With Christmas just around the corner, homes across the world are being kitted out with festive decorations to celebrate the holiday season. Aside from the customary illuminated tree and glittery ceiling decorations, there are plenty of other ways you can display your Christmas spirit – with window dressings providing plenty of opportunity for decoration.

Most of us like to share a bit of goodwill and show we are taking part in the celebrations. One of the best things about this time of year is being able to take a quick peek into people’s windows as you pass by their houses – but what will your own windows display this season?

Clean your Windows

Obviously the place to start is by making sure your windows are nice and clean. With sash windows or folding and twisting designs it can be extremely straightforward to clean windows both inside and out, even if you are not on the ground floor. Those with older, more traditional options will need to take a more involved approach to window cleaning.

Inside or Out

The next thing to decide is whether you are going to decorate inside the windows, outside the windows or both. This doesn’t just mean whether you are physically putting decorations on the outside of your window, but whether or not you intend to have any text or images facing outwards. Remember, that text will need to be put on backwards to be readable to passers-by.

If you do decide to put decorations outside, a good idea is to use things that are designed for that particular job by nature itself, i.e. garlands or wreaths made of holly or similar. Of course, you can always cheat a little and use plastic imitation versions which have the advantage of being reusable each year.

Spray Motifs

Big panes of glass are a perfect canvas when it comes to letting your artistic side roam free so use spray cans to create glitter or snow images for everyone to see. There are plenty of designs to choose from and something as simple as a frosted motif of Father Christmas himself can look beautiful – especially if sprayed in a delicate, frosted white colour.

Strategic Lighting

Drape icicle lights round the edge of window frames for a stunning effect and place a small illuminated Christmas tree in the window for added impact. This can be either an artificial tree sat on the window sill inside or a real plant in a window box on the outside.

If you intend to place lights or other electrical equipment outside your windows, make sure that they are specifically made for outdoor use to prevent any unfortunate accidents.

For a classic look, placing a single candle in each window sill gives an idyllic touch to the appearance of your home. Artificial candles are just as effective as real ones and eliminate the risk and hassle that real candles carry.

Window Dressings

For those looking for something quick and easy to put up, there are plenty of alternatives. Window hangings which attach with minimal fuss are a great idea as are stick on window transfers which resemble stained glass. These options can add festive designs to your windows with little fuss and are far easier to remove once the holiday season comes to an end.

Festive Furnishings

Inside the house, most of the same ideas apply. You can add a greater range of hanging ornaments such as glass baubles and traditional homemade decorations to your windows and furnishings, enhancing the festive style even further.

Even blinds can benefit from an injection of Christmas spirit with illuminated decorations standing out boldly.