Many of my "pre-child" Christmas decorations have been tucked away in a cabinet in my garage. After all, glass ornaments, sharp hooks and pointy icicles are hardly suitable for children. After a recent trip to our local craft store, I found plenty of kid-friendly holiday decorations. Using paint, glue, paper, glitter and adhesive accents, I was able to come up with five simple decorations that will make our house festive this holiday season.

Plastic Jeweled Ornaments

Supplies: Clear plastic ornaments, adhesive jewels, ribbon

We found clear plastic ornaments on sale for only $0.86. I already had some star jewels at home with adhesive backing. The clear ornaments were quickly dressed up with about 12 star jewels. A pretty ribbon around the top made this DIY ornament ready to hang on the tree. My four-year-old daughter did this project with ease. However, this is a simple craft that even a three-year-old could do. Since this craft only takes a few minutes, you could easily mak

(Photo credit: PositivelySplendid.com)

But if you're looking to try something different this year, start by rethinking the way you decorate for Christmas. Try a new theme or new colors. Classic Christmas decorations are constantly being revised and twisted and turned into new, delightful trends.

Decorating with red and green is no longer mandatory; instead, homeowners are opting for blues and whites or a rainbow of colors. Santa doesn't need to make an appearance in your Christmas décor; instead, you might feature birds and reindeer.

If you want to break the mold, check out some of these alternatives to classic Christmas decor.

Updated classics

(From Holly Adler, via KurtAdler.com)

Each year Pantone, the authority on color and color trends, makes their prediction regarding the latest hot colors. Both fashion and interior designers clamor for their latest selections as they are regarded as the foremost influencer of color trends.  This year’s trends consist of 10 amazing hues. They run from soothing neutrals to bold jewel tones and they can be mixed and matched to one’s delight.  If redecorating is in your future consider one of these fabulous colors. Let’s check them out!

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1. French Roast

As you look at this rich dark brown, can’t you just smell fresh roasted coffee?  Deriving its name from a roast of coffee, the dark deep chocolate brown exudes the feeling of an elegant neutral.  Its dark almost black shade is sure to pass the average black as the go to neutral to tie a space together.

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2. Honey Gold

The name alone conjures up thoughts of honey bees, late day rays of sun and fall foliage.  Honey Gold is a beautiful yellow orange with a lot of potential.  Conside

Many people associate winter decorating with cool colors such as white, blue, gray, silver and green. However, there is plenty of room for warm, cozy colors in a winter color scheme as well. Sharp contrasts are always in style with this seasonal theme. White, grey and silver backdrops allow warmer tones in rose and crimson to really pop. Warm neutrals can be accented with bright metallics for a touch of sophistication.

Indulge in rich, delicious colors.

Create a warm and cozy atmosphere with linens in hues of rich chocolate, coffee, cocoa and caramel. Use a monochromatic color scheme in varying shades of brown, tan and beige for bathroom linens, bedding and accents such as drapes, area rugs, throws and accent pillows. Add a few scented candles with delicious aromas such as coffee, caramel or mocha.

Create an elegant space with warm, earthy hues and dazzling metallic tones.

Dress up white or beige furniture with warm accents in hues of umber, olive and walnut. Accent

Decorating the Christmas tree is an annual tradition for many and probably something your family looks forward to each year. However, the beautiful ornaments, the twinkling lights, and even the tree itself can all be safety hazards - especially with children and pets in the household. According to the latest statistics from the National Fire Protection Association, one of every 18 reported fires that resulted in death began with a Christmas tree fire.

Reduce the risk of household accidents this holiday season with these Christmas tree safety tips:

Pick and Maintain a Healthy Tree

If you are putting up a fresh tree this season, make sure you're choosing one that is freshly cut and hasn't dried out. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends choosing a tree with green needles that aren't falling of easily - if they break off easily, the tree has been cut too long and will dry out fairly quickly. Dry trees are fire hazards, so make sure you're watering your tree regularly to k

Nothing heralds in the Christmas season like decorating our homes with lights. Every perfectly placed bulb and illuminated star act to brighten our world and the worlds of those around us. But with rising energy costs and mounting concerns about our environment, many of us are rethinking our traditional holiday décor. Here are some energy-saving tips that can help you celebrate the season with efficiency and conservation in mind.

