board or make a cross-shaped piece from extra branches. Paint the tree as you wish and add the decor of your choice.
If you don’t have space for a free-standing tree, you can instead create a decorative wall tree. Arrange your twigs to create a tree pattern. Use three long pieces of twine or nylon thread to tie the pieces together and secure the pattern. To attach the piece to the wall, a loop at the top end and suspended it from a strong hook. Attach your decorations using glue or hooks.
Natural wreaths
Christmas wreaths are another set of holiday decorations you can make more natural. Gather some leaves and flowers and arrange them into an attractive bouquet. If you want a more traditional wreath, get a length of steel wire and roll it into a ring. Attach the leaves and flowers in the same way as you did for the Christmas tree.
Enhance the overall look of these DIY decors by pairing them with the right Christmas decorations. Wooden belens (nativity scene) work well here. You can also use fruits as a centerpiece to draw the attention of visitors to your natural decors. Do note that you need to spray these decors with water every day to keep them fresh. Also, you should add these decorations a few days before Christmas to keep them looking great.
Holiday decorations idea no. 3: Reuse your decorations
Like most Filipinos, chances are that you still have the decorations used last Christmas. Instead of buying new ones, you can bust these out and reuse them for the occasion. Often, all they need is a good dusting and polishing to bring out their beauty. You can also repaint some of the decors to give them a fresh new look.
In the case of electrical decorations like Christmas lights, you might want to inspect them closely. If they have frayed or busted lights, it would be better to buy a new one. But you can still use these as static decorations if they have some interesting accessories like angel figures.
Don’t limit yourself to just old Christmas decorations. Rummage through your storage rooms to find other decors to reuse. Ribbons from a previous party or celebration can be used to tie your other decors to the tree. You can also repaint some of these to match the occasion.
Brighten the season with these Christmas decorations ideas
The ideas for Christmas decorations listed above are just a few of the neat ways to spice up your home this season. Use your imagination and you are sure to find more great ways to create your holiday decors. You and your family will have a great time setting up the Christmas ambiance.