How about adding festive cheer all over your home with Christmas hues and warmth? Swati Kapur offers some bright ideas to liven up your home this season.
Start from the top:Make paper snowflakes and use a fishing line or white yarn to hang them from the ceiling. Stars on the ceiling look great. You can also hang jewels or ornaments in the same manner. Just be sure they are wood or plastic, so if they fall, they won't shatter and hurt someone.
Hang Christmas lights all over your room, on the upper border of your walls. You could also make and hang paper chains and streamers. Glittery or shiny plastic snowflakes can be hung from the curtain rod, so they sparkle in the sun. Try to find some spray snow and spray it on the window from outside or on the ledge for a white Christmas effect. Fake candles make for a good stand on the ledge.
Living room
The fun part is that each and every family member can join in by making their own decorations or by hanging decorations you already have. The living room is usually the room where the Christmas tree is set up, so it is a great place to start.
You can use plain decorations in Christmas colours. Use festive-coloured throws and pillows that can complement your couches and chairs. If you choose solid colours, you may even be able to use them at other times during the year. Have a few extra for guests or for just snuggling around the tree! Hang red, green and golden curtains or drapes on windows. This will dramatically transport your home to a very rich Christmas theme. Coloured fabric can easily be sourced at fabric stores to turn them into simple curtains. You could also just opt for solid colours.
For that soft glow
Candles lend a soft glow to the room, so have them liberally placed here and there. But be careful when you light them. Candles are also available in Christmas colours these days. Fairy lights add to the twinkle on Christmas trees as well as windows and grills. Lighting a big star in the lawn or balcony goes with the traditional greeting.
"I usually wrap some of my big coffee table books and old toy boxes to look like gifts and have them thrown around the room. Kids love it," says Bharadwaj from Bangalore, who is doing up her home in Christmas colours these days. Play Christmas music in the living room. This, added with the scent of the candles and the look of the room, will fill up your senses with the Christmas spirit.
"My husband and sons love to play guitar and drums. So we dedicate a music corner in our living room for them. Makes for a perfect party entertainment and a truly Christmas atmosphere," says Sharmila Bhatt from New Delhi.
Dine and wine
Don't just limit your decoration to the living room, the dining room too deserves special treatment. After all, Christmas is also about good food. Purchase table linen, dishes, paintings, artwork, lampshades, sculptures and other decor that have the same theme or one that goes with the red spirit. Red and golden table cover and mats are lovely.
Beautiful laser-cut table mats in gold finish that come in shapes such as snow flakes.
"You may like to experiment with exotic food like French and Mediterranean - go for food like chicken and corn broth, grilled tenderloin steak with pepper sauce and a warm dessert like a chocolate volcano," says Bijoy Majhi of a French and Mediterranean cafe.
But then make sure you style and serve it right. "Gourmet decor is an art and it's a sin to not present delicacies in the right manner," adds Bijoy.
Treats for children
Children deserve to be treated on Christmas. Yes, we can't get in snow and ice but can definitely attempt at treating our children at places where they can experience traditional Christmas decor on artificial ice. For their rooms, add warm yarn, blankets in red and green with motifs and images associated with Christmas including sleighs, elves, fairies, ginger bread man, snowflakes or Christmas trees.
Fill up stockings with special Christmas tasks and goodies and pin them up on curtains and pin boards. Ask them to pick up a task and once they finish they can pick up a treat from the stockings.
Stick some tinsel and light ornaments or decorations on the door. Make it as welcoming and attractive as possible. You can also get creative with the sign boards on the doors saying, 'Santa's Workshop' or 'Elves at work', etc.
Don't forget the floor. Put stuffed animals associated with Christmas or regular stuffed animals with Santa hats in a corner or under the tree.
Bedroom
Put a winter quilt or bedspread on your bed along with some Christmas pillows. Add small white round pillows as snowflakes and accentuate with deep orange or chocolatey throws, table lamp shades, mats, wall hangings, etc. How about digging out some deep red and green books and placing them around in shelves; changing the curtains and bed sheets to red to go with the spirit?
And then, some...
*Decorate a box to hold gifts, to-do lists, and wrapping supplies. If it has a lid, it can be closed and used as a piece of decoration by itself.
*Make some Christmas cookies to give to departing guests at the door.
