New Year's Eve Decorating Ideas

Make decorating your home for New Year's Eve party a pleasure instead of a stressful nightmare. Organization and planning helps you keep on top of your New Year's Eve party.

Create a gorgeous party planning notebook with an inexpensive plastic three-ring binder that has a space to insert an inspirational picture. Keep cutouts from magazines of ideas you love about decorating, themes, menus, and recipes. Keep notes about your party afterwards so you remember what worked well and what to do differently next year. Your personal party journal will be an invaluable assistant to help you avoid holiday stress.

Decorating

New Year's Eve Decorating

New Year's Eve Decorating Ideas

Enjoy your home decorating for New Year's Eve. Don't try to do too much. Keep in mind that people love to come to homes decked out in festive array but that it doesn't take a lot of cluttering ornamentation to create a joy filled room. Just a few large decorations can add the desired impact without taking a lot of time to set out. Plus, too many little decorations get lost when you have many people standing around.

Where to decorate for impact:

1. Your front walkway: Greet guests at the entrance with lights surrounding your front door and two large floral arrangements or evergreen trees.

2. Your front door: A large swag of evergreen decorated with nuts, apples, raffia, and ribbon spiced up with cinnamon sticks and cloves makes a different statement than the usual wreath.

3. Your dining table: If you plan a sit-down dinner, avoid tall centerpieces that interfere with guests seeing across the table. White table cloths reflect the light, add a feeling of elegance, and don't interfere with colored china. Bold colors add drama. Have fun with your table decorations.

4. Look up: Because table decorations get in the way, add decorations above archways and doors.

5. Your powder room: Because guests use this room privately, they take the time to look around and notice decorations.

If your TV looks like a black hole in your room when it's off, play an old black and white classic movie with the sound turned off.

Enjoy your New Year's Eve decorating this year. Try some new ideas and keep a party planner for next year. You'll be ready for new holiday decorating ideas!

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

New Year's Eve Decorating Ideas

FREE Interior Design Teleseminar: Home Makeover Help! Jeanette Fisher, author of interior design books, has researched the effects of environment on emotions for over 15 years. She teaches Design Psychology and real estate investing. Free Design Psychology ebooks http://designpsych.com

Decorating Bushes With Outdoor Christmas Lights

Of course, we all think about decorating trees for Christmas. But what about the bushes? After all, it is common to have more bushes around your house than trees. Thankfully, many companies are thinking about the exact same thing. Companies are realizing more and more that people want to decorate and cover as much of the unsightly weather effects as possible.

Typically, a main reason to decorate in the winter is due to the brown vegetation. After all vegetation dies and turns brown, it is often covered by patchy bits of snow. That is followed by times where there is mud everywhere. Outdoor Christmas lights take care of many of the unsightly problems related to the wintertime blues.

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Types of Outdoor Christmas Lights for Bushes

Decorating Bushes With Outdoor Christmas Lights

In addition to a wide variety of colors, there are also different types of lights that you may find more appropriate than others. Of course, there are the type of lights that look like the kind you hang on that Christmas tree inside your home. Some people find that they're not as effective as others. Many people prefer rope lights because they did not get entangled in the bushes. Others prefer outdoor Christmas lights that are shaped into nets. They find them much easier to put on the bushes.

Types of Lights to Avoid

While everyone loves to experiment with creativity, there are certain lights that you should avoid using outdoors. Commonly, they are not outdoor Christmas lights at all. They are lights that are used for some other purpose. In particular, lights to avoid using in your bushes are:

o Strobe lights
o Regular light bulbs
o Lamps
o Indoor Christmas lights

What to Look For In Outdoor Christmas Lights

Typically, you'll be able to see right away if the lights are particularly outdoor Christmas lights. The next choice you will need to make is the brightness of the lights. This does not necessarily mean that larger lights burn brighter. When you are selecting your lights, pay attention to wattage. This will help to determine how bright the lights are. You can also have a timer or multifunction light programmer that will produce a desired effect.

The next choice will be the plastic that encases the electrical wires. For this choice, many people will
choose the color based on what they're using it for. If you're bushes are green, for example, you might want to use outdoor Christmas lights that have green plastic.

Decorating Bushes With Outdoor Christmas Lights

Cody Scholberg, a decorating expert, writes for Buy Outdoor Christmas Lights. Before hanging any lights, check out this guide to installing Christmas lights.

Decorating Christmas Cakes

When most people think of a Christmas cake, the Yule log comes to mind. The cake is often one of many desserts spread on the dinner table after a huge family meal. Lately, Christmas cakes have more often been decorated cakes, depicting a snowy scene, Santa, or a Christmas tree.

