Come to think of it, Christmas is as much time to make merry as to showcase people’s creativity. From wrapping gifts to staging Christmas pageants, there’s always an opportunity to get your creative juices flowing. That’s why our last blog was all about a do-it-yourself project. Baking cakes used to be daunting  for many but it’s easier now,  what with smart ovens around. This time, we’re tickling your fancy on home decorating.

The work starts with picking a theme. I can’t overemphasize the importance of having a theme in decorating. A theme gives you a system to work with, which is especially useful when you shop for décor: How do you choose the right kind of shiny, for instance, when everything around you shines? A theme will help you break through problems like that.

Moreover, a themed decoration tells a story. It makes people feel like they’ve stepped into another world. That effect is largely because of the coherence among the elements. I don’t think your guests would feel as much if they were greeted at the door by a Victorian angel in a brocade robe then entered an all-white room with crystal ornaments.

Here, we introduce you to three Christmas decorating themes and suggest décor that go with each. With them as inspiration, you can turn your home into a magical place found only in storybooks.

Victorian Christmas

A parlor in the beautifully preserved Victoria Mansion in Portland, Oregon, dolled up in the Victorian style for Christmas. Photo by Cynthia Farr-Weinfield.

The theme for old-soul types. The Victorian Era refers to the 64-year reign (1837 to 1901) by Queen Victoria of England, which was time of peace and flowering of the arts, sciences, technology, and other fields. The ethos generally leaned towards religiosity and romanticism, translating into an aesthetic that valued ornamentation over function. Take your family and guests back to Charles Dickens’ England, with these décor inspired by the era.

A gift a day

Build the excitement for Christmas with this wooden Advent calendar, which has cubby holes you can put trinkets in.

Glitzhome | Countdown Farmhouse – $39.99
International shipping weight –  4.50 kg
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Ancient accents

Deck the walls with these décor from Birch Lane: traditional holly wreaths with embedded LED lights and a vintage North Pole postcard canvas.

Birch Lane| Decorative Pre-Lit Triple Wreath – $ 80.99
International shipping weight – 3.50 kg
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Birch Lane | North Pole Express Canvas – $38.99
International shipping weight –  8.50 kg
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Citizens of Christmas

Your Victorian Christmas village comes alive when peopled by these personalities:

The Holiday Aisle | Silvestri Winter Angel – $ 119.99
International shipping weight –  21.50 kg
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The Holiday Aisle | Old World Santa – $26.99
International shipping weight –   1.00 kg
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Santa’s Workshop | Traditional Carolers- $63.99
International shipping weight –  4.00kg
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Fairy Christmas

A Nutcracker-themed Christmas tree. Photo by Goodwill Belgium

Along with Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker is another story that fills the season with a whimsical mood. It was originally a 19th century German children’s fiction, a yarn about a girl who went on an adventure with a nutcracker through a world of living dolls, fairies, and talking mice. In 1892, it was adapted into a ballet with music composed by Peter Tsaichkovsky. Since then, it has been staged by ballet companies all over the world throughout the ages and has become a Christmas staple. To conjure a fairy kingdom right inside your home, these are the ornaments to pick:

Crowning candy

There’s no better décor for the door to the Land of Sweets than this wreath of candy-colored Christmas baubles.

  Angel Ornament Wreath | Angel Ornament Wreath – $725.00
International shipping weight –  6.50 kg
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Pas de deux

Inspire a little boy or girl to take up ballet with these wind-up figurines of the Sugarplum Fairy, Nutcracker, and Clara.

Kurt Adler | Ballerina Christmas Nutcracker – $ 74.99
International shipping weight –  1.50 kg
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Kurt Adler | Musical Clara – $ 42.99
International shipping weight –  1.00 kg
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Home sweet home

Lure a Hansel and a Gretel into touching these clay-dough gingerbread houses with LED lights inside.

Christmas Central | Gingerbread House – $162.99
International shipping weight – 3.00 kg
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Elder elf

This winged elf would elicit smiles and adoring coos from your guests.

The Holiday Aisle | Holiday Fairy Figurine – $32.99
International shipping weight –  4.00 kg
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Fairy lights

Create an ethereal atmosphere by putting strings of these mini LED lights wherever there’s room for them: hang them from the ceiling, wrap them around the stair handrail, or trim the branches of potted plants with them.

Amir | Fairy Christmas Decorative Lights – $ 15.99
International shipping weight –  0.50kg
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Crystal Christmas

A Christmas tree with crystal ornaments. Photo by christmas.365greetings.com

Glass ornaments and Christmas share a history: the first Christmas tree trinkets were actually made of glass. These were also the first glass objects to be mass-produced, in Germany during the 19th century. Glass ornaments would become the norm at Christmas time up  until the 1940s, when glass and silver came in short supply due to World War II. People then had to make do with paper-and-string decorations instead. These days, glass has regained its status as a popular Christmas décor material because of its elegance. Transform your home into Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors by filling your home with crystal ornaments like these ones in our list.

Let it glow

Delight both the kids and the kids at heart with this snowflake crystal tree ornament and crystal Olaf figurine from Swarovski.

Swarovski | Frozen Set – $325.00
International shipping weight –  0.50 kg
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Crystal conifer

Don’t be fooled by its simple shape. This Christmas tree crystal trinket gives off a shine that resembles an aurora borealis.

Swarovksi | Christmas Tree – $399.00
International shipping weight –  0.50 kg
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Starring role

Keep away the Star of Bethlehem and the angel.  For Crystal Christmas, it’s going to be a snowflake on top.

  Joss & Main| Crystal Snowflake Tree Topper – $ 19.99.99
International shipping weight –  1.00 kg
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Around the snow globe

Have a relaxing moment by watching the faux snow descend on the miniature ceramic church and trees inside this snow globe. Can you see the deer in front of the church?

  All Modern |  Snow Globe – $74.95
International shipping weight – 0.50 kg
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Light through the crack

This crackle glass lantern looks like a piece of icicle with light shining from within it.

Birch Lane |  Snow Globe – $74.95
International shipping weight – 0.50 kg
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Blossom bling

A vase of fresh poinsettias can impress the guests, but only a vase of crystal poinsettias can dazzle them.

Swarovski | Poinsettia – $325.00
International shipping weight –  0.50 kg
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With the kids on vacation and relatives from abroad flying in, your home will be the center of the celebrations this Christmas. So it might as well look the part. Dress your home up based on the themes we have here and you’ll give your family and friends one of the best gifts they could ever get: the gift of experience.

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