*Add fragrances like wall flower, cinnamon or cocoa to add to the spirit.
Start from the top:Make paper snowflakes and use a fishing line or white yarn to hang them from the ceiling. Stars on the ceiling look great. You can also hang jewels or ornaments in the same manner. Just be sure they are wood or plastic, so if they fall, they won't shatter and hurt someone.
Hang Christmas lights all over your room, on the upper border of your walls. You could also make and hang paper chains and streamers. Glittery or shiny plastic snowflakes can be hung from the curtain rod, so they sparkle in the sun. Try to find some spray snow and spray it on the window from outside or on the ledge for a white Christmas effect. Fake candles make for a good stand on the ledge.
Living room
The fun part is that each and every family member can join in by making their own decorations or by hanging decorations you already have. The living room is usually the room where the Christmas tree is set up, so it is a great place to start.
You can use plain decorations in Christmas colours. Use festive-coloured throws and pillows that can complement your couches and chairs. If you choose solid colours, you may even be able to use them at other times during the year. Have a few extra for guests or for just snuggling around the tree! Hang red, green and golden curtains or drapes on windows. This will dramatically transport your home to a very rich Christmas theme. Coloured fabric can easily be sourced at fabric stores to turn them into simple curtains. You could also just opt for solid colours.
For that soft glow
Candles lend a soft glow to the room, so have them liberally placed here and there. But be careful when you light them. Candles are also available in Christmas colours these days. Fairy lights add to the twinkle on Christmas trees as well as windows and grills. Lighting a big star in the lawn or balcony goes with the traditional greeting.
"I usually wrap some of my big coffee table books and old toy boxes to look like gifts and have them thrown around the room. Kids love it," says Bharadwaj from Bangalore, who is doing up her home in Christmas colours these days. Play Christmas music in the living room. This, added with the scent of the candles and the look of the room, will fill up your senses with the Christmas spirit.
"My husband and sons love to play guitar and drums. So we dedicate a music corner in our living room for them. Makes for a perfect party entertainment and a truly Christmas atmosphere," says Sharmila Bhatt from New Delhi.
Dine and wine
Don't just limit your decoration to the living room, the dining room too deserves special treatment. After all, Christmas is also about good food. Purchase table linen, dishes, paintings, artwork, lampshades, sculptures and other decor that have the same theme or one that goes with the red spirit. Red and golden table cover and mats are lovely.
Beautiful laser-cut table mats in gold finish that come in shapes such as snow flakes.
"You may like to experiment with exotic food like French and Mediterranean - go for food like chicken and corn broth, grilled tenderloin steak with pepper sauce and a warm dessert like a chocolate volcano," says Bijoy Majhi of a French and Mediterranean cafe.
But then make sure you style and serve it right. "Gourmet decor is an art and it's a sin to not present delicacies in the right manner," adds Bijoy.
Treats for children
Children deserve to be treated on Christmas. Yes, we can't get in snow and ice but can definitely attempt at treating our children at places where they can experience traditional Christmas decor on artificial ice. For their rooms, add warm yarn, blankets in red and green with motifs and images associated with Christmas including sleighs, elves, fairies, ginger bread man, snowflakes or Christmas trees.
Fill up stockings with special Christmas tasks and goodies and pin them up on curtains and pin boards. Ask them to pick up a task and once they finish they can pick up a treat from the stockings.
Stick some tinsel and light ornaments or decorations on the door. Make it as welcoming and attractive as possible. You can also get creative with the sign boards on the doors saying, 'Santa's Workshop' or 'Elves at work', etc.
Don't forget the floor. Put stuffed animals associated with Christmas or regular stuffed animals with Santa hats in a corner or under the tree.
Bedroom
Put a winter quilt or bedspread on your bed along with some Christmas pillows. Add small white round pillows as snowflakes and accentuate with deep orange or chocolatey throws, table lamp shades, mats, wall hangings, etc. How about digging out some deep red and green books and placing them around in shelves; changing the curtains and bed sheets to red to go with the spirit?
And then, some...
*Decorate a box to hold gifts, to-do lists, and wrapping supplies. If it has a lid, it can be closed and used as a piece of decoration by itself.
*Make some Christmas cookies to give to departing guests at the door.
*Add fragrances like wall flower, cinnamon or cocoa to add to the spirit.