Transition to LED Bulbs

Light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs are the type you see in digital alarm clocks and remote controls. They have been around for a long time, but have only recently been used for holiday lighting. LED bulbs offer many advantages over traditional incandescent bulbs.

* LED bulbs use much less electricity and can save 90 percent or more on holiday lighting energy costs. (Twenty light strings containing 35 incandescent bulbs each lit for six hours a day will cost you $94.60 a month for electricity.)

* LED bulbs generate a lot

A living room without a coffee table is a lot like a supermodel without lipstick, undone. Just as lipstick is one detail that can complete a look, so too can the perfect coffee table. Coffee tables serve several purposes; from completing a look, to storage and display they are much needed in a space. The question is which style will work for your room. Should you go with a wood one with chunky legs, metallic with a glass top; should it be round, square or rectangular? The options are endless and at times can be overwhelming. My ten tips will help break down the maze of decisions and steer you in the direction of the perfect coffee table.

Budget

The price points for a coffee table can range from ultra-expensive to very budget friendly, so before you start shopping know what you have to spend on it. Your overall budget should be broken down to into areas such as, accessories, lighting and furniture. The furniture line item includes the sofa, side tables, chairs and coffee table, with a

Stainless steel, wood and most stones are typically going to look great for a long time.

Luckily, creating a fantastic, harmonious design using the three main components of a kitchen — cabinets, countertops and appliances — isn't as difficult as it seems if you identify what you need, what you love and what works in your space.

If your space is dark, consider reflective surfaces and light colors.

Kitchens come in a variety of shapes and sizes so you'll want to consider how much room you have to play with, what kind of natural light is available and how it connects to the surrounding rooms in the house before even thinking about design.

"The first thing I tell clients to think about is, how do you really want the space to read? What considerations are there?" said Mick de Giulio, owner of de Giulio Kitchens, a Chicago-area design firm. "If you have space that lacks natural ligh

(Photo: Shutterstock)

Every homeowner dreams of a nice, big kitchen with plenty of room for cooking and entertaining. Unfortunately, spacious kitchens can be hard to come by — especially if you live in an urban area or own an older home. In tight kitchen spaces, organization is the key to fluid design and functionality, not to mention keeping your food-prep sanity.

Faith Towers, author of the popular blog Design Fixation, says many kitchens are designed to function well, often at the expense of how beautifully they are laid out. But she believes that doesn't have to be the case.

"There are ways to make your kitchen stylish without sacrificing convenience and organization," she says. "The key is to display the pretty things, and hide the clutter - in an organized way." She recommends making vertical spaces, like cupboards and walls, do double duty in order to keep utensils in out-of-the-way places.

Remember these 6 simple tips to creating a beautifully organized kitchen:

(Photo: Faith Towers/Design Fixation)

Winter nightfall comes early when you live in the Northern United States. The combination of early darkness and icy weather means that walking outdoors is often treacherous. One of the ways you can make the walkways around your house a little less dangerous is with strategically-placed lighting. HEre are some options:

Solar lights

One of the more affordable lighting options are solar path lamps that can be pushed into the ground where ever a little light is needed. Themed solar lights can be found as cheaply as $1 and are a thrifty solution for short term lighting needs. For longer lasting path lamps, hardware stores and garden centers carry high quality lamps which cost between $3-15 per lamp.

Battery-operated options

While solar path lights do a fair job of lighting up a walkway, there are times when a little more light is desirable. Wireless battery operated path lights are an excellent alternative since they cast light over a larger area. Battery operated lights have 12 times