Hasta La Ideas

Whatever holidays you celebrate — at this time of year, or any other time — you may choose to include decorating as part of the festivities. Here are some ideas about holiday decorations that might resonate with you.

Choosing decorations as gifts

One of the best holiday gifts I’ve given was a small wooden armadillo, which became part of someone’s Christmas crèche. I knew the recipient well, and knew she had a beloved crèche with an eclectic collection of animals in attendance.

Holiday decorating styles vary wildly; some people do minimal decorations, or none at all, while other go all out. Some use a color theme, and others have a wild mixture of items they’ve collected over the years — each item bringing back memories of people or places. So for the right people, a thoughtful addition to their holiday decorations may be a welcome gift.

Selecting holiday decorations

And what about your own decorations? One idea I’ve read for simplifying things — if that’s what you want to do — is to go big. Barbara Tako writes: “Would you rather dust around a clutter of small decorations on an end table or admire a large wall hanging, decorative runner, or table cloth? Large decorations can create impact without the same maintenance hassle as small knick-knacks.”

And a note of caution: When selecting holiday décor for yourself or others, please be sure to be child-safe and pet-safe. The Pet Poison Helpline will help you avoid plants that are dangerous to cats and dogs. And the Consumer Product Safety Commission has a publication, in PDF format, listing holiday decoration safety tips.

Remembering the good ideas

Did you do really like the way you arranged certain decorations this year? Be sure to take some photos, so you can easily replicate the arrangement in the future.

Going the rental route

For those who like “real” Christmas trees, but not the time it takes to go cut your own (or the fire hazards of trees that dry out too quickly), you might choose to rent a tree. There’s a place in San Jose, Calif., that leases living Christmas trees; you can even get the same tree year after year. Another place rents trees in San Diego, Los Angeles County, and Marin County. There may be a similar place near you.

Eliminating decoration clutter

If you have holiday decorations sitting around that you aren’t overly fond of, passing them on to someone else usually works best when done before the holiday. I’ve just freecycled a large number of Christmas items — wreaths, ornaments, hand towels, lights, and figurines — that I’d have a much harder time placing in January. This would also be a good time to donate such items to a thrift store that benefits a good cause. And a fun idea I just read about is to have an ornament exchange party.

So as you’re pulling decorations out of storage, consider taking some time to pass along those you’re no longer excited about putting on display.

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