Dress your home for Christmas

The colorful trims - of vibrant and sparkling little lights, glitzy trees, golden ornaments, elegant wreaths and garlands, fine ornaments, angels and cherubs, twig trees, mistletoes and all that's in between - are in for it is Christmas time!

To ease your Christmas decorating woes, try any of these easy ideas.

1. Be creative. Maximize a piece's potential. Stacking several antique silver compotes allows for a much more dazzling display than would solo shows.

2. Keep it simple. Use simple gold or silver pieces, for example.

3. Use a centerpiece for your dining table. Use an elegant compote or bowl filled with apples and oranges to celebrate the season's offering.

4. Decorate a buffet table. Add votives and candelabrum to illuminate the table; twig trees add whimsy.

5. Use your favorite things. Add uniqueness to your decoration by adding a few of your favorite pieces.

6. Decide on a theme. There are so many decorations to choose from! But if you have a theme as a starting point-a favorite color, collectible, or holiday icon perhaps-you can instantly narrow down your selections. A theme can help decide everything from invitations to decorations to desserts, and set the stage for a uniquely memorable gathering.

7. Plan ahead. Way ahead. You don't want to be searching for the perfect tablecloths on the busiest shopping day of the year. The first chill in the air is a signal to start thinking about your holiday party and a date for the celebration. Then you can begin stocking up on all the essential decorations.

8. Engage the senses. When you think about decorating your home, also consider what your guests will touch, hear, smell and taste during the party. Make the mood inviting with the sounds of beautiful music (played low enough so conversations can be heard), the scent of something yummy like steaming cups of native chocolate, the tastes of classic and new holiday fare. The more senses you engage, the more extraordinary the experience becomes.

9. Bring the outside in. Some of the most evocative home decorations come from your own backyard. Unique branches, twigs, leaves, and flowers can serve as centerpieces, mantle decorations, even hand-made wreaths. They can also fill your home with a wonderful, fragrant aroma and bring a little bit of nature indoors.

10. Light up the room. Candles can set the mood and create a festive ambience. They also bring warmth to the room-and everybody looks good in candlelight!

11. Plan some surprises. Here is your chance to use objects you already own in innovative ways. Drape a table with a hand-sewn quilt instead of a tablecloth, or cover a chair with a particularly soft cashmere blanket. Fill your glass bowls with candy, or your candy bowls with mini chocolates.

12. Your gift to your guests. Wrap small boxes in pretty gift-wrap and if you are having a seated dinner, attach a hangtag with each guest's name to use as place cards. Encourage the guests to take these boxes home with them. Inside you can place the words to particularly meaning holiday poem, tiny chocolate truffles, or a personal wish from you to them for the holidays. This small gesture will mean a great deal!

Here are some Christmas decors that are ideal for your home: (1-Geuel Handicrafts round candle holder P569; 2-Geuel Handicrafts 3-way spike P1,095 (candles not included); 3&6- Geuel Handicrafts single topia P699; 4 - Geuel Handicrafts cone decor P1,095; 5 - round decor P449 with candle worth P25.75; 7&8 - little angels candle holders P400+; 9&11 - mangers range from P500 - P9,995; 10 - Geuel Handicrafts curly tingting P359; and 12 - Geuel Handicrafts round decor P949)