Do you hear that? The Christmas music is starting to play. It’s only a matter of time before the snow is flying, the cookies and cocoa are being passed around the hearth, and the streets are twinkling with lights. Whether you’re feeling like a bit of a Scrooge this year or if you’re ready to don your gay apparel and sing like Buddy the Elf, decorating your home for the holidays is one of the most effective ways to get into the spirit of the season.
The Lights
Longwood Gardens
Many of us have memories (both real-life and supplied by campy holiday comedies) of the family patriarch standing on a snowy roof, stapling his glove between the string of lights and the shingles. If anyone you know is still using a staple gun, it’s time to inform him there’s a better alternative. In fact, with adhesive light clips, the only hardware you’ll need to hang your lights is a ladder. Whether you plan to hang LED or incandescent, icicle style or great big bulbs, Christmas Lights Etc. has compiled a convenient chart of what clips work best with what lights in which location on your home.
The Tree
Some people love the natural scent of pine that fills their home with the arrival of a live or freshly cut tree. Other people prefer the convenience and cleanliness of a pre-lighted plastic tree. Since most artificial trees come with everything you need to know on the packaging, we got some tips from About.com on which cut trees work best for decorating and how to make sure your tree fits in the space you have designated for it.
Ornaments
Godfather Style
When it comes to ornaments, people have a variety of different ideas of what configuration looks best. Some families opt for a hodgepodge of handmade ornaments bursting with sentimentality. Others stick to a strict theme of beauty and elegance year after year. No matter what type of ornaments you have, you’ll need to keep them safe before and after their brief stint among the boughs. Our Snapware ornament keepers are the perfect solution. Capable of holding 27-48 ornaments, our 3-tiered keeper is a fantastic choice for safely stowing all your valuable glass.
If you aren’t settled on what kind of ornaments you’ll hang this year, check out this list compiled by BuzzFeed. It contains 39 different ways to decorate bare glass ornament bulbs. Consider laying down masking paper before you get started for easy clean-up, then let your imagination run wild with festive creativity!
Stockings
Design Mom
While these sweets-filled Santa socks have traditionally been hung by the chimney (with care), many homes no longer contain fireplaces nor mantles. Babble offers a list of 10 Festive Ways to Hang Christmas Stockings on their blog. Take a peek at what alternatives they suggest instead of using wall-damaging nails or the sometimes-unreliable weighted stocking hangers we see this time of year.
Holiday Deals from HeltonTool
Whatever style you choose to decorate your home for the holidays, we hope you are able to do it safely and affordably. The new Holiday Deals section on our website offers more tools and housewares that will make your holiday prep a little easier, so you can sit back and delight in the twinkling lights, the scent of frosted pine, and the assurance that Santa will be here soon.
Helton Tool & Home 