Christmas Plate

7 Mar, 2009 in art pottery by admin

Christmas Plate

Easy and Simple Christmas Decorations for Your Home

Do you love Christmas decorations? Then don't leave any area undecorated. Get ideas for Christmas decorating every area of your home, inside and out!

If you're like most people, you don't have much time left at the end of a busy day to do anything extra. But at this time of year, you want to do something to make your home look festive and special and create the wonderful Christmas holiday atmosphere.

You'll find some ideas here for quick and simple ways to add a festive look to your home without spending a lot of time or money. And you'll have time left over to really enjoy Christmas!

1st. Decorate Everything with Ribbons & Bows

Bows look festive and the ribbons you choose should tie together with the rest of your decorating. Choose ribbons in colors and patterns that coordinate with your decorating scheme.

Tie generous ribbons to chair backs, candlesticks, picks in plants, wreaths, garlands, basket handles, drapery tie-backs, stair railings, and doorknobs.

You don't have to stick with red and green. Choose plaids or florals that tie in. If you can't find anything that looks quite right, then choose metallic silver, gold, green, or red.

Choose a ribbon that you can untie and re-tie each year. This will save money in the long run, and you'll end up with a good collection.

When the holidays are over, untie the ribbons and press them lightly. The bows won't get crushed and the ribbons will be ready when you want to take them out the next year.

2nd. Turn Off Lamps

Arrange lots of candles on the dining table and dine by candlelight, even if you're just having leftovers. Every meal will feel special.

Burn a fire in the fireplace each evening and encourage family members to gather around and read, do homework, write Christmas cards, or snooze.

Arrange pillar candles in your bathroom, on the sink or around the tub. Take time to soak and enjoy! If you have little children in your home, you should be very careful with candles around the house. Always have an adult in the room.

3rd. Put Wreathes or Swags on Every Doors

Put a wreath or swag on every door you have. Of course, start with the front door to welcome guests.

Go on to the back door, inside and out. Remember over the mantle, and in all your front windows. Don't forget bedroom doors, inside and out.

Use real pine, holly, or grapevine, decorated with bows, berries, fruit, pinecones, raffia, ornaments, birds, photos, or candy.

4th. Use Holiday Tableware for Every Meal in December

Look through your cupboards and get out any dishes that look festive.

Discount stores often carry seconds of name brand porcelain, as well as fun designs that are not so common.

Start a set of holiday dishes with dinner plates that coordinate with your everyday dishes. Add new pieces each year, like salad plates and mugs.

Note: Be sure the pattern you select will be continued from year to year.

Buy 1 or 2 place settings each year. Before long, you'll be able to serve a feast.

If you're adventuresome, choose a different pattern and one place setting each year. Arrange the different dishes around the table and get lots of comments and rekindle memories. When they're not in use, the dishes can be displayed around the room.

To keep wreaths year after year, buy artificial wreaths that will last. Remember, you'll need room to store them!

When Christmas is over and it's time to get back to basics, you might find these organization and storage tips helpful. Get your ornaments, wreaths, garlands, and other decorations organized for next year.

Other common Christmas decorations include plants such as mistletoe, holly, and poinsettias. Although church and state have been separated, many cities still sponsor secular decorations in their downtown areas such as banners and Christmas trees.

About the Author

I'm a Chinese girl, I love all beautiful, fashion and artistic things, and I'd like to introduce and display an excellent selection of China fine art, handicrafts, jewelry, toys, home decorations, gifts and fashion accessories to you, also give you great suggestions about gift ideas and introduce you the latest fashion trends in China.

Where is the best place to sell a collection of Bing & Grondahl Christmas plates?

I have recently inherited a collection of 40 some Bing & Grondahl chirstmas plates, years 1969-current...how much are they worth and where can I sell them? Would it be best to sell the whole collection together or split it up? All are in mint condition, still in the original boxes.

Usually, collections are worth more broken up and sold as individual pieces. This is more time consuming, and time is money, so the extra you get is not always worth it. That is why you do see collections sold intact, it's just easier to get it over with.

These are not expensive pieces. Plates from the early 1960s and before bring better money (at least on eBay, the best place to see what things are actually selling for), but late 1960s and forward, prices for individual plates, including postage, is $10 to $20 per plate, with the many of the newer plates not drawing any bids.

The problem with ebay is the shipping is a killer. Someone may be willing to spend $15 for a plate, but at an average shipping cost of $8, it leaves them only $7 to give the seller. There are several recently sold plates for $3 -$4 ('66, '67, '69, '72, '80) plus postage of $10. So buyers are paying $13 for those plates, but the sellers are getting about $2 after fees. Hardly worth it.

That's why it might be better selling it as one collection. You might get only $5 or $6 per plate, times 40, but that's better than $3 times 40. The buyer is saving a ton on shipping. It may cost them $60 - $80 for postage because it'll take several large boxes plus padding, but that's only $2 per plate instead of $8 - $10. It will most likely be a dealer looking for store or flea market inventory they can sell to buyers directly with no shipping expense. Most collectors buy only the pieces they need.

This is probably not what you wanted to hear, but keep in mind the following:

1. Modern collectibles seldom sell in the aftermarket for anywhere near the original cost. Some do appreciate, the vast majority go the other way.

2. You inherited these. This is found money. Don't spend a lot of time and effort trying to get top dollar.

The Christmas Plate