Christmas Door Decorating Ideas to Bedazzle Your Porch!

If you really want to bring people into the Christmas spirit when they come to your home during the holidays, here are several Christmas door decorating ideas that can be an excellent first step. Your entrance way is the first thing that people see when they come to your home so it might be the most important part of your Christmas decorating.

One of the interesting Christmas door decorating ideas that some people have tried is to make your front door look like it is a giant wrapped present. In order to do this, wrap the door up to the edge and fold the paper back under itself rather than wrapping around the edge. Use pieces of double stick tape to stick the paper onto your front door. You can use the same trick to put on large pieces of ribbon and then leave a big bow in the center. You may want to test the tape on your door to be sure it does not bother the paint.

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For a twist on this idea, make a matching smaller door out of cardboard for the elves to use. Cover the cardboard with the same color that you covered your real door. Add a small wreath or ribbon to match your real door. Set it next to your real door and post a little note that says "Elves enter here!"

If you would like to try something different and you have someone artistic in your family, you can cover your door with Bristol board that shows a scene of what it looks like inside. When people walk up to the door, it will look like the door is already open and they will be greeted with a festive scene. You can make it look just like the front hall of your home only you can add Santa, some elves or whatever your imagination can come up with. If you use Bristol board instead of paper it is something that you could use again next Christmas.

There is nothing quite as traditional and charming as a beautiful wreath on your front door. That idea never goes out of style. Go to your craft store or browse a magazine for an idea that you enjoy. Whether you make it yourself or purchase a ready-made wreath, you can have a lot of fun. Invite a friend or neighbor to make a wreath with you. Instructions for making Christmas wreaths can be found online in blogs, forums and videos.

Those evergreen wreaths that you purchase at the craft store need to be "fluffed up" each year. Take a little time to perk up the evergreen sprigs. Add a beautiful bow for a simple but stunning wreath. Or decorate the entire wreath with ornaments or natural materials like berries, pine cones and grasses. Place the largest items on the wreath first and then fill in with the smaller items. You can use a hot glue gun or the wires on the wreath - wrapping each item very snugly.

Some other fun Christmas door decorating ideas include taking things from inside and using them outside. If you have extra stockings that you do not use any more, you can hang them from the door for something different than the traditional wreath. The same goes for old Christmas tree decorations or collections of bows from old Christmas presents.

Whenever it is that you choose for Christmas door decorating ideas this holiday season remember to have lighting on your porch. Extra lighting gives your porch a festive look and also makes it a little safer for guests. Enjoy the holidays without adding extra stress to your schedule. If you enjoy making decorations for your home and have set aside time to do that, then have a ball! Purchasing a beautiful wreath or other ornament for your door is fantastic as well. Enjoy the season!

Christmas Door Decorating Ideas to Bedazzle Your Porch!

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Christmas Decorating Ideas

For most people, Christmas decorating ideas are normally limited to decorating the tree and the living room and making the dining-room table look beautiful. But, what if you are throwing a Christmas party or have invited friends or family to stay for the holidays? Then, extending your decorations to include the rest of the house is well worth the extra effort.

The hall is where we welcome guests, and the place where people tend to gather together during big parties, which makes it the obvious area for additional decorative displays. You don't have to put together anything especially lavish or elaborate - just a few simple touches to create the right atmosphere. Arrange fat church candles of varying heights in a large shallow dish on hall table and surround the candles with foliage and berries to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. A nice touch would be to hang a big bunch of mistletoe close to the front door and decorate pictures and mirrors with swags of greenery.

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Small bowls of wrapped candies, fruits, and seasonal nuts not only look beautiful but are useful to have on hand for impromptu gatherings. Likewise, pots of strongly scented winter flower bulbs, such as hyacinths and cyclamen, placed on landings, windowsills, and even in the bathroom, will give your home an air of being all dressed up for visitors.

The kitchen is often overlooked when it comes to Christmas decorating ideas, and yet, when there is a party in the house, this rooms seems to be attracting your guests like a magnet. However, kitchen decorations should be kept to a minimum because of its more functional role. You can simply suspend colored baubles from the hooks on a dresser, which will look pretty and add to the sense of the occasion.

If your kitchen is part of the open-plan space, then you can extend your living-room decorations to the kitchen area by stringing a few twinkling lights along the shelves or put a big vase of sculptural twigs hung with glossy red berries.

