Christmas Tree Decorations

Decorating Xmas trees to make them look bright and beautiful is a favorite task for all of us. The eagerness with which children insist on staying up late to finish decorating and the warmth and love with which parents place the well wrapped gifts around the bottom of the tree is a cherished sight witnessed in every home on Christmas eve.

There are innumerable ways to decorate Yule trees:

Circling the tree with attractive garlands and wreaths

• Beaded and Tinsel Garlands- Red jingle garlands with silver beads seperating them, iridescent icicle garlands, teardrop bead garlands, fa-la-la-la plastic words arranged in a sequence forming a unique garland, Hershey's chocolate garland etc. are a few varieties that can be wound around the branches to create an exotic look.
• Branched garlands- Lush green regal pine garlands, or those made of Canadian Pine, Richmond Fir, lit with multiple lights look amazingly beautiful when hung from the branches of Christmas trees.
• Another option is to string popcorn, cranberries, cereal, beads, etc. and hang these as garlands or make gingerbread cookies. Before baking, make a hole toward the top of each cookie using a straw. Bake and cool. String a ribbon through each cookie and hang them on your Christmas tree as a piece of decoration
• A garland made of old and new Christmas cards is a poignant decoration as well
  

Decking the tree with glass ornaments
Animal ornaments of all shapes and colors, love ornaments, balls, food ornaments, ethnic pride ornaments to celebrate your family's heritage, Santa and snowmen ornaments, musical ornaments serving as an orchestra for the guests, religious ornaments, jingle bell ornaments and so on complement a well lit Christmas tree adding glamor to glory.
Mix special and more expensive ornaments with cheaper ones to make a greater impact. Filler and special ornaments can be placed on tips of boughs. Put some inside the branches too.

Tip:

Create an attractive display of teddies at the bottom of the tree. Dress them up in red or green clothes. Put the Christmas gifts beside the teddies. It will make a perfect gift display and would adorn the living room too.

Christmas tree toppers
I still remember how the elders in the family meaning my grandpa and dad would lift me so that I could place the star on top of the Christmas tree. Those were the days.

Popular this year are Magic star, Santa Claus, Angel tree toppers with multicolored lights and an assortment of other battery operated ones.

Nosegays
Rustic leaves, bird nests, silk flowers, glittering twigs, twig wreaths, small flags add color, style and a designer touch.

For further tips on how to decorate christmas trees:

http://interiordec.about.com/od/cmastreetips/a/cmastreedecotip_2.htm

http://www.bronners.com/garlandandwreaths.html

http://www.christmascarnivals.com/decorations/

http://www.christmaslightsetc.com/christmas-ornaments-decorations.htm

http://home.att.net/~decorateyourevents/decoratetree3d.htm

Artificial Christmas Trees

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  The first artificial trees were tabletop feather trees, made from green-dyed goose feathers wound onto sticks drilled into a larger one, like the branches on a tree. Originating in Germany in the 19th century , the first feather trees came to the U.S. In 1913.
  Nowadays, people are increasingly drawn towards artificial Christmas trees since they are easy to maintain and last longer. Prelit ones are also available in the market. This is a major attraction for individuals faced with continuous work pressure who find little time to decorate their trees. Artificial Christmas trees are also a favorite among many parents who find it difficult to keep their kids away from the pines and needles that keep dropping every now and then from real trees. As a result, a number of online stores are offering great discounts on such trees. The following is an account of different kinds of artificial Christmas trees popular this season.

• 4 Foot natural wood trunk artificial Alpine Christmas Tree with lights and a weighted stand. ($27.99)
  Each tree has 341 wired tips and 100 pre-strung (pre-tested) lights.

• 3' Artificial Alpine Christmas Trees with 70 clear plug-in lights. ($23.69 ea. / 4 or more $14.99 ea.) This 3 foot natural trunk alpine tree is fully wired with 179 tips. The base is weighted metal.

• 4 Foot (including the pot) mixed pine artificial Christmas tree with 261 wired tips and 150 clear lights comes potted in urn ($77.99)
  Each tree has 261 wired tips and 150 pre-strung (pre-tested) lights. The pot is resin and weighted. The pot stands 14" high with a 9½" diameter. The base is 6.5" square.

