Decorating for Christmas
 

When do you do it? Real tree or artificial? Color scheme? Multiple trees/rooms? Outdoor decorating?

I currently live in a studio apartment, so I went out and bought a 4' pre-lit tree. I have a few decorations, but it just a few knick-knacks. I have a strand of lights that I typically wrap around the railing of my balcony, but they decided not to work this year. :( Looks like it's another trip to the store for lights and ornament hooks.

Also, do you have any traditions (i.e. family outing to find a tree, children making decorations, etc)?

I put this little thing on the coffee table about 3 days before Christmas. That's about it.

http://img1.targetimg1.com/wcsstore/...7/11278170.jpg

**** Christmas!

Tree in the front living room & tree in the master bedroom, both artificial. I build a new yard decoration every year to add to the outside display, along with a couple of items (Snoopy & Woodstock) I purchased.

I've run through my cache of left over lumber from our house rebuild so I'll have to buy more for next year. Used an old sheet of underlayment to create Snoopy's dog house this year, see attached.

I put everything up the day before Halloween. This was a special year. A very young cousin died a year ago on Halloween so we collectively skipped it. This very large family goes swimming for Christmas. They usually rent out a meeting room at a hotel and take over. It's very funny.

And not at all what I was expecting when I clicked my slippers and asked for family.

Usually right after 4th of July weekend we put our shit up. Sometimes we wait until Tuesday.

Any ideas on what I can do with an apartment balcony? I have a feeling there will be a contest. My usual single strand of lights doesn't usually help...lol. I don't want to go all Clark Griswold and blind my neighbors, though. I know I can be creative. I just need some ideas to get me started.

Growing up we would not put up our Christmas tree until about 2 weeks before Christmas. And it was always an artificial tree. I think I also had a small artificial tree in my bedroom.

My wife's family was a bit different, though. She likes us to put up the tree on the day after Thanksgiving. We just always go over to Lowes and pick up a real tree. The kids help decorate. She likes the plain white lights. Sort of the "country" look. :rolleyes: I've always preferred the multi colored lights.

We also have a few decorations in the front yard including a Nativity I made for her a couple years ago. That reminds me, I need to make my teenage son get up on the roof this weekend and string some lights. :D

One thing that annoys me nowadays is that you start to see commercials for Christmas and decorations/items in stores in October. Can we at least get through Thanksgiving first? :cuss:

Pre-lit wreaths and use zip ties to attach them to your balcony.

Thanksgiving decorations aren't as pretty. All that orange and brown.

Day after Thanksgiving usually. This year probably not because we'll have company.

Real tree downstairs. Fake tree upstairs. Limited outdoor decorations.

Inflatable nativity scene in front yard.

I like the use of zip ties, but I think I'm going to look for something other than wreaths. That's a lot of plugging in, and I'm not sure I want to go that traditional.

One thing that I have done in the past is use a pre-drilled peg board to create outlines of shapes; XMas trees, stars, etc., by using standard smaller outdoor lights. The bulbs fit perfectly in the predrilled holes and you can switch is up as much as you like.