Get Ready to Decorate for Christmas

When it is time to get ready to decorate for Christmas, what’s the first thing you do? Some people pull out decorations and put them in prearranged spots. Others buy new decorations and display them between their knick knacks that are already on shelves and cabinets. I prefer to start by packing up some of my year round knick knacks and putting them away until the new year so I have plenty of space for all my Christmas decorations.

Once I pack some of the clutter away, I give everything else an extra good dusting and polishing to make sure it is all sparkling clean. Then, I think about fresh tablecloths, paper lace borders or what have you. When the foundation is in place, then I feel like I am actually ready to decorate.

Now, just so you don’t think I’m some super achiever, I don’t decorate the whole house for Christmas, so this doesn’t get done in every room. Plus, I start the cleaning and packing away part super early. I just redid one display shelf and put everything that won’t work with the intended theme away two whole months before Christmas so a quick dusting when I actually put the decorations up is all that I’ll need.

Other things I do to get ready to decorate for Christmas include:

• Touching up paint chips.
• Cleaning windows so they sparkle along with the electric candles.
• Finding wreath hangers.
• Evaluating the condition of extension cords.

What do you do before you start putting up Christmas decorations?

Photo: SXC