Another way to spruce up the spare room is to use decorations similar to those on the Christmas tree to create a small garland for the mantelpiece, to tie to the handle of the closet, or hang above the mirror.

To decorate dressing table and bedside tables, put aromatically scented candles surrounded by circlets of evergreen foliage on them. Handmade organza Christmas stockings filled with spicy potpourri would be a great alternative to lavender pillows and small dishes of traditional potpourri.

Christmas Decorating Ideas

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Decorating Ideas For A Teenage Boys Bedroom

When decorating a teen boy's bedroom the decor you decide upon will depend on the teen in question. But there are a number of different ideas that you can explore and these bedroom decorating ideas for a teenage boys space will hopefully produce a room that they will enjoy.

Color

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It is a good idea to paint the walls of your teen's room in deep or vibrant colours (such as purple or blue) and then use lighter coloured furniture which will provide accent to the walls.

Wall Art and Shelving

Normally the wall art you should be looking for to decorate a teen boy's room is murals with a sports theme or motor sport theme. Look at very modern shelving in order to display any trophies that they may have on them.

Bedding
When choosing the bedding for your teen boys bedroom is to go with the flow and use that which links in to the overall theme of the room.

For example if you teens room is based on a surf theme then you could paint the walls in an ocean blue colour and then cover them with surf and surfer murals. There are plenty of places where you can purchase bedding that will perfectly match the theme that they have.

Or why not go for a solid colour theme to the room and use other colours in small amounts which will enhance the overall design of the room.

Study Area

When decorating your teen's bedroom include an area for them to study. Each teen will have a different way in which they study and there are many types of different tables available which will suit your particular teens study needs.

Lastly but by no most least when you are looking at bedroom decorating ideas for teenage boys then you should wherever possible involve them in the whole process. You should allow them to have a say as to what colours, theme and designs they want included in the decorating as well as what kind of furniture they would like to have.

Decorating Ideas For A Teenage Boys Bedroom

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Victorian Decorating For The Modern Home

The Victorian decorating style is one that combines antique accessories with modern methods and can really make your house stand out. Whether you have an old Victorian mansion or a new home, you can decorating with a Victorian style by changing small things, for instance painting and hanging vintage accessories to bring some of the Victorian age to your home.

A major component in victorian decorating is what you put on the walls. For this style the room colors make a big difference - you should contemplate putting reds and dark colors and anything with vintage appeal and depending on the particular style many colors either in your wall color or your accessories. Try using an antique style wallpaper and border sets on the walls, or if you want something different go with paint and stenciling. You don't have to get too fancy or spend a lot of money and if you are afraid of a bit of color, merely paint the walls a neutral shade and let the accents in the room do the decorating.

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The floor covering can make or break your decor, but if you can not buy new flooring then just use area rugs with a Victorian design. Oriental rugs are perfect for this type of decor and you can buy genuine antique rugs, or reproductions if you are on a budget.

Accessories are key to pulling your Victorian decor together. You'll be surprised at the impact a few alterations can make! Concentrate on buying old photos, artwork and mantle clocks that match your Victorian decor. Be sure to add in plenty of antiques as well as Victorian era curios. Additional touches like vintage fabrics and vases filled with flowers can add that special touch that gives your home a professional look.

You might want to consider light fixtures in terms of both style and type to go with your Victorian decorating style,. Given that you are trying to get a Victorian look, you might want to take a look at using old fashioned ceiling lights with lamps with silk fringe shades but remember to pass up anything which is primitive or country looking. Don't forget to include table lamps as well as wall sconces.

Furniture should be Victorian in style but you don't have to use genuine antiques. For the sofa especially, you should consider a reproduction. This is because vintage Victorian sofas are very uncomfortable! Wooden pieces like side tables and curio cabinets would look best if you can buy real antiques - the new stuff is just not as beautiful as the old pieces with a rich patina. Always make sure you buy pieces that are in tip top condition.

How you dress your windows are important to your victorian decorating design theme. For a fantastic design in your parlor go with working with layered drapery or velvet curtains or heavy draped curtains with different fabrics. There are a lot of window treatments that can be paired with this design theme, particularly if you match fabrics to your window treatments, but you should avoid contemporary style window coverings.

One decorating area that is frequently overlooked when decorating is the wall space. Even the ugliest walls can be made to look good with great wall decor. Try adding vintage paintings and old photos to create an interesting look to your parlor walls to really bring out the charm of your Victorian Interior Design.

