Article: Inhabitant
Living Around The Christmas Tree
All of us Christmas loving creatures look forward to it…decorating the house for Christmas and introducing the Christmas tree into our living room. Some of us see it as a kind of invasion because in order to make room for THE TREE, we often have to create space by shifting all sorts of furniture. However little or large your tree might be this year, be sure to get one and have fun getting it to look the part.
It is all in the early preparation, so get into the Christmas spirit now by decorating your home. While you are at it, remember to extend the theme you have chosen this year around the whole home, that is…inside and out.
Start by accessing the area where you will place your Christmas tree and follow to decide where the other decorations are best suited.
The front door to the house as well as the living room should be the centre of your decoration. This will invite people to your theme. Since your living area is where you receive people, it should get the most attention. Place flowers that remind you of Christmas all over the house whether they are fresh or artificial.
Place Teddy bears all over your house, especially if you have children, they look like they are celebrating with you. You can either group them together or place them around your Christmas tree. It will be more fun if you can dress them in Christmas clothes. Decorate your doors and windows with wreaths and fairy lights.
Christmas books placed on your side tables commemorate favourite Christmas stories and entertain visitors; likewise picture frames and albums with last year’s Christmas pictures and even more vintage ones showing family gatherings of time gone by.
Your dining space should not be left out; use complementing colours for napkins and tablecloth and name bring out your best dinnerware because sharing meals with family, friends and guests is the centre of the festivities.
Red flowers and we are ever so lucky here in Northland, because there are plenty of flowering Pohutukawa trees around and they make splendid table decorations. Choose neutral colours with added glamour, like white flowers with silver, or cream with gold, or choose a peacock theme, with turquoise, purple and gold. Add peacock feathers to your flower arrangements for height, and decorate your table with the same jewel colours. If you are reluctant to add candles then opt for fairy lights draped over the middle of the table and further decorate with adding opulent festive ornaments, or alternatively use natural decorations such as cones, evergreens, or small fir tree branches.
Adorn your trees and shrubs with lights if you have them in your garden. Float Christmas baubles in your pond or water feature and place candles everywhere.
Remember it is supposed to be fun, so get the entire family involved. It does not have to be complicated at all and by keeping it simple, you create a beautiful elegant setting.
Great Space-Saving Christmas Tree
Alternatives
For those living in smaller confinements, creating space for a full-sized tree might not be an option. However, to give up on this much-loved tradition, we have selected a few alternatives that conserve space, without
sacrificing Christmas cheer.
Bonsai Tree
For a tree alternative that is bound to start a few conversations, consider a Bonsai Christmas tree. Bonsai is a Japanese practice of cultivating miniature trees in small pots. For a Christmas version, you should get a coniferous species, which resembles a traditional Christmas tree.
Rosemary Bush
With a little careful cultivation and pruning, you can shape the branches of your rosemary shrub to resemble a miniature Christmas tree by using floral foam. Not only will you create the perfect tabletop tree, but also add a wonderful fragrant scent flowing through your living room.
Deck The Walls
Moreover, if these suggestions are to no avail due to lack of space, decorate the wall. This ‘crafty’ alternative will keep the kids happy for hours on end. Simply deck the walls with Christmas decorations in the shape of a tree. It is as ingenious as it is beautiful, and it does not take up a single square metre.
Upside-Down Tree
From a space standpoint, a Christmas tree does not make a lot of sense. Bulging at the bottom and trim up top, a tree’s conical shape can eat up tons of precious space in the home. However, no one says a tree has to be displayed right side up. Flipped on its head, the upside-down Christmas tree takes up much less floor space, and gives you plenty of extra room to gather presents under it (for those really big presents you are expecting).
Flat-Backed Tree
When space is limited, half a tree will do. The flat-backed tree presses up neatly against the wall and only takes half the space of a regular conifer. If you are worried guests will laugh at you for getting half a tree, put it up against a full-length mirror and you magically have a full one.