Over the past few years, cake decorating has become a widely recognized hobby and art form. Popular television shows have sparked increased interest in this art and have inspired people to take classes and start making cakes on their own instead of buying them.

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While the outside of the typical Christmas cake has evolved with the time, the same family favorites still lie on the inside of the cake. Today's cakes, while covered in buttercream or fondant, can even be flavored with mint flavoring oil for that seasonal flair.

Decorating Christmas Cakes

Your cake will come out much better if you plan out the design in advance. Draw a sketch to see how it will look and to get an idea of what colors look good together. If you have time, you can practice new cake decorating techniques in advance, but when it comes to a more complicated cake, you will need time for gum paste decorations to dry. Depending on the weather, some can take up to a week to harden. This also depends on how large your gum paste figure is.

If you don't want to get too complicated, here are a few ideas that are relatively simple. You can decorate any shape cake with Christmas presents made from gum paste. Just form a cube out of different colors of gum paste. Cut up thin strips of contrasting colors to attach to these cubes. Using a little gum glue to adhere them, lay these strips on the cubes in a criss cross pattern. You can even form a small bow for the top of the presents. For a Christmas tree cake, you can either buy the tree cake pan or carve the cake out of a sheet cake. Frost it in green and decorate with small candies.

Another simple idea is to make a Christmas holly cake. The green and red holly contrasts nicely with a simple white cake. To make the holly, you will need gum paste and a holly leaf cutter. Tint some gum paste a dark green, roll it out thin and cut the holly leaves. For each grouping of holly, you'll need three leaves. Dry the leaves on crumpled aluminum foil to give them a more natural shape. Tint gum paste red and roll three pea sized balls for each holly grouping. When all the gum paste decorations are dry, spray them with confectioner's lacquer. Arrange 3 leaves together so they fan out and place the berries in the center. Attach your gum paste leaves and berries with gum glue. You can either place several leaf groupings around the edge or create the entire edge of the cake out of holly.

To create a simple wintery scene, make white chocolate snowflakes to decorate the cake. Either draw or print out pictures of snowflakes, tape them down and tape plastic wrap over them. Pipe melted white chocolate using the #4 cake decorating tip and place them in the freezer for 5 minutes. Carefully peel them off the plastic. They can either lay flat on the cake or you can stick them into the icing and make them stand up.

Decorating Christmas Cakes

Theresa Happe is a baker, cake decorator, and author of http://www.cake-decorating-corner.com, a website featuring cake photos with detailed instructions for all occasions, and cake and icing recipes.

Halloween Decorating Ideas - Vintage Halloween Decoration Ideas Inspired by the 1940's

Here are some ideas for Halloween decorations that can be used indoors or outdoors. Decorations like these were popular in the 1940's and many are still common-place today.

A traditional and easily prepared outdoor decoration is made of autumn leaves (real or fake) with corn stalks from your local farmer and lit Jack o'lanterns around the base. The corn stalks can be attached to a porch support beam, a light pole or a shepherds hook that held the summer's flowers.

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Another traditional Halloween decoration is the Jack o' lanterns. Put them in groups, line them up on a fence, porch railing, along a walkway or along a driveway. Candles, dishes of alcohol and salt were popular on Hallowe'en. Add blue Christmas lights to give a ghostly illumination.

Halloween Decorating Ideas - Vintage Halloween Decoration Ideas Inspired by the 1940's

Free hand silhouettes/cuttings of black and/or orange construction paper hung on the windows and walls make for a neat effect. Some items to draw include witches, pumpkins, cats, bats, elves, fairies, spiders, owls, cauldrons, broomsticks or peaked hats. Search the internet for figures you can print and trace. You can also create unique lamp shades for your Halloween party. Use stiff orange and black paper cut out like Jack-o'-lanterns, witches, cats and other popular Halloween symbols.

Popular decorations were created from various fruits and vegetables. Apples, turnips and carrots can be cut into grotesque faces and displayed as is or used to hold candlesticks. You can also create Halloween goblins from the fruit and vegetables. Use Jack o'lanterns for the heads. The body is a smaller pumpkin and carrots are used for arms and legs which are fastened to the body with wire.

What would Halloween be without ghosts? Use a Jack o'lantern for the head which is attached to an upright post. Drape a white sheet or tablecloth from the post. You can then pin/stake the ends of the sheet out a few feet or just allow the sheet to blow in the wind.

Whatever your taste in Halloween decorating is, you may find that some of these vintage halloween decorating ideas may be ideal for your own haunted home this Halloween.

