KAREN WIGHT -- No place like home

As you pull the Christmas decorations out of hibernation, think about

spicing up your traditional holiday theme with something different,

something whimsical and something fun.

Tradition and Christmas go together like a hand and glove, so I’m not

suggesting that you abandon your usual holiday layout. Just add a few

twists and conversation pieces to your customs.

Last year, as I was decorating the kitchen with my usual garland,

cinnamon sticks, pine cones and apples, I decided that it was time to get

out of the box and do something different.

I had ordered some great Chinese fans from Oriental Trading Co. that

were a fabulous bright red. Originally intended to be goody-bag gifts for

my youngest daughter, these fans were just too cool to give away.

The fans were shocking red and had touches of gold with black

calligraphy. They were inexpensive and I had ordered quite a few. They

became the new theme for the kitchen.

As I studied my “resources,” I realized that I had accumulated quite a

few sets of chopsticks--leftovers from the Chinese takeout. I thought

these would look great spray-painted gold and glued together to form an

“X.”

Not abandoning tradition altogether, I also used some gold and silver

balls with wire attachments to add to the garland that sits on top of the

kitchen cabinets.

If I say so myself, the outcome was fun, different and amusing. The

kids thought I had lost my mind (which is possible), but it was a great

kitchen theme: “takeout.”

I liked it so much that I went a step further. I used clean takeout

boxes as gift boxes, hung those little soy sauce packets--the silver and

red ones--carefully pierced at the top with a ornament hook from a few

branches and added a few bundles of natural bamboo sticks to the tree. We

put a Chinese face on our Christmas last year.

Adding a new color to your usual red and green decorations is another

way to add a little sparkle.

One year I went all-out with purple. I added purple balls to our

assortment of gold, silver, red and green, and it gave the tree a

face-lift. I always like to incorporate a “theme” into the gift wrapping

as well, so purple ribbon was added to the usual selection. Purple

candles were added to the tables and purple hand towels to the powder

room. I was on a roll.

This year, my Christmas “twist” includes painting the walls in one of

the bathrooms with black chalkboard paint and letting the kids draw their

version of Christmas on chalkboard walls.

Each child came up with a different emphasis. My son has a spaceship

thing going on, the youngest drew a Christmas tree and my teenager

focused on presents. Was that predictable or what? I have added a

“naughty” and “nice” list. Everyone checks his or her status daily.

As I have been mall-trolling this season, I have noticed quite a few

great “themes” that would be fun to add to the usual holiday fare.

If you don’t want to give up your traditional Christmas tree with all

of the kids’ ornaments, think about adding a smaller tree in the family

room, the kitchen or the kids’ rooms.

A “tropical paradise” tree can be decorated with artificial orchids,

birds of paradise and leis. Strands of lighted hibiscus, fish or tiki men

add a glowing touch.

Do you have a baby in the house or one on the way? Decorate a

baby-size tree with pink and blue lights, pacifiers, family baby cups,

diaper pins and pink and blue ribbon “garland.”

Is there a fisherman in the family? Consider a tree in his or her

office decorated with interesting lures, jigs and fish ornaments.

Gardeners can decorate a living Christmas tree with seed packets, pine

cones covered in birdseed and fresh poinsettias with vials of water on

the stems to keep the flowers fresh for a couple of weeks.

Fruit is big this year and a small tree covered in beaded fruit

ornaments would be a great decoration for the kitchen counter or island.

So add an element of fun to your holiday decorating this year.

Even though we’ve “grown a little older, grown a little wiser,” we all

need a little Christmas cheer.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column is published

Saturdays.

HOLIDAY TIP OF THE WEEK

Add a few extra holiday touches to the house:

* Layer holiday towels over regular guest towels in the powder room.

* Group three poinsettias around the base of a pedestal sink in the

bathroom.

* Fill a crystal bowl with gold and silver globes.

* Use pine-scented spray in all rooms of the house.

* Combine apple juice and pumpkin pie spices in a saucepan on the

stove and simmer. The smell is very welcoming.