10 on trend Christmas decorating ideas

1. LIGHT THE WAY

These welcoming pathfinders, 10cm in diameter, will guide friends and Father Christmas to your door. Available from Argos the set of four also come in a star shape and need mains electricity. Argos.ie

2. SET THE FRONT DOOR SCENE

A wreath, storm lanterns and some cherry red outdoor lights is all you need to create a very compelling Christmas exterior as seen on interior design and architecture magazine One Kind Design. Santa will also appreciate the fur lined and blanketed seat, a place to take five while on his magical journey around the world. Onekinddesign.com

3. YULETIDE MANTLE

Real Simple shows a very understated way to festivise your mantle. Invest in an odd number of white amaryllises and plant in simple white pots. Place simple glass votives between the pots and an evergreen garland to bring the outdoors in. It's the gift that keeps on giving. The bulbs, which take about ten weeks to nurture to bloom, can be replanted and will bloom again next year. Realsimple.com Pic credit: Melanie Acevedo

4. STOCKING SMARTS

It doesn't feel like Christmas unless you hang a stocking by the fire. These personalised Sgt. Smith Christmasosaurus stockings will appeal to kids of all ages. They cost E28.96 each. notonthehighstreet.com

5. CHRISTMAS AT THE MURPHYS

No Christmas tree is complete without a topper. Eschew the traditional in favour of something far more on trend, the monogram. Put your family name at the top of the tree. In this image Better Homes and Gardens magazine has transformed a wooden block letter using paint and holiday coloured ribbon. You can buy lighter in weight giant cardboard letters at Dublin-based K and M Evans art supplies. bhg.com; store.evansartsupplies.ie

6. STARRY STARRY NIGHT

This simple cream linen napkin wrapped with a length of lace and decorated with a red felt star, featured on All About You, creates a pretty place setting. Use any small decoration that takes your fancy, and don't worry about using different decorations for each place setting. It will charm guests whether a get-together supper or the big meal on December 25th. Allaboutyou.com

7. INDOOR FLAIR

Add festive sound effects to your doors by tying some jingle bells with ribbon to door handles. You can put them on kitchen cupboards too. This is a fun suggestion from Real Simple but it would be wise to only hang the bells a few days before Christmas otherwise the audio intrusion may become too much. Realsimple.com Pic credit: Lucas Allen

8. CHAIN REACTION

The UK-based portal House to Home is one of the web's best places to find real and executable ideas for your home. Pictured is a simple way to contemporarise the crepe paper chains of childhood. Housetohome.co.uk

9. PUCKER UP

To make your own mistletoe all you need is felt, a fabric pencil, pearl embellishments, red ribbon and a hot glue gun says Stay At Home Artist. Cut out your felt mistletoe using a template provided and arrange pearls how you like. Tie with ribbon and hang. Then lurk and pounce.Stayathomeartist.com Pic Kacey Kendrick Wagner

10. MR SNOWMAN IN YOUR BEDROOM

If your kid loves The Snowman then make him come alive in his or her bedroom by adapting this idea created by Brian Patrick Flynn on HGTV.com. By thinking creatively he's turned an ordinary artificial tree into something special, supremely festive and the perfect way to decorate a child's bedroom this Chirstmas. hgtv.com