how to decorate your home for christmas at the very last minute

How to Decorate Your Home for Christmas at the Very Last Minute.

Sometimes the best laid plans for Christmas go awry and you haven't decorated the house before Christmas arrives. Changed travel plans, sudden illness, busyness at work, a full-on season of events, etc. are all reasons for why you might not have gotten around to doing it yet. Don't despair - you can still have a wonderful Christmas time.

Steps.

1. Don't give up or collapse in a heap. The fact that you haven't had the decorations out as long as the Smiths next door and the Jones over the road just doesn't matter. The intent is to do it now, for Christmas, even if it's Christmas morning. Forgive yourself the hard year or season that you've had and use this last-minute decorating as a cathartic release of tension and a precursor to making a new start for everything from hereon in.

2. Seek the tree only if there is time and it doesn't cause too many challenges or stress. Here is a list to run through quickly to see what will work in the time you have left:

Fresh tree: You might be able to find a tree at the last minute. Only get one if doing so will not cause major disruptions. They'll often be bargain priced by this time as the sellers realize their last sales rather than losses.

Artificial tree: If getting a fresh tree is too hard, think about hopping into a store that is still open late and grabbing an artificial one for what will likely be a reduced price.

Already have tree: If you already own an artificial tree, use that instead. Get it out!

Tree substitute: If you don't have one and you can't get one, what about substituting the umbrella tree that usually sits in the corner unobtrusively doing nothing? Nothing says you can't use a tropical plant instead of a fir tree! Or find a beautiful branch with twigs and decorate it à la Swedish tradition - red and white is ideal for this.

3. Keep the decorating simple but effective. Go for bold rather than for quantity. Prefer tinsel, bead chains, paper chains and some large baubles over a lot of finicky stuff that will take ages to unwrap and put up. Little and lots creates stress; big and few makes it simple.

4. Put out all your Christmas cards. Put a string across the room and hang or pin them to the string. Instant Christmas decoration!

5. Stick a wreath on the front door. If you have one, pin it up. Let the neighbors know that you're home for Christmas after all and you're celebrating it too.

6. Put on Christmas carols while you work. Decorating and cooking the meal go much more smoothly if you play the music and start the Christmas atmosphere.

Tips.

Keep last minute Christmas cooking simple. If you're doing Christmas at the last minute, forget the difficult stuff. Go for roasted vegetables, roasted meat, fresh bread, a wonderful salad, and delicious drinks such as wine, sparkling grape juice, spiced hot drinks, apple juice (the cloudy variety) and eggnog. Consider buying ready-made goodies from the supermarket or gourmet store as a treat; it's Christmas after all and it is time to pamper your sanity as much as doing the traditional things. If you don't have time for traditional, just roll with it.

If you're still feeling miserable, go and volunteer at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter for Christmas. That'll make you realize what you have got this Christmas.

Things You'll Need.

Decorations - less is best.

A tree or a tree substitute.

Wreath.

Christmas cards and a piece of string or yarn, some pegs/clothespins.

CD player and Christmas carols.

Faith.