(How to choose the colours, materials and shape of your Christmas decoration)

If you want to realize a Christmas decoration you have to answer some questions.

Do I like decorations made with natural materials or prefer sparkling decorations?
What is the right colour for Christmas?

The first answer is the most important choice. If you like natural materials, dried or fresh, you must add no sparkling, supercoloured or glittering ornaments to your decoration; choose fresh pine, holly, butcher's broom, mistletoe, berries of different kind, pieces of chinnamon, slices of dried orange, candles, material ribbons You can see an example in the photo where there is a centrepiece for a natural Christmas table.
You can prepare a lot of Christmas decorations with this kind of materials: centrepieces, garlands, wreaths, Christmas trees, placecards

If you prefer glittering decorations, you can take your pick among the most glittering, sparkling and coloured ornaments. But what is the right colour? Blue and silver, red and gold, pink and silver, orange and gold or a lot of colours?
In Italy we have a lot of shops that prepare many corners, each one dedicated to a single colour. So we have the opportunity to choose what we prefer and what we can combine well with the ornaments of the previous years.
It's impossible to buy a lot of ornaments every year and, when the holiday season is finished, throw away everything. And then ... one of the most beautiful thing in the holiday season is to open the the old boxes and pull the ribbons, Christmas balls, elfs, angels, butterflies ... out of them; isn't it?
Now we're going to show you some examples with different colours.

If Christmas is red for you, think about the other colours you can combine well.
Is your table-cloth white? What's the best centrepiece? Arrange some red Christmas balls, red silk roses and white balls on a platter that must be different from the table-cloth. Look at the photo!

Do you prefer pink or purple? Look at the photo!
We placed some pink and purple crystal grapes, pink poinsettias, blue flowers (sprinkled with iridescent colour) and other flowers on a golden fruit or cake stand.

Do you want to remember the snow purity? White is your colour!
In this example we used a platter made with white little crystals and decorated with golden touches. We arranged some white ornaments on it: silk roses with golden edges and Christmas balls made with cotton wool and tied with a thin golden yarn.

If you prefer orange, you can combine it with gold. You have to combine ornaments with other colours in order to avoid your decoration is too monotonous: red and green for example.
We used a platter made with green little crystals and put these ornaments on it: artificial red & orange apples, some pine cones, golden apples, a green butterfly ... Look at the photo for more details.

Then there is another problem: what is the best shape?
We're going to give you some suggestions.

Let's begin with the centrepiece.
At first you have to combine the colours of the centrepiece with the table-cloth, china set and cutlery.
Then it must not be too bulky or high; your guests must be able to look at each other when they are talking. All must be very well-proportioned.
Don't use fragrant candles; they are fashionable but their scent modifies the smell of the food.
It's a beatiful idea a candle Christmas house.

You have to adobe the main door: are there alternative ideas to the classic wreath (you can find a lot of them in our pages)? The classic wreath must be substituted by fresh pine decorated with various ornaments, stylized Christmas tree, the Advent calendar (until Christmas day) or the beautiful pannier.

Do you want to decorate your table? You could prepare a stylized Christmas floral arrangement or a rich bouquet in a vase or the Italian cornucopia.
Other ideas for other pieces of furniture: a decoration made with bamboo canes and flowers, stylized branches with white silk flowers or a decorated bundle of twigs.