by Kim Tilley
It is easier to pull things together if you have a theme. Here are some of the decorating themes I came up with for the holidays, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, I tried to include a large amount of ideas. If you have any more, let me know!
Decorating Themes:
- Monochromatic– White Christmas, all neutral, all gold or all silver, etc.
- Color Schemes– red and green, blue and silver, gold and burgundy, black and white, etc.
- Shapes– all hearts, stars, snowflakes, menorrahs, etc.
- Motifs-snowmen, gingerbread men, angels, etc.
- Religious-nativity, angels, noah’s ark, Jesse tree (bible stories- Old and/or New Testament), Hanukkah, etc.
- Cultural/Ethnic-African, European, Native American, Middle Eastern ( the Holy Land!)
- National-design your theme around a particular country-ie. Russia, Germany, U.S.A., Africa, etc.
- Christmas around the World– do the Christmas legend from each of several countries, such as Father Christmas, Pierre Noel, Santa Claus, etc.
- Regional– Southern, New England, Southwestern, Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch
- Historical-Colonial, Medieval, Renaissance, Classical, Wild West, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Modern
- Secular-Santa Claus, elves, toys, mice, snowmen, people, children, babies, cherubs, etc.
- Food-gingerbread men, candy (sugarplums!), cookie cutters, cookies, pomanders, cranberries, popcorn
- Nature– birds and birds’ nests, bird houses, dried flowers, vines, evergreens, pinecones, nuts, berries, etc.
- Favorite Christmas songs and poems– The Night Before Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas, Jingle bells (horses, sleighs, etc), music theme-bells, harps, etc
- Stories– biblical, nursery rhymes, secular.
- Plays and Movies-It’s A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker
- Pop Culture-cartoon characters, toys (Barbie, et al), movie, and tv show characters (Star Trek and Sesame Street come to mind!), Elvis (he is everywhere anyhow!), Etc.
- Winter Sports– hats, mittens, scarves, ice skates, etc.
© Copyright 1999, Kim Tilley
About the Author
Kim Tilley is the mother of three boys, ages 9,6 and 2. She is the online editor for a local tv station and the editor of Frugal Moms. She is also a tightwad at heart. Her interests include cooking, crafts, gardening, computers, and saving money! When not typing away at the computer, she entertains herself by chasing kids and finding ways to create something out of nothing! Visit Kim’s website at http://frugal-moms.com