Putting together a perfect Victorian look in your home can be as basic as just buying new decorative accessories or as involved as replacing everything. Either way, working on the details and making sure to coordinate your furniture and decorative accessories will help you achieve a great new Victorian decorating look that you will be proud to claim you accomplished all by yourself!

Victorian Decorating For The Modern Home

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Ethnic-Eclectic Decorating Reflects a Global Culture

Between the rise of jet travel and the advent of the Internet, Planet Earth really has become a much smaller place. The mingling of many cultural styles has result in a new decorating trend that combines international folk art with functional furnishings in a style known as Ethnic-Eclectic design.

Ethnic-Eclectic can be difficult to determine at first because of its very nature. The best way to decide if a room has become an E-E style is to check its overall mood. Decor with accents and accessories that look like they've come from faraway places definitely qualifies as the new Ethnic-Eclectic style.

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To create this style of home decor, start by studying the main furnishings. These typically will have a decidedly ethnic style such as a sofa in a Native American print fabric, African animal prints or bold Mexican stripes. However, many times the furniture will be sturdy but plain, serving as the background for a large display of eye-catching pieces with a clearly global origin.

Take a good look at these smaller furnishings. Here is where Ethnic-Eclectic style will be most pronounced. Carved or hand-painted small tables, natural rattan chairs that evoke African or Pacific Islander images and coarse kilim rugs from Turkey are but a few of the visible signs of a global sensibility. Accessories will come from all over the world. They will include such things as Chinese brass cricket boxes, Indian brass candlesticks, carved wood boxes from many Asian countries, and candleholders in carved wood, wrought iron or boldly painted ceramic.

Examine the floor coverings. Whether the flooring is dark hardwoods reminiscent of Asia, stone or terracotta tiles from Mexico, the floors will be topped with an array of the world's finest area rugs: Southwestern rugs, African animal print rugs, leather rugs and soft Flokati rugs from Greece.

Walls likewise will show evidence of Ethnic-Eclectic influences, such as faux paint finishes that resemble adobe or African or Asian grass-cloth wallpaper. The walls will be adorned with folk art such as Mexican masks, embroidered Asian silk, Balinese batiks or framed antique maps or vintage postcards with photos of exotic lands. Clothing from other cultures, especially vintage or finely crafted apparel such as Japanese kimonos or beaded Native American moccasins, is often showcased.

Window treatments can run a gamut of materials and styles. There may be bamboo matchstick blinds, Roman shades made of woven wood, Mexican blankets hanging from big rings on wrought-iron rods, or plantation-style shutters. More conventional draperies are likely to be made of fabrics with patterns such as African mud cloth, exotic florals, Japanese or Chinese writing or bamboo prints.

Lighting fixtures and lamps also will have international flair. Chandeliers may be of wrought iron or hammered brass. Lamps will have bases made of Mexican pottery, terra cotta, rattan and ceramic ginger jars. Lamps could be designed as palm trees or jungle animals in wood, resin, clay or metal, with lamp shades of woven rattan, pleated linen or handmade paper to complement the cultural style.

Ethnic-Eclectic decorating is one of the most exciting trends today because it incorporates the art and craft of so many marvelous human cultures around the world.

Ethnic-Eclectic Decorating Reflects a Global Culture

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Choose Indian Pottery For Beautiful Western Home Decorating

Indian pottery, like that made by the Tarahumara and Tigua Tribes, is a wonderful way to bring true southwestern style to your home decor. The rough clay is not only very durable but is also what gives the pottery that popular rustic look. The knowledge of pottery making has been taught to each generation and is still made the same way as it has been for centuries. If you are like me and love Native American pottery, you will definitely be thrilled when you hold a piece of this exquisite art in your hands, and consider the hard work that goes into creating such beautiful pottery.

