DECORATE YOUR HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Writes Kem Ormond

Tinsel, fairy lights and snow . . . ho ho ho

You either love decorating your home for Christmas, or you don’t. I happen to love decorating my home for Christmas and I like to have my decorations up and my home embellished in Christmas tinsel by December the first.

The tree. . . real vs artificial

When I had small children, it had to be a real tree and now I am a little older I am quite happy with a bushy artificial one. If I need that pine smell, I just give my hedge a bit of a trim up and pop some branches under the tree.

Don’t skimp on the lights! You need plenty of them and masses of small white lights make an impact.

I have been an avid collector of Christmas decorations all my life, not huge decorations, more like the small ones that you decorate your tree with. Every time I have travelled overseas, I go on a mission to find new decorations to bring home with me. When my tree goes up . . . so do the memories!

I drown the tree in the most beautiful decorations from all around the world, but my favourite part is throwing the gold lametta (thin tinsel hair) all over my tree. That is like icing on a cake!

Around the home

I have a selection of nutcracker soldiers that sit proudly on the shelf above my stove, entwined in artificial pine branches, sprayed small pinecones and red berries.

Huge candle sticks are adorned with berries and tiny branches and at the door there is always a handmade wreath made by yours truly.

A huge selection of matching candles of various sizes (same colour) sit on silver platters, an old rusty chandelier which presides over my dining room table has enormous colourful Christmas balls that hang from it.

One of my favourite decorations is a three-tiered spinning windmill that is Christmas themed and spins due to the heat from candles at the bottom. This is always a wonderful talking piece as it is quite unusual.

My usual doormat is changed to a Christmas themed one and I swathe my front gate in tinsel and beads.

Making some of your decorations

I always make oranges studded with cloves and rolled in cinnamon and I enjoy fossicking for greenery and berries in the hedges that surround my property and making a Christmas arrangement.

Then there are the handmade Christmas cushions and Christmas stockings that I made for my children when small.

Another source of material for decorations is the beach, where you can find drift wood. A friend made a beautiful Christmas tree from drift wood to adorn her verandah. Dried teasels and small pinecones can be spray painted gold and threading popcorn is a fun project for the children.

Remember you can always put your cards on display, decorate your mantel, opt for red accents, greens and glitter are fun, go big on berries, pops of plaid, make a DIY advent calendar, have fun with your porch and give your ornaments a diff erent use.

Boxing Day sales

This is a good time to shop for next year’s decorations, there are huge discounts on off er aft er Christmas. I always forget what I have purchased so it is quite exciting unwrapping new decorations bought last year.

Christmas is the time to let your creativity shine, have fun and enjoy getting ready for the festive season!