Caregivers wanting to decorate for holidays. What are some safe ways to decorate?

I never had the time to decorate for Fall, for Halloween, and probably won't for Thanksgiving unless I can find the seagrass turkeys I bought years ago and decorated with fall sprays.

I don't really have any ideas developed for Christmas except one I posted about more than a few weeks ago, to make memory trees with photos from family. I'm still waiting for the photos; I think it's time for another plan.

Perhaps I'll just use painted pine cones with matching ribbons. I've done that before and like the effect. Wreaths from all the grapevines still displaying lovely Fall colors will probably be another project. They're quick and easy to make.

One thing I've had fun with is using Junior Mints and other small boxes wrapped in holiday paper and placed on a sleigh which I used to put out, but have no idea where it is now. The little decorated boxes were just the right size for the miniature faux trees.

Send, sorting and cleaning - you're more ambitious and have more energy than I am. I think I just might be content to read of your efforts while I'm languishing with a hot chocolate and daydreams of what I could do.

Hot chocolate break....

GA, what I want to do, what I am going to do, and what I will be able to accomplish, some of that is just dreaming.

Your ideas sound good....do I eat the junior mints before wrapping them?

That is so true, Hugsmom....what makes a house festive and beautiful are the love and family within!
In the meantime, I am going to put up more twinkle lights.


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Movie reference from Shopgirl Meg Ryan: "You've got Mail".

Sendhelp, one of my Dad's caregivers use to decorate for my Dad, out of her own pocket. Each holiday we never knew what we would find on his front door, on the coffee table, in the kitchen, etc. :) Everything was simple, items one would find at the Dollar Store or Party City.

No Christmas tree, too time consuming. I had bought a "tree" made from large round Christmas balls that was pleasant and decorative.

I've cut back on decorating when I realized I was the only one in the household doing all the work. Forgetaboutit. I do make sure I have those Christmas light candles in all the windows and a wreath on the door.

When I started hating the work of putting it all away, I went to the one hour rule. I only put out what I can get done in one hour. A must for me is lights....candles, some led candles on timers, garland with prewired white lights. The dining table centerpiece starts with a grapevine wreath with burgundy colored ribbon and such at Thanksgiving, adding and removing things to change it to Christmas. Not included in that time limit is the village of tiny houses with tiny lights because that's my gift to me- watching a good movie and creating the village. The other must do is baking with DD because that's about precious time together.

Linda22, sounds like you have a Snow Village, Dept 56 :) They are so great and decorative.

I have a large set of those, with accessories, in my basement, and as time marches on that is where they will stay. Just don't have the energy to clear off the fireplace mantel and the box windows to set up all the houses, fences, trees, little people, little cars, ice skating rink, etc. My OCD would kick in big time :P

I love decorating but rarely get to go all out anymore.

An acceptable alternative is Philips Hue led lights and strips! Easy to change color and light level with a phone or iPad or like device - because there's an app for that. So much ambience, so little time. I even have a "movie blue" that adds a soft glow behind the screen when we have time to watch movies.

I don't decorate anymore. I change the lights via the app and put out one well-placed decoration. (No storing decorations and I have all-year lights!) I haven't had a Christmas tree since 1999 as my husky would "de-decorate" the bottom three feet (but she never broke an ornament.) Now I have cats, so I have a 12" Christmas tree made from metal jalapeño peppers. It's whackable, attackable, and (so far) unbreakable.

I do miss the child hood days of creating my own "snow scene" complete with a two foot tree and special elves. I need to rescue Snap, Crackle, and Pop (yes, my elves had names!) from the attic. 'Tho now it would be my knees going snap, crackle, and pop : )

I really missed the point of Send's thread as to safe decorating for elders. I just thought of "DECORATING!" and away I went.

But the issue of trees is a major one. They could be fall hazards if they extend out into pathways. And they do take up space. Presents could create the same hazards.

I'm going to have to think about this more; it's an interesting as well as challenging topic.

We always had our own village on the mantle we made up ourselves,with little houses and stores and a church and lots of pinecone elves and Santa's everywhere.They didn't have Dept.#56 houses back then I guess.The mantle is jam packed and takes about 3 hours to decorate but I always put on some Christmas music or a tv show and enjoyed doing it.Mother and I always did it together until she got sick,then she just watched and directed.I didn't know what to do last Christmas without her ,so I didn't put up anything and now this year,I have all these kittens and cats,so I probably won't put it up again.I'm still trying to figure out what to do,but I'll put up something happy and try to do a lot better this year than last ad even with the kittens,I'm still gonnaput up a real tree.
I just won't put on any of my glass ornaments or any with small parts my babies could swallow.

GA, The point of the thread was to get some decorating ideas, and like Luckylu mentioned, safe for cats so they won't break everything, or eat some mistletoe berries and die.
Your contributions were, as always, great!

I love the tiny boxes ideas, under a tree. Hoping that I will get well enough to get to a store before christmas.