You do not have to be the design guru to create a Christmas tree worthy of a display window. Just follow these general guidelines to give your tree maximum impact this year.

A complete tree traditionally is composed of lights, garland, trim, and ornaments, arranged in that order. Add a tree skirt for a finishing touch. It is customary to add the topper last, although this is mostly for ceremonial purposes.

Christmas Tree Decorating Tips

Do you want to change the look of your Christmas tree, but are short on cash? Here are a few do-it-yourself ideas you can use to transform your old ornaments into something new. Better yet, update the look of your old ornaments and add a few new designer ornaments each year, as your budget allows.

A Christmas Tree Makeover

Gingerbread Birdhouse Ornaments

1 recipe Basic Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
Egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
Square cookie cutter
Heart cookie cutter
Tiny round cutter or pastry tip for the "door"
Sprinkles
Cinnamon sticks, cut thin and into 1/2-inch lengths
Ribbon or gold cord

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spritz 2 cookie trays with nonstick baking spray. Make Basic Gingerbread Cutout Cookie dough according to recipe directions.

Cut 4 squares from the dough and space them well apart on a cookie sheet. Brush the top half of the square with egg wash.

Cut 4 hearts from the dough. Brush the round parts with egg wash, turn the dough over and place hearts upside down on the top part of the base to form a peaked roof.

Read for the Rest Gingerbread Birdhouse Ornaments

Christmas Wreath Made of Dog Biscuits

1 (10-inch) diameter willow or grapevine wreath
Hunter green acrylic paint
Round brush
10 to 12 dog biscuits
Green florist's wire
3 yards 1/4-inch wide Christmas red paper ribbon
1 yards 1 1/2-inch wide Christmas print paper ribbon
Wire cutter
Glue gun/glue sticks

Spray wreath with warm water until saturated. Apply acrylic paint to all surfaces. Allow paint to dry completely.
With florist's wire attach biscuits to wreath. Tie 8-inch pieces of red ribbon around biscuits to conceal wire. Tie ribbon into bows.

Using print ribbon, make a double-loop bow, 5 inches wide overall with streamers. Finish streamer ends in an inverted "V" shape. Glue bow to top of wreath.


Christmas Wreath Made of Dog Biscuits

Christmas coffee mug
1 packet hot cocoa mix
Individually wrapped muffin
Cellophane-wrapped candy cane

Place all of the items in the mug for a quick gift breakfast. Place in a clear decorative plastic bag and tie with a ribbon.

Great collection of Christmas Recipes and Holiday Crafts. Follow these simple steps to get into the holiday spirit and create magnificent dishes and gifts for friends and relatives.

Take a Christmas Lights Drive: Pile everyone in the van after dark and tour your city or a nicely decorated neighborhood. Some cities will have a town center that will be lit up. Ask your children which decorations are their favorites and why. Talk about how the twinkling lights resemble the stars. Remind them that on the night Jesus was born a new star shone in the sky, announcing his birth to the whole world. Even people in different countries knew the Christ-child was born, and some wise men traveled to find him.

Christmas Activities

Christmas is about family. Here is a collection of five crafts that you can make as a family to teach the true meaning and symbols of Christmas. Children will learn to identify Christmas using their five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Pick and choose the activities you think your family will best enjoy, and spread them throughout the season. Start new traditions. Most importantly, use the activities to talk as a family.

Christmas Crafts

Before the grand Tannenbaum, there was the Weinachts pyramide, or lightstock. This holiday tradition can be traced to Dresden, the largest city in the Erzibirge region of Germany, where in 1168 AD silver and tin were discovered. Hundreds of miners flocked to the Ore Mountains to make their fortunes. But foreign competition and warfare resulted in many miners losing their jobs. To compensate, many took up woodcarving, incorporating mining symbols and religious elements into their designs. Thus a reputation for intricate woodwork was established in the region.

Christmas Pyramids: A 300 year old Tradition

I first heard this idea at a teacher’s convention, and have been making Q-tip snowflakes with my elementary classes for years. The activity was so enjoyable that we do it at home too, and hang the intricate snowflakes from the ceiling using fishing line. The result is incredible—transforming hallways, windows, and entries into a winter wonderland.

How to Make Q-tip Snowflakes

With all the holiday hustle driving us from one party to the next, and one store to another, it’s hard not to take for granted the symbols and traditions passed down hundreds of years that collectively have become Christmas. Winter days are the shortest of the whole year, and it’s almost impossible to find a quiet moment for reflection. But families who gather together and consider the symbolism behind all the spangles are sure to bring more spirit into their season. After all, these baubles and boughs weren’t meant to be mere frippery to waste money on. Christmas ornamentation and holiday decor have significance that can strike awe and wonder as deeply in our hearts as the angel who appeared to the shepherds did on that most holy night.

The Symbolism of Holiday Decor

Every year families are confronted with the dilemma of whether to buy a live Christmas tree, or to invest in an artificial one. For some, the annual quest for “Thee Perfect Tree” is tradition, an important ritual to usher in the season, and to disregard this ceremony would be tantamount to boycotting Santa Claus. Others appreciate the convenience of a well-formed (albeit man-made) tree waiting in storage for them year to year. While it ultimately comes down to personal taste, there are some definite pros and cons one might want to consider before weighing in on the matter.

Fake or Fir, The Quest for the Perfect Tree

As legend has it, in Germany parents decorate their Tannenbaums on Christmas Eve. The last ornament hung is die Weinachtsgurke—a delicate glass ornament in the shape of a pickle. This is a significant ornament, for the next morning the children will rush in to open their gifts from St. Nicholas. But the festivities can not begin until one of the children locates the elusive gherkin. The one who finds it gets to open the first gift, and may even receive an extra treat for his or her effort. So the story is told here in America. Glass Christmas Pickles are a popular ornament, and usually come with the curious legend tucked or printed on the box.

A Pickle of a Tradition

Great little directory to help you prepare for the holidays. Includes a bunch of holiday recipes and Christmas crafts. It is never too early to start preparing for Christmas!

There are so many different types of Christmas ornaments, you may not know where to begin.  Christmas ornaments also make great gifts. Decorating evergreen trees with ornaments is a Christmas tradition observed in many parts of the world.   

Types of Ornaments

Today, Christmas ornaments are nostalgic reminders of these first holiday decorations. The next time you decorate the Christmas tree, take a closer look at the ornaments.

Nostalgic Ornaments