By the time the 12th day of Christmas arrives (January 6), I’m ready for the tree to be out of the living room. However, I miss the lights and sparkles throughout the house, so this year I decided to do things a bit differently.
We have a new kitten, so to avoid broken ornaments, I made origami cranes and snowflakes for the tree, which looked beautiful with the lights. Less is definitely more. As it turned out, the cat was only marginally interested in the tree, and at that, only the lower branches.
As I removed the snowflakes from the tree, I taped them to thread and turned them into chains, which are now hanging in various parts of the house. I’m still trying to decide what to do with the cranes, but for now, I’m thrilled with how the snowflakes wave when you walk by them. It’s also snowing at the moment, so it seems even more special.
There are a variety of ways to re-decorate:
• Christmas tree lights look great on plants, inside or out.
• Get some new plants, or force spring bulbs, such as paper whites or daffodils.
• Add some winter touches, lots of holiday stuff is 50-75% off, so it’s a good time to pick up candles and other items that look good any time of the year.
• If you miss having a tree, find a small one and decorate it year round. January can be snow themed; February Mardi Gras and Valentines; March St. Patrick’s Day; and April Easter and spring. By May, there are all sorts of flowers to take the place of the tree, but if you need to continue here are some additional ideas: patriotic ornaments for Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day; summer themes of seashells, sand pails, tiny boats, baseballs; and fall brings apples, back to school, ghosts, witches and other Halloween and harvest goodies. Before you know it, you’ll be decorating the tree with small holiday ornaments.
• Bring the outside in and decorate with pinecones, twigs, rocks, grasses or whatever else strikes your fancy.
• As you are cleaning up after the holidays, you may want to think about getting rid of stuff, or moving furniture. For more ideas in this area, try How to Tackle De-Decorating After the Holidays.
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