Halloween Decorating Ideas - Vintage Halloween Decoration Ideas Inspired by the 1940's

Beth is a fan of everything Vintage Halloween. She maintains the Vintage Halloween Ideas web site where she shares nifty Halloween ideas from the 1890's to the 1960's - including Dennison's Bogie Books. Halloween Party Ideas, Invitation wording, decoration ideas and more.

Visit the site to get excerpts from 2 Dennison's Bogie Books for FREE! http://www.VintageHalloweenIdeas.com

Some Wonderful Christmas Decorating Ideas

Christmas can bring back a lot of wonderful memories. The holiday season is a very sentimental time that is often associated with the fine details in holiday décor. Many people capture wonderful memories of their childhood by incorporating rustic elements in their Christmas decorating ideas.

It can be challenging to find the right details to create a cozy feeling in your home during the holiday season. You need a bit of creativity and imagination when you come up with Christmas decorating ideas. Ordinary objects can be used to create an atmosphere reminiscent of a log cabin or a country farmhouse.

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This theme can be accomplished by using simple elements that bring the woods indoors. You can use pine cones and berries to adorn areas of the home. Fine details like birdhouses and wild animal ornaments can really bring the woods into your home.

Some Wonderful Christmas Decorating Ideas

My personal favorite is country inspired Christmas décor. There are many elements that can bring a traditional feel to your home. These Christmas decoration ideas can also incorporate Victorian items as well, giving the country decorations a classic mood. Small baskets, lace doilies, and glowing candles can help create a wonderful country Christmas.

You can also find ideas from quilters since they are very creative persons. Quilters can create items that are appropriate for the holiday season that can be displayed with pride. Christmas decorating ideas that use quilting supplies include ornaments made out of quilt blocks or Styrofoam balls covered with recycled materials.

You can discover your own ways of bringing rustic charm into your living space during Christmas. Food is one of the Christmas decorating ideas that are often overlooked. You can find old fashioned recipes to make snacks and beverages that can be part of your holiday décor as well. Gingerbread men and Eggnog served in decorative glasses are just two Christmas decorating ideas that incorporate food into your overall décor. Making use of simple details can help you create a traditional Christmas atmosphere in your home.

Some Wonderful Christmas Decorating Ideas

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Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas: Trends for 2011

Everyone loves a Christmas tree, but sometimes you want a change. The same tree from year to year can get boring, and if you've changed your interior decor, you might find your old tree just doesn't have the same charm. So, how do you get a new look for this old tradition? Believe it or not there are trends from year to year. Here are some of the most interesting.

The Natural Look. If you're ready to replace your artificial tree with something new, why not try a flocked tree? These new trees are convincingly realistic, and since they already have a covering of snow, halve your decorating has been done for you. Finish them off with some more realistic touches, wrap the tree with a grapevine garland to add some bulk, add white and iridescent ball ornaments and if your tree is large, have them increase in size towards the bottom. If you want some color, add some red berry picks to the branches and add another touch of icy winter, crystal icicles dripping from the branches. For a little more color, add tiny birds. The result is very natural and realistic, and if you find it too 'cold' add some red ball ornaments in different sizes.

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The Beach Tree. If you like to escape the cold for the Holiday season there's no need to abandon tradition. You can decorate a tree for warmer climes. Once choice would be an artificial palm tree. These are available from the big DIY stores as well as online, and are a fun addition to your celebrations. They don't have many branches and so don't need a lot of decoration. If you are truly on the beach, why not gather some shells and transform them into ornaments with some wire and air dry clay. The final touch would be some spray glitter. If a palm tree is really not your style, but you're looking for something to match the cool color schemes used in many warm regions, why not choose a white tree? These can look stunning decorated in a color, so feel free to match your decor, blue and turquoise ornaments are very popular this year.

Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas: Trends for 2011

Think Pink. One of the most surprising trends to arise from the many new colors available, is the popularity of the pink Christmas tree. There are many forms to choose from, cupcake pink is a delicate shade and cries out for decoration in the 'ice cream' colors, in fact cupcakes and cones are a very popular theme in Christmas ornaments this year. You can also find cupcake garlands. Slightly more avant garde are the shocking pinks and pink/violet trees which have appeared in the last couple of year. Again Christmas ornaments seem to have been developed especially for them; you'll find handbags and high heels another popular theme this year.

The Christmas Tree is the focal point of your Christmas decor. Pick a new idea and enjoy!

Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas: Trends for 2011

Jane Alexander Ogilvie has a lifelong love of flowers. She writes about flowers and decorating on her blog, A Fool For Flowers. Please visit and read more of Jane's Christmas tree decorating ideas.