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Tips for Decorating Your Christmas Tree
Filed under: Decor
The first written record of a decorated Christmas tree was in 1510 in Riga, Latvia when men representing the local merchants' guild decorated a tree with artificial roses, danced around it in the marketplace and then set fire to it. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, roses were used for many years and are considered to be a symbol for the Virgin Mary.
During the 17th century, apples were commonly used in Germany to decorate Christmas trees, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. This practice was a holdover from the 14th and 15th centuries when evergreen boughs hung with apples were the only prop used in the "miracle plays" that were performed at the churches on the day before Christmas. December 24th was known as "Adam & Eve's Day" in the early Christian calendar, and the plays were used as ways of teaching the Bible to a largely illiterate population.
During the 18th century, edible ornaments were so commonly used on Christmas trees that they were often called "sugar trees." During this time, lighted candles started being used as decorations in France.
German settlers introduced the Christmas tree to the United States during the 19th century and they rapidly grew in popularity. At first, Christmas trees were tabletop in size before the floor-to-ceiling-sizes became more commonly used, according to the association.
Do you want to make your Christmas tree a striking one this year? Here are a few tips to help you:
1. Choose a theme and color scheme
Begin by choosing a theme and color scheme for your tree. Such is the tradition in the White House, where First Families have selected a theme for the White House Christmas Tree each year, beginning with the Kennedy family in 1961. There's no need to throw out old ornaments that don't fit into your current theme, as they might be work with themes selected in the future. This year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York decorated its 20 ft. tall blue spruce (above) with a collection of 18th-century Neapolitan angels and cherubs among its boughs. Flanking the tree's base are groups of realistic crèche figures flanking the Nativity scene at its base. The tree is currently on display in the Museum's Medieval Sculpture Hall.
2. Work from the inside out
Once you have figured out what your theme is, work from the inside out. Be sure to string your lights before hanging the garland and ornaments. Metallic-colored ribbon works well as garland.
3. Hang your "filler" ornaments
Decorate the backdrop of your tree with your filler ornaments (solid colors or simply decorated) before hanging the thematic ones. Wire or ribbon works best for hanging ornaments, as they will provide more stability. While many ornaments come with hooks attached, these tend to fall off the branches easily.
4. Hang large ornaments low and small ones high
Larger ornaments often work best on the lower branches of the tree; use the smaller ones for the higher branches. Metallic ornaments and garland are a great choice, as they will reflect the light emitted from your Christmas lights.
For a peak at some of the most beautiful Christmas trees in the world, click on the slide show below. Here you will see a range from traditional Christmas trees to those that are futuristic.
_thumbnail.jpg "National Christmas Tree in Washington")
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f ... It's a designation few merit. And while earning that distinction isn't easy, discovering the most essential of life's luxuries has never been easier, thanks to 
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Oriental rugs traditionally are those rugs and carpets that are both handmade (either hand-knotted or hand-woven) and come from Asia. This includes such countries as Turkey, Iran (formerly Persia), Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Nepal, Mongolia and Uzbekistan. Historically speaking, Persia (now Iran) is considered to be the origin of the most important oriental rugs. Typical Persian rug designs and patterns are geometric. Rugs which are hand-knotted outlast machine-made rugs. One way to determine quality is to study the compactness of the weave. More knots per inch means more labor invested in the rug and commands a higher price.
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When it comes to home decor, color can make a big difference. Choose too dark a color and your room can look smaller. Pale walls can be boring and attract dirt. Finding a color you can live with can take time, however. Depending on the amount of sunlight a room gets, it can look very different depending on the time of day, so it is a good idea to look at samples in varying light. Keep in mind that color can affect mood. Light blues and other cool colors can be calming, while vibrant reds and yellows provide energy. One interior decorator tip is to paint the ceiling the palest possible shade of pink---this adds a slight glow to the room that makes everyone look better. If you can't bear pink, try adding just a hint of the wall color into your white ceiling paint for a sense of unity.
A simple way to brighten your living room or library is to clean up the appearance of your bookshelves. First, have a look at where in the room they are located. Valuable books shouldn't have direct exposure to sunlight. Also, look at the lines the shelves create. Would the room look wider if the shelves were opposite the entrance instead of along the side walls? Could you arrange them around a corner with a chair to create a reading nook? Try arranging them by color. You can create all kinds of patterns: a rainbow can be achieved by alternating chunks of reds and blues, lights and darks. Play around with stacking, as well. Lay some books horizontally in stacks to create bookends, or in the middle of a shelf. Decorate the top of a stack with a unique object.
Changing the light fixture is one of the easiest and fastest ways to transform a room. In a bathroom, you can make a dramatic change just by replacing the bulb in a ceiling light fixture and by adding light sockets over the vanity with recessed lighting throughout the room. 
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