Holiday decorating - a phrase that either strikes joy or dread in your heart. It’s not that most people don’t enjoy viewing Christmas decorations, but that they can be a great deal of work. If you’re one of the people responsible for these at someplace like a church or school, there’s an expectation of seeing something festive, wonderful and...different from last year.
So how do you keep it fresh? Yet, at the same time, you need to make the holiday magic happen in an efficient manner. After all, you don’t want to spend so much time on planning and decorating that you miss out on actually enjoying the many special moments of the holidays. Or as the saying goes, forgetting the reason for the season.
Here are a handful of ideas to help keep the decorating fun, unique and time efficient:
1. Rely on the Classics
Sometimes the tried and true is the best way to go. Classic colors, images, icons and lighting. Classic may mean slightly different things to different people and that’s okay. Classic never truly goes out of style. Your decorating may even recapture some favorite holiday memories for those viewing it. And that would be a true bonus for your efforts.
2. K.I.S.S.
Keep It Simple...Silly! Not every square inch of hallway, classroom, worship center, common area, entrance hall, etc. has to be covered from top to bottom. One, well-placed display can be just as effective. For example, making a decorated tree the focal point of the room or a special wall filled with the children’s holiday artwork.
Using colorful wrapping paper as a backdrop or to cover things like bulletin boards can be a quick and effective way to add some pizzazz to an area.
3. Make the Most of Natural Resources
Not only can this be an easy way to decorate, but it can be inexpensive as well. Consider ideas like taking several poinsettia plants and forming them into a tree shape. Or purchase fresh balsam to use for draping or live wreaths as each of these will give off a wonderful fragrance that most will instantly associate with Christmas.
4. Use Bright Colors
The traditional colors of red, green, gold and silver have gotten a modern infusion in recent years. One can walk into almost any store’s Christmas decoration section and notice it has been updated to include offbeat colors like deep purples, lime green, teal, fuschia and others. Color can extend to bunting, ornaments, wreaths, lighting, centerpieces, wrapping paper--the sky’s the limit!
So consider trying something different with bolder colors this holiday season. You might be pleasantly surprised at the result and the feedback you receive from others who see it.
5. Select a Theme
Decide on a central theme and carry it through throughout the area(s) you need to decorate. For schools, themes like Rudolph, Disney, Santa, the Grinch, Frosty the Snowman, or Snoopy are often popular choices. For your home or church, a more muted theme or one with a Christian infusion might be the order of the day. Perhaps the idea of a winter wonderland, complete with whites and snowflake-themed items is appealing. Or you could center everything around two central colors, such as blue and silver.
We hope these ideas have given you some new possibilities for all the decorating spaces you’ll be doing this holiday season. From everyone here at Classroom Essentials Online, have a joy-filled holiday. We look forward to serving you in the new year. As always, check out our full line of student desks and chairs, folding tables, folding chairs, and other classroom furniture by visiting our website at classroomessentialsonline.com or by calling 1 (866) 404-7671.
We look forward to helping you transform your classrooms into amazing learning centers in the new year.
