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This BLOG is a resource for Avondale neighbors to share ideas,information,and events . . In the interest of keeping the BLOG current,old material is periodically deleted. , be respectful as you voice your concerns and questions. Any disrespectful comments are removed. For Information about this Blog Please Call 904-256-9138 Do the holidays sneak up on you each year? You know what I mean –one day you’re celebrating the 4th of July and then,before you know it,you’ve got trick-or-treaters at your door and it’s time to think about getting out the decorations for Christmas. Decorating inside can be as simple as hanging some garland and tossing some pine cones into a bowl. Red and green candles,some Holly,and a few globe ornaments,a couple of sticks of cinnamon tied up with the red ribbon and you’ve got yourself a lovely yet simple Christmas centerpiece. This is a great time of year to show off any collections you have. Maybe you’ve got a lot of Santa figurines,or snowmen,or snow globes. It’s amazing how festive these things can be if you put down some snowy looking fabric or felt and run a red or gold ribbon among them. Toss in a pine cone or two,a sprig of holly here and there and your collection becomes a terrific Christmas display. Now is the time to dig out that Christmas village and/or Choo-choo train. You can create a lovely winter wonderland under the Christmas tree or in the windowsill. A few lights surrounding your treasures can add a soft glow. Nothing says Christmas quite like holiday lights,so take advantage of their cheeriness and use them liberally. If you have a fireplace,you will no doubt want to hang some garland and use brightly colored bows at each end. Pinecones,candles,and holly add warmth and comfort to any room,but look especially nice over a fireplace. Don’t have a fireplace? Build one out of cardboard boxes and brick printed paper. This can be a fun project for the whole family,and activities like this help capture the magic of Christmas while making wonderful memories for the children. Many charities sell fragrant holiday wreaths for the door,but you can also make your own out of pine boughs or holly if either grow in your backyard. You could start with a commercially manufactured wreath holder from a craft shop,but you can also use a wire coat hanger. Just pull it open into a circular shape and use wire to hold the greenery onto it. The hook makes it very handy to hang up,and the hanger is inexpensive enough that you can dispose of it after the holidays with no remorse. Poinsettias abound in the stores,and are lovely and easy decorations. You can use ribbon bows as tie backs for your curtains,and if you have access to them,eucalyptus pieces are lovely and fragrant additions to your decorations. There are many different ways to decorate your home,so don’t be afraid to try something new and different this year. Make some memories along the way. How about outdoor decorations? Luminarias are essentially lights in bags,and there are many ways you can use them. Lunch sacks,milk jugs,and tin cans with holes are all potential luminaria bases. Light sticks,Christmas lights,and candles can be used on the inside. Kitty litter makes a nice heavy base inside for holding candles or light sticks. Christmas lights won’t need the heavy base,but you’ll need to experiment to see how you want to run the lights through the luminarias. Cans can be spray painted,milk jugs can be stenciled or painted with holiday scenes,and lunch bags can be plain brown or colorful little gift bags. Light up your driveway with unique hand-crafted luminarias as part of your special holiday decorations. Inflatable Christmas decorations have become quite affordable,but who wants to have a yard that looks like every other house in the neighborhood? It doesn’t take a lot of money to make your house look special and unique. You can set up a variety of outdoor decorations,or you could choose to have a unified theme. One thing that can set your home apart from all the rest on the block is the creation of Christmas Yard Art. A little bit of plywood,a few tools and some paint and you can have an heirloom treasure that can be used for years. Plus,it’s a lot of fun to create your own yard displays. You can find some terrific plans and get more ideas for your Holiday Outdoor Decorations at Christmas Yard Art on Squidoo:http://www.squidoo.com/christmas-yard-art-plans –stop by today and get a head start on a fabulous Holiday Display for your front yard! Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janelle_Kleppin Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/5378058 As Christmas lights are one of the most inexpensive ways to boost the holiday cheers inside the house,people are stacking up on these lighting fixtures without having a clue where to put them. Whilst one can never go wrong with numbers,going overboard with the visual display will not make the holiday cheers any better. Much like any other home projects,the first step is always planning. The location or the venue is one of the most important things to consider when dealing with fairy lights. The reason for this is because the type of display that you can put up is limited by the type of location,the amount of space and the available power source. These lights are specifically made either for indoors or outdoors and interchanging these may result to overheating or short circuit. For gardens,specific lighting schemes should be implemented. These include green lights for lawns or yellow and pink lights for flowery plants. Indoor lights are relatively cheaper than the outdoor types. It’s because the outdoor ones have more insulation to protect them from moisture or heat. The second step is to look for the perfect type of light. If the goal is to have a grand display of lights in front of the house,then buying the miniature type instead of rope lighting could prove to be more expensive. In fact,you can buy a made to measure rope light that can cover the length of space where you want to put the lighting decoration. It can stretch to as much as 44 meters. The best thing about these cut-to-length rope lights is that they are available in many colours with all of them featuring multi action effects. On another note,those who want to save on energy should invest in LED lights. Although these types are much more expensive compared to the usual incandescent bulbs,they can save up to 80 percent of energy. LED lights are more durable too. Sharing one electrical outlet for all the lights has become possible because of this energy efficiency feature. The third step is to ensure the safety of the decoration. One of the first things to do is to inspect the lights before installing them. See if they are working or that if there are any exposed wires that could lead to short circuit. If there are lights that are damaged,it would be best to replace them immediately instead of keeping them in place. Also make sure that electrical outlets or even extension cords are not overloaded. Bear in mind that power outlets can only supply electricity to a specified number of light bulbs or LED lights at a given time. If possible,cover the connected plugs with an electrical tape to add more protection. It is also advisable that you use plastic coated fasteners and clips when putting these lights in place. It is also advisable to unplug the lights when going out or when you are about to sleep. This will keep the shelf life of these fancy lights longer. The Fourth step is to maximise the use of holiday lights. The only way to do this is to have a closer look at these lights to see what they can do. As a rule,blinking lights with practically the same colour and lighting effects should be grouped together to have a semblance of uniformity. There are others who prefer to mix and match the colours of their lights,but this is more of a personal preference. If you want to wow the crowd with your dazzling display of lights,then make your light decoration more organised. The key is to blend the light with the existing Christmas decoration,not overshadow it. For this you will need a special set of lighting with the same colour schemes. The thing that makes Christmas lights installation unique,is your personal touch. At the end of the day,any decoration you put up will become a masterpiece if you put your heart into it. Even with limited fairy lights or rope lighting,you can create a wonderland of lights right at your doorstep. You just have to be creative. Iain Jenkins writes articles for LDJ Lights,a UK based online store which provides an extensive range of Christmas lights and party lights for both indoor and outdoor uses. Explore LDJ’s rope lighting,perfect for decorating the garden at Christmas time,or use their fairy lights to personalise a room in your home. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Iain_Jenkins Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/6741008 | ||||||
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