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How to Decorate for Christmas With Nostalgia

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If you are looking for ideas for Christmas theme decorations, the first place to start is your memories from childhood. By taking one idea from what you remember as being really important to you as child and elaborating on it, you can easily create a Christmas holiday décor that is very personally unique.
For instance if it is snow that you most associate with Christmas, then consider building your Christmas theme decorations around the use of icicles, fake snow, white decorations and white Christmas Lights. If it is the smell of gingerbread that tweaks your memory the most than consider decorating the tree with gingerbread men and women that are decorated with icing b your family. If candy canes are what you remember try festooning garlands, trees and centerpieces with miniature red and white candy canes. Taking one idea and continuing to build on it is the best way to put your personal stamp on your Christmas holiday décor.

The Christmas mistletoe, which in reality is a very poisonous parasitic plant, has come along way from being the plant cursed for growing on the cross of Christ to one of the most sought after Christmas decorations online. The plant itself was used by Nordic cultures for magical rituals and its reputation as an important part in pagan magic has somehow translated over the years to become “the plant you kiss under at Christmas.” As real mistletoe is somewhat toxic to children and pets, you are best to order the plastic kind. You can order faux mistletoe with either red or white berries wherever you shop for Christmas decorations online.

Christmas mistletoe used to be hung from the eaves of the house to ward off evil spirits. In Nordic cultures, enemies were encouraged to make peace with each other beneath mistletoe with white berries. In England the mistletoe plant was burned on the twelfth night of Christmas to ensure that single people would marry by the end of the following year. The tradition of lovers kissing under mistletoe with red berries seems to be a custom begun by early American settlers. So when shopping for Christmas decorations online, by the white mistletoe if you want to keep the peace and the red if you want to encourage romance.

When shopping for Christmas decorations online, you will probably notice that not all Christmas mistletoe looks the same. European mistletoe has shorter stubbier leaves and has white berries. The true Christmas mistletoe that is used as decorations is native to North America and boasts red berries.

Decorating With Vinyl Shutters

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The traditional window shutter is usually made of wood, needs a lot of maintenance and looks like it is right out of an episode of the Brady Bunch. These window shutters that have been in existence since Colonial times are a bit of an anachronism. Most people simply never shut them yet still the hinges need to be oiled and shined.

It might be time to get rid of the anachronistic wooden shutters on your home and go with something more modern such an aluminum window shutter that resists the elements and never closes. This will definitely cut down on your replacement and maintenance costs for keeping the exterior of your home looking sharp!

Here is a run down of the different types of decorate window shutter that are offered by manufacturers today.

Vinyl window shutter – These easy to clean, affordable shuttles last about forty years! They give your house a traditional look without the traditional expense of replacing them frequently. They weigh next to nothing and look like the real thing. They are available in all of the traditional louvered, board and batten and raised panel styles. Even better they come primed and ready to paint in the color of your choice.

Composite window shutter – These shutters are like a thick particleboard that is made from a composite of weather and rot-resistant materials. They are made from molds that offer all kinds of styles including the louvered, board and batten and raised panel window shutter style. You can also find these types of shutters in a cupboard style (sometimes called the Bahama style) that is hinged at the top so you can open and close them just like the old fashioned wooden shutter.

Fiberglass Shutters – This type of window shutter is the most expensive but they do last about twenty years. They are also molded and offered in a variety of designs including the Bahama, louvered, board and battened and raised panel window shutter styles. The fiberglass window shutter is also stronger and more secure than other types and can be used to protect your windows during hurricanes and storms. Most manufacturers offer these in scores of colors and textures that mimic the look of the real thing. You can also buy these primed and paint them yourself to match your house’s exterior design scheme.

Aluminum Shutters. The aluminum wood shutter is also offered in a variety of styles including the faux colonial louvered style and the Bahama style. These strong shutters are great protection for your windows, both in terms of an intruder and also against a hurricane. They come in about a thousand textures and colors. However the powder coated finish looks a little less authentic than other types of shutters and many companies also only offer a warranty of about three years on aluminum shutters.

Of course the crème de la crème will always be the traditional wood shutters, but unfortunately they are not as storm proof as the fiberglass or aluminum window shutter and the costs of protecting them from the elements are relatively sky high compare to other types.