• Miniature Christmas trees- 12 inch Pine Trees ($1.39 each)- A 12" miniature Canadian Pine Christmas Tree with a natural wood trunk. Each tree has 60 wired tips. Great for Santa dollmakers, gingerbread house displays and Brio train sets.

• 2' Artificial Balsam Pine Christmas Tree with 35 clear plug-in lights ($11.19)This 2 foot balsam pine tree is fully wired and easy to assemble. Comes with a stand and is of a perfect size for a table top display.

• Ashton Berry Spruce (Price range $299.95- $370.)
  Combines 3 styles of branch tips. Predominantely medium green in color with just a hint of blue green, the tip design incorporates the combination of hard needle, sculptured and rounded styles. Varying lengths add dimension and texture. It has 601 tips and 450 lights.

• 7.5' to 9 ft Colonial Fir ( $598.00- & $899.50)
  Medium green in color, this tree has multiple sized sculptured branch tips with short balsam type needles. Available in multi or clear bulbs, it is easy to set up and can be folded up for convenient storage.

• 6.5' Tinsel Christmas Tree, Slim, Pre Lit, Red ($370.00)
  Fiery Red in color, these unique Christmas trees whose branches come with metallic tinsel
  needles and 1,042 tips add warmth and glory to the Christmas celebration.

• Bethlehem 54' Woodland Pine Summit Tree, 7320 Clear C7 Lamps ($93,800.00 )
  These trees are perfect for malls, theme parks, office complexes and other commercial settings. Designate your custom tree height, from 14 feet to 40 feet and beyond. The lush needles are made of extra thick, crush resistant PVC. Branches are UV treated for outdoor resilience.

• White Christmas trees
  A lighted white Christmas tree can create a glorious look in a master bedroom or enclosed patio. Placing this near the front door will help to enhance the beauty of the doorway as well.

• Inverted Christmas trees ($99.95)

Much in vogue last year, these gravity defying trees will take your neighbors and guests completely by surprise. It offers more room for the accumulation of presents underneath. It is pet-friendly. The unique shape also allows the tree to stand in places that do not accommodate a traditional holiday tree, such as in between two armchairs or in a corner. It has 1250 lifelike PVC branch tips that are carefully pre-strung with 600 bright clear commercial-grade lights. The inverted shape makes it easier to see ornaments, which hang away from the dense needles and do not get lost in the foliage.

Below is a list of a few online retail stores offering these and other multidunious artificial Christmas trees for us to choose from:

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/vienpinarchr.html

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php/page_id=1898

http://www.treeclassics.com/

http://www.christmastreeforme.com/

http://www.christmaslightsetc.com/artificial-christmas-trees.htm

Our Top Twelve Christmas Gifts For All

Ten Hot Gift items for Christmas
An insight into the upcoming hot and trendy gifts for Generation Z- TMX Elmo, Sony Playstation3, HP Photo smart R967....belt up for the joy ride! Click here to read more

Xmas Gift Ideas for Keep Fit Fanatics
For those who love to workout but cannot find time to hit the gym, here comes a list of exercise aids and accessories that will set your heart racing. Click to read.

Funky Christmas Gifts for Teenagers
Enter a teen's paradise equipped with the latest gadgets and gizmos. Funky and unconventional, these maverick gift ideas will strengthen the bond between you and your teenage son/daughter.

Christmas Gifts at Low and Affordable Prices
A gift handmade or bought, expensive or not is a token of your love and appreciation for others. Click here to find affordable and unpretentious gift ideas that will help you decide what to buy and where from at low and un-extravagant prices.

Christmas Gifts for Grand Dad
An idol, a wonderful friend, philosopher and guide, my grandfather deserves the very best and so does yours. Check out these gift items listed here and honor your grandpa with them for being a pillar of strength.

Christmas Gifts for Grandma
For all grandkids who just can't wait to say 'Merry Christmas' to their beloved grandmother, just click on this link for some exciting gift ideas that will make her face light up with joy.

Christmas Gifts for Men
Coming from a man, this might sound cliché, but even men love being pampered with gifts. So click here to take a look at these trendsetters and make a dash for them before anybody else does.

Christmas Gifts for Women
Most men tend to feel slightly dizzy when it comes to buying a gift for any of their female acquaintances. Here is a well chalked out solution that might help.