If you like collecting Indian pottery, you will come across many types and might even discover some that you never knew existed. From rustic style pieces of Tarahumara pottery with dark earth tone colors to exquisitely painted art pieces, painted by the Tigua Indians, you will definitely not have a problem choosing something you like. The various types of pottery are thrilling for collectors because there is so much to choose from. The most interesting part of owning genuine American Indian pottery is the knowledge that it has always been part of Indian lifestyle. In recent years, pottery collecting has seen a renewed interest due to the revival of traditional Mata Ortiz pottery found in the northern state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

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Many pieces of Indian pottery can be used not only as collection pieces but also for traditional cooking purposes as well. Many of the Tarahumara pots or ollas as they are called, are used to cook beans, boil corn with lime for making tortillas, roasting corn to make pinole, or for making the traditional corn beer known as tesquino. The pots are simply designed in different sizes and shapes that influence how that particular pot will be used. It doesn't matter which style of pottery you purchase, whether to be used for cooking or just decorative purposes, you will certainly appreciate the hard work that goes into crafting Indian pottery.

You will find the way pottery is made very interesting. Hand-crafted by the potter, the traditional coil and pinch method is used instead of the pottery wheel. Finding and grinding the clay to a fine powder is the first step in pottery making. Water is then added to the clay powder and brought to the necessary thickness. A piece is made for the base of the pot and then clay coils are added to build up the sides. The instruments the Tarahumaras use to smooth the pot and scrape away roughness usually are just pieces of gourd, stone or wood. They then fire the pot in a shallow hole after it has dried in the sun. The fired pot is then painted using traditional items like a feather, the fingers or a cloth-wrapped stick and natural paints like red ochre, iron oxide or hematite.

Owning Native American pottery, whether a roughly made Tarahumara olla, a beautifully painted piece by the Tigua Indian Tribe, or elegant artwork like Mata Ortiz, is truly a great privilege and allows you to experience American Indian traditions and customs in the most authentic way. You can buy beautiful Indian pottery online, and in pottery shops and many stores that sell southwestern decorating accessories. If you would like to be part of the exciting rebirth of Indian pottery collecting and add Native American design to your home, try decorating with authentic pieces of handmade Indian pottery.

Choose Indian Pottery For Beautiful Western Home Decorating

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Train Bedroom and Train Decorating Ideas

A train bedroom can be the most fun bedroom of all. If your child enjoys trains and has some model trains, you can do some train decorating and design a beloved train bedroom that he (or she) will cherish.

I know some "boys" that have kept their model train hobby as teenagers and on into adulthood. Some have elaborate semi-permanent tables with multiple tracks and realistic scenery. In fact my stepfather made a wonderful setup in his basement after he retired. It had been a lifelong dream which began as a childhood train bedroom.

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I have always loved playing with trains myself. My brother got the Lionel set for Christmas when I was a kid, but he went out and played with his new sled and I spent hours playing with "his train". I still have a wooden train set my grandkids play with when they visit. It is "people powered". At Christmas I setup the special Christmas train. It scares the cats, but the kids love it and it plays Christmas music. I naturally consider train decorating part of our holiday décor. Even though I am a girl, I would have loved a train bedroom.

Any color combination can be used in a train bedroom. My favorites are the classic primary colors, blue, red, green, and yellow, which are the colors of our wooden train set with farm animals and train cars of produce. I suggest you use your boy's favorite colors and scenery in his train bedroom.

The best part of having a train bedroom is encompassing a large table that can be used to affix the tracks "semi-permanently". Many crafty dads (or moms) will make an inexpensive one out of plywood to fit nicely in the train bedroom.

When you can, it's a good idea to have enough room to move around all sides of the table, but three sides will work. I saw one ingenious design which was very cool. The train table was on hinges and dropped down from the wall. The tracks and scenery were attached; removable leg supports easily put in place; and in moments the train was all setup at the perfect height in the train bedroom.

Kids of all ages enjoy adding all the realistic trees and buildings, people and animal figures, and roads and cars, plus lots of train tracks and crossing gates. A great addition is to extend the scenery by painting the walls above the train table to match the train table décor. It can be lakes, mountains, trees, farms. Use your imagination to extend the scenery beyond the train table in the train bedroom design.

You can also find lots of cool train artwork to hang on the walls. For toddlers, Thomas and Friends are fun train toys, both large and small. Look for a striped engineer's cap to wear while playing with the trains. You might find a train lamp or train bookends to add to the theme in the train bedroom too.

A train bedroom would truly be "a dream come true" for any model train lover. While he will enjoy it anyway, you can complete the train design by adding a few train decorating touches. You can trace a train engine and caboose or tracks on contrasting felt and sew or glue them on the bedspread, pillows or drapes in the colors you have chosen for his train bedroom.

Train Bedroom and Train Decorating Ideas

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