Christmas decoration ideas

[ohfourfoxache]

May I pick all of your lovely festive brains please?

Just to give you a bit of background:
DH's Nan (I'll call her DN for ease if that's OK) has had a terrible year. Moved into a home with DH's Grandad (DG) in June, she was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of July and DG died the next day. Since then she has moved into a different home (which she much prefers). Continues to have health problems (she still has "all her marbles" though).

Out of all her family, one of her DDs and DH and I are the only ones who visit regularly. She is 90.

DH and I really want to do something special for her this Christmas. I'm making presents for her (her room is very dark and would benefit from some bright and homely things - started with a present for her 90th and it has already helped, so I'm doing items to match).

We have decided that we are going to put Christmas decorations up in her room as a surprise for her and hopefully spread a bit of festive cheer. We're thinking about a Christmas tree in one corner, miniature trees for her 2 window sills, wreath on the door and tinsel around the pictures on the wall/mirror.

However, as she is pretty much wheelchair bound ATM it is difficult for her to see all around her room when she is on her own.

I would love to decorate in a way that "appeals to all the senses" iyswim. She is pretty deaf but wears hearing aids, but I want to avoid anything too noisy as, when she can hear, I don't want to drive her up the wall. Need to avoid scented candles etc as it could be a safety issue.

Can anyone suggest anything else we could do?

That sounds plenty. Will the Christmas tree have lights on it, and will she be able to reach to switch them on and off? More importantly, will she remember to switch them off when away from her room for long periods, i.e. in the day room or dining room with others?

I would personally avoid noisy decs altogether, although she might enjoy some Christmas songs from yesteryear on CD to play, or choirs singing carols. I think you can get headphones that can be used with hearing aids, so that if she listens late at night she won't disturb anyone. Instead of scented candles, what about some festive pot pourri? You could investigate a Christmas themed blanket or throw for her bed too.

I think that covers sight, hearing, smell and touch!

I think lights are a definite, but I have to admit I hadn't thought about the turning them on/off thing. I might speak to the home - she can't physically leave her room unaccompanied so I should probably speak to the home directly to see if they could do the honours whilst she is away from her room.

Love the pot pourri idea! That would work really well, as would the carols etc on CD. Unfortunately I made her a quilted blanket thing for her bed for her 90th which she now refuses to part with even for a short time (everyone who visits is shown this blanket whether they want to see it or not!)

How easy/difficult would it be to make a wreath thing with dried oranges/limes etc? I'm quite crafty but I've never attempted anything like that.....

Do you mean a wreath of fresh foliage? I wouldn't use fresh indoors as it will dry out in the heat of her room very quickly, bits may drop off it etc. If you get a fake fir wreath you can add anything you like to it. You push floristry wire though the dried fruit and attach to the wreath, twisting the ends of the wire together at the back to secure. You can get packs of dried orange slices at places like Hobbycraft, it is best to attach them in bunches of three slices for maximum effect. You can also do bunches of cinnamon sticks by winding the wire tightly around the bunch and then attach as the orange. Drying the fruit yourself is a bit of a pain and the commercially made ones are so much better.

Instead of a throw, what about a Christmas cushion? Even if she didn't use it, it could sit on her bed.

How about a poinsettia to go on her table? Also those plug in smell things have a range of festive fragrances as you cannot use candles. I have also seen battery operated tea lights but cannot vouch for them personally.
Would she appreciate a small bottle of sherry or Baileys, perhaps a hamper of mince pies, cake bites, chocolates all in small sizes as most old people eat like birds.
A festive throw to go over her bed or cover her knees with (Matalan or similar)
Also when she was alive my DGM used to love a chocolate advent calendar :o

Ooh, the chocolate advent calendar is an absolutely SUPERB idea! She would love that!

The orange slices look absolutely perfect - we've got pinecones in the garden as well - I'm going to try to dry some out and combine them on a fake fir wreath. Combined with cinnamon that should look and smell really nice!

I'm so excited about doing getting everything together for this!

Thanks for all your suggestions!

DH and I decorated her room on Saturday with the following:
6' Christmas tree
Tinsel around wall hanging pictures
Wreath on her "front door" (with orange, cinnamon, pine cones, red and gold ribbon and red baubles - made it myself and I was really pleased with how it turned out!)
Musical Christmas box that plays Jingle Bells when you open it
Poinsettia
"Window sticker" things with sticky holly and snowflakes
Orange, cinnamon and bay filled "cages" that smell divine - hung in each of the two windows
Personalised chocolate advent calendar

The staff at the home were fantastic - they even took her to her favourite communal area when she had had her lunch rather than back to her room, telling her that the carpet was being cleaned in her room, just so that we could have an extra few minutes to finish up.

Her reaction was just beautiful. She absolutely loved it. I cried! The tree, poinsettia and advent calendar went down particularly well. I'm just so glad that we were able to do something to brighten things up for her after such a shit year

I just wanted to say thank you for your brilliant suggestions and to let you know what the outcome was!

So glad she enjoyed it

What a lovely lovely thing to do! That's really brightened up my morning reading that.