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How to Decorate With Christmas Poinsettas

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When it comes to home holiday decorations, the poinsettia is a familiar mainstay on mantelpieces and dinner tables. However the tradition of using this plant as part of home holiday decorations originated in Mexico, not in North America.

In Mexico, the poinsettia is are called by many names: “flor de fuego” (fire flower), “flor de Navidad” (Christmas Flower), and “flor de la Nochebuena” (Flower of the Holy Night). North American culture has since adopted this flower, which comes with red, white or pink leaves, as part of traditional home holiday decorations. In Europe the tradition of using poinsettias as part of Christmas décor is a Spanish influence; a hangover from when Spanish conquistadors brought the gorgeous plant over from Mexico for royalty to admire. Exactly how it became associated with Christmas is not exactly known but the flower is a familiar site in every way around Christmas time. In fact, a gift of a Poinsetta is a sought after gift.

Most people just use the plant itself as a decorating accent and place it on the mantel, a dining room table or on a plant stand of its own that gives it some majesty and prominence in the room. No matter where you put them nothing says Christmas quite as vividly as a poinsettia. You can also take poinsettia flowers and make them into a beautiful wreath for your front door. However it is better to make this out of silk or plastic poinsettia foliage as one made from real leaves might be expensive.

The poinsettia makes a great decorating accent, particularly if you are planning a color scheme that is all white or all red as part of your xmas décor. However if you have pets or children in the house you may want to avoid using poinsettias as part of your home holiday decorations because it is a very poisonous plant. In this case you can easily buy life-like plastic versions of this special Christmas flower at craft and retail chain stores. Another benefit to using the plastic or silk versions of poinsettias is that you can keep them dust free and clean. Poinsettias can also be fussy flowers. You need to take care of it if you want it to live long.

If you don’t like the idea of keeping the actual plant around there are is no shortage of linens, ribbons and other décor that have a screen-print of a poinsettia on them. You can also get ceramic and glass decorations in the shape of a poinsettia.

How to Decorate A Room With Vinyl Skylights

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Skylight style windows are a familiar architectural sight in most modern day homes. They are usually situated in smaller rooms that don’t have a lot of light because of a need for privacy (such as a bedroom or bathroom) or in larger rooms that are leant a sense of majesty from having the sunlight pours in through a vast gap in the roof.

The reason it is important to have skylights that are seamed with vinyl is that they help keep cold air out and warm air in. However this can be a drawback if you live in a hot climate and the sun is beating down through your skylight vinyl windows all day. In hotter climates tinted skylight windows or ones equipped with automatic shades are more useful so that the cost of your air conditioning does not rocket sky high. Skylight vinyl windows are best utilized in colder, damper climates where insulation from the elements is needed.

The larger they are the better skylights vinyl windows look in any room. The usual size of skylight vinyl windows is between one and four square feet. Cubbyhole sized ones just look tacky unless they are highlighting a sculpture or a plant.

However sometimes you only have room for a small vinyl sealed skylight in which case it is recommended that you buy one that has a funnel shape that is wider at the bottom. This allows more light than normal to be filtered into the room from the skylight and then be spread and reflected over a larger area. Light adds heat. Make sure that this type of skylight is also vented to allow heat to escape if you live in a hot climate.

In essence there are three different types of vinyl sky light windows.

Vented Skylight. The vented skylight is more of a modern entity, as before the late eighties most skylights did not have the ability to open or close. These types of skylight vinyl windows can be opened either electronically or manually. The vinyl stripping around the frame of the window prevents them from leaking rain.

Sun Tunnels. Sun tunnels are essentially holes that are about a foot wide that allow sunlight through to dim areas of your home. They are installed to allow more natural light into bathrooms, basements, attics and even closets!

Skylight Window Shades – These are skylights that come with a lid. Sometimes it isn’t always ideal to have the sunlight brightening your room especially if you want to take a nap or view a movie in the dark. These types of skylights come with a remote that allows you to adjust the amount of light in the room.

Skylight vinyl windows are so secure and water proof that the need to frame the skylight with wood is no longer necessary. The vinyl also prevents double paned windows from sweating. However if you prefer the more elegant, finished look of wood wrapped windowpanes they can be easily fitted around skylight vinyl windows to achieve a more traditional appearance.