Gifts for Pregnant Women: Christmas ideas
Time to make that special lady in your life, be it your wife, sister or close friend bounce back from her pre or post pregnancy worries. Click here to know how.

Top Christmas Gifts for Your Overweight Child
Struggling with what to buy your child this Christmas? Anxious about purchasing something that might add to his weight problems? Here is a list of gift items that will make your child jump with joy and you heave a sigh of relief.

Christmas Gift Trends 2006
What is the latest buzz about town? Which gift item or idea is in and which is out? What is old and what is new? Click on this link to find out.

Christmas Toy Trends
Make your child's dream toy appear before his eyes this Christmas. Here is a list of playthings that might help you take your pick. Click to read

Christmas gift ideas for small kids.

Some would say that it is easy to impress little kids with just about any gift, a toy, a fairytale book or even cookies. True, but the more time we spend on selecting or making a gift for them , the more they are drawn towards us. They even learn to appreciate the love and effort that goes in making or buying a gift, thus inculcating the desire to do the same for others. I remember when I was 5, my mom gave me a small teddy bear on Christmas which her mother had sewn for her. With soft and tiny fingers I held that priceless gift. It made me feel really special and from then on I have tried to bring a smile on the face of my near ad dear ones by remembering to gift them a token of my love and adoration every Christmas.
Here are some of the unique and innovative gift ideas for little children you can choose from:



A Beloved Voice
Record your voice reading a book, making jokes, recalling memories, or singing. Include a photo of the person who made the recording. If a new story is being read, wrap up the book with the recording for a special book-tape gift combo.

A special something like a scarf, a necklace, a tie
Children often love to sniff around closets searching for the sweet smell of their dear ones. They even fancy certain jewelery or clothes owned by their parents. If gifted with these cherished items, they are sure to be elated.

An indoor sandbox - the scoop, shovel, and pour kit
Fill a large plastic storage box with birdseed, sand, rice, packing peanuts, or dried beans. Add colorful ladles, scoops, cups, funnels, spoons, shovels, pails, pitchers, plastic measuring cups, measuring spoons, pots and pans, pie tins, animals, cars, or anything with which to scoop, shovel, pour, and play, in the "sandbox."

An explorer kit
Buy a colorful plastic bucket and fill it with tools like magnifying glass, tweezers, specimen jars, bags, a hat etc. for exploring outdoors. Add some rubber boots for moving about in the rain and mud too. Add a small diary where they could paste the leaves or things they gather and narrate their adventuresome experience.

Spin painting
Buy an inexpensive salad spinner or find a used one. Add some paper plates and a few bottles of tempera paint. After your child opens the gift, show him or her how to make a spin painting by putting a paper plate on the bottom of the spinner, adding a few tablespoons of different colors of paint, and giving it all a good spin.

Treasure hunts!
Set this up to lead to a holiday gift, then use it over and over again throughout the year. On index cards, draw freehand, glue pictures from a magazine, or print computer-generated pictures of things in your home. Make about half a dozen for youngest players and a dozen for kids aged five or older. Draw on a directional arrow on each clue to indicate on top of, under, beside, etc. Wrap up the first card and give it to your child as the first clue. Hide the second clue near the item pictured on the first card. Hide the third clue near the item pictured on the second card, and so on, until all the clues are hidden. Make sure to hide a treasure (a gift, a coin, small toy, food treat, etc.) near the final item. Send your child on the hunt with the first clue!

Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head is here again. His popularity soared with roles in the much loved Toy Story movies. Who doesn't love to see all the different possibilities that Mr. Potato Head has to offer? With a plastic potato and many removable parts (eyes, ears, arms, glasses, etc.) the combinations are endless.

Family chocolate or cookie baking
Unusual isnt it? But messing up their hands, clothes and face as well will really make the tiny tots happy specially when after hours of hard work, a yummy gooey feast awaits the little midgets.

Play-Doh Fun Bucket
The bucket includes more than 20 different accessories and five colors that will surely inspire hours of modeling fun. The Play-Doh does not stain hands or work surfaces and the whole kit can be stored in the bucket for ease of clean-up and storage.

Own a Share In Disney
Buy your child a Disney Share Gift Pack and make him/her an owner of a real share in this entertainment company!

Check out these for more:
http://familyfun.go.com/parenting/learn/activities/feature/simplegifts1102/simplegifts11022.html

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/Xmas/gifts.htm

http://www.gifts.com/ideas/children


Drop in and feel free to share your own ideas.

