Christmas Lights and Decorations

[Ainat266]

This is our first Christmas in our own (bought!) home. We chucked out all our old lights 2 years ago (they were ancient), and we were living at my mums temporarily last year so didn't need our own. This year we want to try and make the place look Christmassy without being OTT. We can afford to spend a bit, but at the same time for decorations that are only going to be out a few weeks we don't want to go too crazy.

We already have a tree, and Christmas stockings (we have a mantle piece - it HAD to be done) - but need ideas on other things...

I've been looking at the Range website and they seem to have some good things at good prices - Reading is my nearest one. Does anyone know if they have their Christmas stuff out yet? It's about half hour drive for me so I don't want to make the journey if not. You can shop online, but I love walking round that shop! Haha! (sad, I know!)
Homebase has some nice baubles that we liked...

Also - colour schemes. What kind of colours do you use? I like to have a theme of two colours - I want silver and then either an icy blue or a dark purple. Hubby is insisting that he wants traditional colours and wants red...

I was going to come on and suggest the Range to you. Yes they have their stuff out. Costco have some nice stuff each year too, although I've not been this year yet.

I've always gone traditional in the living room, gold/red and doubt I will ever change that. But I did buy a little tree for the kitchen last year so I could have different colours. That's purple and silver.

We do red white and silver.
Wilkinsons and home bargains have nice cheap decs that I buy for bulk then spend more on a couple of really nice things.

Home sense in Reading have some lovely decorations in store now. I've bought some!

B&Q have a wide range of lights, and they have them illuminated so that you can see what they're like. Their decorations are quite good too.

Brie Red, white and silver sounds nice - Maybe hubby and I can compromise on that. Hehe. I get my silver, and he gets his red and I imagine the white fits it really nicely. :)

I'll have a look in Wilkinsons next time I'm there - there's a fairly large one in Slough which is closer to me than Reading. I don't know where my nearest home bargains is though... When we lived up north there seemed to be more of them around!

DrElizabeth is Home Sense anywhere near the Range? I could make a shopping trip to Reading and make sure to visit both.

Our lounge is red and cream so it really goes well as Xmas. An I try and make sure only presents wrapped in white red or silver are at the front under the tree!!!

We have a lot f Scandinavin decs such a deer etc an I also have some sparkly white snowflakes that go on the tree.

Matalan have absolutely beautiful stuff this year, if that's near to you.

We do our own twist on trad colours: pale green and wine-red, with some gold thrown in.