There are so many different ways to decorate your home at Christmas that it’s sometimes hard to know where to begin. Some families, especially those with younger children, will turn the entire house in to a metaphorical Christmas tree while others prefer to go with a color theme on all the decorations. So what are the essential Christmas decorations you should make sure are in your home this year?

The Christmas Tree

No Christmas is complete without a Christmas tree lighting up the main room. With artificial trees now looking just as good as the real thing there really is no excuse for not putting up a tree this Christmas. Try choosing a simple color theme like red and silver for decorations and then use plain white string lights to make it twinkle. Of course, if the kids are helping to decorate the tree all that goes out the window and just add as many decorations as the tree will take! If you still want the ‘real tree’ smell you can always buy some scented candles or a specially scented ornament.

Outdoor Lights

It seems that everyone is putting up outdoor lights nowadays, but you don’t have to be a Scrooge if you don’t have the budget for outdoor light decorations, instead you could frame the front windows or door with string lights. This requires minimum effort and indoor white string lights are very inexpensive, but it will give your house a festive look.

Front Door Wreath

Whether you choose a real or artificial wreath, adding this to your front door and accessorizing it with a red bow gives an unmistakable festive feel to your home. Every person who visits will be reminded of the festive season.

Hanging Up Christmas Cards

Despite living in a digital 21st Century, sending Christmas cards has never been so popular with Hallmark estimating that we send an average of 100 cards per person. Make a feature out of your cards by hanging them up in your living rooms, either on the walls or on the doors.

Decorations Around The House

You could replace some of your usual ornaments with festive ones such as Santa Claus ones or snow globes. You can even decorate your houseplants with some small baubles or tinsel, larger plants can be decorated with simple string lights.

Bring Some Nature In To Your Home

If you are not so keen on a real Christmas tree (and while nothing can quite beat the smell of a real Christmas tree, the needle drop can be a pain!) that doesn’t mean you can’t bring some nature in to your home. As the Christmas carol says, “deck the halls with boughs of holly” and you can decorate your home with some holly branches which have the bright red berries on. You can also hang up some mistletoe near your front door to kindle some romance over the festive period.