Christmas Table Decoration

The Christmas party is just 24 hours away and the dinner table still needs to be decorated, your mom's old silver crockery to be brought out and loads of other stuff left to be dealt with. Has this ever happened at your place? To avoid the same happening at mine, I am all geared up to start thinking and shopping for anything and everything that will make my Christmas table look glam.






Santa in Chimney Salt and Pepper Shaker ($11.95)- Santa's about to disappear down the chimney, so grab this cute salt and pepper shaker before he even finds time to escape.

Blown Glass Goblets ($69.95) - Rich ruby colored beautiful goblets that will make people grab them as soon as you serve wine or cocktails in them.

Santa cups and saucers($21.50)- You can either serve your special guests ( kids) in these or stack them with cookies and milk for hungry and tired Santa on Christmas eve.

Candle and Incense Holders ($28.95)- Will light up the evening and create an aura of oneness on this holy day.

Poinsettia Plant ($13.95)- A perfect centrepiece, this charming symbol of the season will add warmth to the celebration taking people's breath away.

Hurricane lamps with flower petals sprinkled around them or filled with Christmas balls are equally attractive.

Pretty baskets of Easter Eggs dyed with Christmas colors make an unusual centrepiece.

Gold or Copper Metallic Charger plates ($5.25)- You can place these glossy plates under the dinner plates making a fashion statement this year.

Snowflake Design Bottle stopper ($2.50)- Sleek chrome stoppers that will attract people's gaze and admiration. Will make excellent gift items as well.

Christmas tree card holder($27.95)- A beautiful wire sculpture in the shape of a Christmas tree designed just to hold all your Christmas cards.

Napkin and Placemat set ($30)- Available in iridescent shades of silver, gold, red or burgundy, these polysilk napkins are pretty to hold and behold.

Santa cookie plates ($10.25)- Delightful!

The list can go on. Check out these websites for more ideas:

http://www.onlinediscountmart.com/christmas-table-decorations.html

http://www.christmascarnivals.com/christmas-centerpiece/

http://www.orenoque.com/christmas-decorations/

Christmas Cartoon Contest

Matt Glover over at Chewing Pencils had a Christmas Cartoon Contest going on. The first picture is the Contest Winner by Ming of Artmaker.

Chris de Burgh buys rare Christmas WWI letter (1914)

A rare letter by an unnamed British soldier describing the Christmas Day truce with German forces in 1914 sold on Tuesday for around 40 times its estimate, and was bought by Irish singer Chris de Burgh. He contacted the press office at Bonhams auctioneers after paying 14,400 pounds for the manuscript against a presale estimate of between 300 and 400 pounds, explaining why he was so passionate about the subject.“He found the content extremely moving as it documented a very personal account of World War I and he believes it to be a great historical manuscript, charting the surreal events of December 25, 1914,” Bonhams said after the sale.
The pop star's great uncle Thomas de Burgh, was an officer killed in the Great War and his grandfather General Sir Eric de Burgh served in the trenches.
The five pencilled pages of an army-issue notebook addressed to “My dear Mater” and signed “Boy” is an uncensored account of life in the trenches.Felix Pryor, a manuscript expert who acted as consultant on the sale, said,“Letters aren’t rare in themselves. But I’ve been doing this since 1975 and I’ve never come across a letter like that describing the Christmas truce,” he told Reuters.
The author describes a poignant moment in his account of how German forces placed lights along their trenches before approaching the British lines to wish them Happy Christmas.
“This will be the most memorable Christmas I’ve ever spent or likely to spend: since about tea time yesterday I don’t think there’s been a shot fired on either side up to now,” he wrote in the letter dated December 25, 1914. “Some of our chaps went over to their lines. I think they’ve all come back bar one from ‘E’ Co. They no doubt kept him as a souvenir.”
During breaks, the soldiers on either side helped each other bury the dead, played football, enjoyed a traditional Christmas meal, chatted and smoked together.
“We can hardly believe that we’ve been firing at them for the last week or two - it all seems so strange,” the letter read.
The fate of the unnamed author is unknown but his letter reflects the dichotomy of being a soldier bound by certain values and an individual whose plain simplicity and desire to be himself sporadically finds expression in the battlefield.