Not everyone has room for a large tree, real or fake. Is the small space in your home or apartment preventing you from buying a Christmas tree? Here are a few tips on how to decorate for Christmas when you don’t have much room.

There are many table top trees available which can be placed in your home or apartment. Smaller trees, usually one to two feet high, can be put on your kitchen counter top, on your television, or on top of the entertainment center. A tall stand, used for books or other items, would be a perfect place to put the tree. If you have space in front of a window, set the stand and tree there. You can buy snowflakes and attach them to the window, surrounding the tree, to achieve a wonderful effect.

Some smaller Christmas trees come fully decorated, or you can decorate the tree yourself. For example, a white tree would look great in a kitchen decorated with ornaments reflecting the décor of the room. A tree skirt created from left-over fabric could highlight the colors in your living room or den.

Small trees are used in an office environment as well. They are usually placed on counter tops, file cabinets, or desks. Novelty trees are oftentimes chosen for the workplace, such as singing or talking trees

Ceramic trees, which are absolutely lovely, can be put anywhere in your home or apartment. Some of them light up, which gives the effect of having a real tree in your home. A ceramic tree can be placed on the night table of your child’s bedroom, or the lamp table in your den, or on your home/office desk.

While smaller Christmas trees are still popular today, there are some unconventional trees designed for small spaces. An upside down tree, although not a new idea, has emerged as a favorite space saver. The reasons for the tree’s popularity are many. The ornaments would not be shaken off the tree by a pet; it allows for more floor or table top space; and enables one to amass more presents under the tree.

Whether you are single and living in a small apartment, or have a home and no longer wish to have a six foot tree, there is no reason to deny yourself the pleasure of decorating a tree that will fit anywhere in your home.

These days it is quite expensive to buy ornaments or other decorations for the holidays. As a more frugal and fun option, here are 3 cute ornaments you can make with items you have around your house.

1. Cookie Ornaments: Use whatever cookie cutter designs you have on hand and bake cookies to hang on the tree. If you do not have cookie cutter designs, no problem. Make your own designs. For example make pretzel cookies, which can easily be hung on a branch and decorated with ribbons. Here is how to do it. Roll out a small piece of your favorite dough to about 3 inches. Take the two ends and overlap them at the top to form an upside down letter “Q” – or make any loop shape. After the pretzel is baked, you can tie a ribbon through the hole in the shape of a bow, and hang it on the tree.

2. Paper Tree Ornaments: Take white construction paper and cut out Christmas trees. Your child can personalize each one with his name, stickers, glitter, a drawing, or color each tip of the tree to resemble ornaments. Use these trees to make a border in your child’s room or string them together to wrap around your Christmas tree.

3. Christmas Stocking Ornaments: Make your own Christmas stocking ornaments using whatever material you have on hand. Use several fabrics and colors to really make them bright and colorful. Glue on bows, beads or large ribbons. You can also personalize them with your child’s name. When the stockings are done, cut a piece of fabric into a loop and sew it onto the top of the stocking. Hang them on the tree proudly.

Making homemade ornaments is not only fun for the entire family, but lets your child expand his creativity and imagination. It is much more meaningful to make something than to just go out and buy it. It is a wonderful and satisfying way to spend time with your children. These home-made ornaments make wonderful gifts as well.

Before you decide to go shopping for Christmas ornaments, first take a look around your house. You’ll be surprised at what you may find!

A Christmas cookie swap is as simple as it sounds. Friends gather together at another friend’s home, bringing their favorite baked cookies on a platter or tray. All the platters and trays are put on a table. The friends gather around the table; taking take two or three cookies from each dish or platter, to take home. This is the cookie swap. What makes this particular event so wonderful is each person may have a story about the cookies, i.e., where the recipe came from; anecdotes about preparing the cookies, etc.

Are you ready to plan your Christmas cookie swap? Let’s begin with the invitations.
Purchase or make your own invitations and send them to your friends. Set a date and time convenient for all, perhaps a late morning on a Sunday afternoon. Be sure to add an RSVP so you know how many are attending. This will determine how many cookies you need to bake.

The night before the event, begin baking your favorite cookies using either recipes handed down from your mother or grandmother, or new recipes you have made experimenting on your own. Place your cookies on your Christmas plate or tray, cover the cookies with wrap, and set aside in a cool area.

Decorate your main table with a Christmas tablecloth and matching napkins. Use your Christmas cups and saucers; dessert plates; creamer; sugar bowl; and flatware. Arrange a beautiful poinsettia centerpiece for the table. Next, prepare and decorate a second table on which the plates or trays of baked cookies will be placed.

On the day of your event, prepare your coffee pot and tea kettle about half hour before your friends arrive. Finally, your friends come bearing delicious baked cookies, filling your home with a wonderful aroma. Show your friends to the cookie table, and have each friend set down their plate or tray of cookies on the table.

After much conversation, call your friends together for the cookie swap. Gather everyone around the cookie table, and begin the process of each person walking around the table, taking two or three cookies from each tray. When finished, have everyone sit at your main table and the storytelling can begin. Every participant leaves with a selection of cookies that they can share at their homes with visitors and guests.

Planning a Christmas cookie swap is fairly easy. Having your friends come to your home with their own recipes and sharing stories is the icing on the “cookie.”

More than ever before, the traditional Christmas tree has evolved from the standard that we grew up with into an array of Christmas tree themes. Here are some of the most popular Christmas tree themes.

An angel tree is quite popular. A white tree adorned with golden-winged angels on its branches, gold garland, and an angel atop the tree. A tree skirt made of gold gives the tree a beautiful finishing touch.

If you have been purchasing Hummel ornaments throughout years, this is a great tree theme, as they are quite delicate and beautiful. Place each ornament on a branch and just add white lights. Place a larger Hummel ornament atop the tree. The skirt could be elegant and simple; perhaps a brown skirt with a lace border.

Musical trees are popular as well. Place different instrumental ornaments on the branches and use a piano key skirt.

Traditional candle trees have been around for ages. Put candles in holders and tie the holders to each branch. Use white lights around the tree, and a simple tree skirt of gold.
A doll with a beautiful flowing gown would be a stunning on the top of the tree.

Toyland trees are very popular for the young and old alike. Remember the movie Sound of Music? Why not decorate the tree with your “favorite things.” For example, use dolls in white dresses with blue satin sashes; ornaments of cream colored ponies; sleigh bells, and crisp apple strudels. Use turtledoves to represent “the wild geese that fly,” and use white construction paper to cut out and paste “the moon on their wings.”

Decorate your tree with candy. Your kids will have a great time deciding which candies to use. Put candy canes on the branches, and string a garland of different colored lifesavers around the tree. If you are decorating a white tree, hang long red vines on each of the branches, or tie silver-wrapped kisses on the branches to resemble bells.

Cookie trees are another favorite. Bake your favorite cookies or, in addition, hang your favorite cookie cutters on the tree as well. Ensure that when baking the cookies, you reserve a hole to insert the ribbon. Make Christmas cookie balls and string them around the tree, by inserting a thread through each ball.