A question about houses done up with christmas decorations?

Question

I've always liked the idea of having heaps of lights and other decorations on and around my house for christmas. Other people seem to be able to pull it off quite well so I was just wondering:

How much did you spend on decorations for your house.
How did you decide what theme to go with.
How do you set it up correctly so you don't blow up your house!
Which decorations are easiest to use, and which are best.

I've always wanted to have a really good looking house around christmas. Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

How much did you spend on decorations for your house?

>>I don't know because I've collected them slowly over a couple of decades now.

How did you decide what theme to go with?

>>I just let my artistic ability shine through my decorations. I think it's a bit "hoakey" to have a PLANNED 'theme'. Just let it flow............... Add a little bit each year and you'll be surprized at how fast you can "collect" your decorations!!!!

How do you set it up correctly so you don't blow up your house!?

>>Make sure you know how the electrical circuits are set up in the circuit breaker box. Be sure not to overload any one circuit. If you can't figure it out by simply looking, then have an electrician come in and tell you. As your ! mark indicated you already know that electricity is nothing to play with!

Which decorations are easiest to use, and which are best?

>>I started out with a few strands of lights, 3 boxes of tree ornaments and 22 boxes of tinsel for a 10 foot cedar tree my ex-husband's boss let us cut off his land back in 1980.

I now have enough strands of lights that between the indoor only strands and the outdoor strands I have over 1800 separate lightbulbs! These include everything from mini-lights to the large outdoor lights. I use a mixture of these ALL OVER for a balanced look.

I also use a few "specialty" strands like a garland with lit pointsettias in it that I put around my mirror over my divan and bubble lights for the Christmas tree.

I use a LOT of tinsel garland. Some of it goes on the tree and the rest I use to cover the outdoor strands around my windows while allowing the mini-lights to poke through allowing them to shine and sparkle.

I like Twinkle lights alot! They add sparkle!!! I use a LOT of tinsel on the tree put on only a very few strands at a time for best shimmering effects. I frame ornaments with it and accent the lights.

I made a wreath out of an old artificial tree and decorated it myself. But before the decorations went on I laced it with a strand of twinkle lights.

I made a N O E L sign that looks like building blocks. ...you know the old fashioned ones with letters? Each thin plywood rectangle has it's own letter I drew on and drilled holes in just big enough to fit mini-lights in. After drilling the holes I painted the square red leaving the letter plain. I then took silver ceiling glitter and glued it making the shape of the letter. Then I stapled green tinsel garland around the outside edge of each square. Then I installed the clear mini-lights by poking them through the holes. To protect the strand of lights I fashioned a "windowbox" around each cluster of lights (on the BACK of) one to a "Block". Each "Block" is separate with it's own complete strand of lights so I can hook them up vertically or horizontally to spell NOEL.

You can opt for any number of combinations of manufactured and/or home made ornaments to start your OWN personalized collection of Christmas decorations. Other than cost and space for the decorations there really is no limit to what you can achieve by just using your own imagination!!!

Answer 2

Lights are fairly inexpensive. Probably about $3.00 for each string. Make sure you use outdoor lights, extension cords, etc. I love the inflatable decorations that are popular now. They are so cute and easy to set up. I spent around $150.00 - $200.00 this year and I dont necessarily go with a specific theme, I prefer just using whatever I like.

Answer 3

http://www.christmas-lights-direct.com/all_about_christmas_lights_02.html

This site gives you the vocabulary to talk about getting a safe amount of power -- because Christmas fires are no fun!

And this site gives you actual calculations: how many lights for your building or trees, and how to calculate amperage

http://www.aachristmas.com/vpasp/faq/faq.asp

Take notes on the themes you like. You might want to stay super-small this year so you can build your vision and go all out next year. I think it's nice to have something that co-ordinates with your neighbors, but still looks distinctive. You might also want to print out pictures of your house, then "decorate" the pictures with colored pens, glitter, etc. to get an idea of how your house would look with the decos you want.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I think a great looking, decorated house for the holidays happens when the scheme of the decorations "make sense." What I mean by that is don't just string up multiple types of lights on every object in your yard, then stick a plastic lit up Santa right in the middle of it. Make it look nice and well planned; Like you would do with your landscaping projects.

Answer 5

in various of circumstances each and every time after Thanksgiving.Even contained in the shops they initiate putting out decorations and xmas adorns purely after Thanksgiving.It truly relies upon on the way you experience about it.shops like the position you stay do this to generate interest in customers spending money.it truly is why Black Friday began.that's the first day after Thanksgiving.some shops like toy shops do this.Grocery shops reveal for Thanksgiving to promote finding out to purchase in the time of that vacation to promote turkeys and each and every of the trappings for the vacation.It also relies upon on the custom you're celebrating for it.initially the custom began as a pagan competition properly-referred to as yuletide.it truly is the position the tree is provided in.The lights were initially candles.human beings finally replaced that as quickly because it became seen risky and a fireplace danger so that they went to electric powered lights.The Santa that you note immediately became enhances of an artist by the call of Thomas Nast.initially he became a guy that went round to underprivileged youngsters in his village giving them toys and sweet.He later became made a saint by the call of Saint Nickolaus.Thomas Moore wrote a tale that became further to the heritage of the vacation.The evening previously christmas.Charles Dickens did one also...A christmas carol.although the substantial element to guage on maximum accuminical minds is that the get mutually of christmas is the birthday of the lord and savior.a number of whom believe that he became no longer born in December yet in November.yet in any adventure i'd say each and every time between now and December the 25 will be perfect for putting up decorations.

Answer 6

Something that is very simple......suttle........some white lights, maybe a nice big pre-lite wreath........looks better that all that garbage in people's yards...and those blow up things.......yes they should all be blow up.........they are the most tacky things i have ever seen, pass by them...

Answer 7

i go with your basic nativity scene. my sig other is an artist, so i get off easy

Answer 8

how about something called greed leads to poverty u answerd u own question u been greedy now u in poverty b!tch

Answer 9

so?