Christmas Decorations Buying Guide
The ritual of decorating one’s home for the Christmas holiday is a highly anticipated tradition for most people. Homeowners and apartment dwellers find comfort in decking the halls and inviting friends and family to join them for parties, meals, gift swapping, and other cheerful holiday activities.
There are so many different kinds of Christmas decorations available that many folks fall into the traps of either overdoing it or giving up. There are countless types of ornaments, wreaths, garlands, and stockings designed to adorn a home. And just about anything used in a home comes in a Christmas version, from dishtowels to bath soap to bed linens.
Loading up on the holiday motifs can be overkill, but Christmas seems somewhat gray without a few decorations around. Buyers can spend some time reviewing the types of collectible Christmas decorations available and formulate a game plan to add just the right festive touch to each room.
Types of Christmas Decorations
Some Christmas decorations come in the form of collectibles, have perceived value because of the company that makes them. Many artists and artisans start out selling their popular collectibles as decorative works of art and then go on to make useful items for the home that bear their recognizable motifs and signature style, or vice versa.Some companies produce collectibles exclusively for Christmas, while others include Christmas decorations as part of a much larger product line. A few of the commonly recognized names in collectibles include
- Avon
- Bradford Exchange
- Danbury Mint
- Hallmark
- Lladro
- Longaberger
- Thomas Kinkade
These manufacturers create decorative objects of all kinds for all seasons, not just Christmas; however, people feel a bit freer to spend money on festive decor at Christmas, so these names become more prominent around the holiday season.
Christmas decorations can also refer to items that are purchased once, kept, and used year after year, not just collector’s items in the artistic sense. Some examples would be artificial trees, lights, and garlands.
The types of decorations available are many; following are a few major categories and some famous names associated with each.
Bells
The ringing of bells is a welcome and comforting sound at Christmas, especially since most people remember hearing that “every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings” in the holiday classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Some collectible bells look much like regular porcelain figurines, while others are formed in a traditional bell shape with Christmas colors and accents. These bells are small works of art that are beautiful to look at and make beautiful music. Lladro bells are among some of the most popular Christmas bells.
Also common at Christmas are jingle bells or sleigh bells, the small metallic bells that are normally seen in clusters. People like to hang these on doors so that they make a merry tinkling sound each time the door is opened and closed.