The festive period is a beautiful time of year all around, but a particularly compelling excuse for indulging in the fun of dressing up your home. Between the tree and tinsel, there are so many ways to bring Christmas to your little slice of home – and if you have young ones, getting the animal kingdom involved could be a supremely inspired move. You might want to swerve the quintessentially scary festive monsters of old, though, in favour of some altogether sweeter festive animals…
Reindeer
Reindeer are the de facto animals of the festive season, given their supremely prominent placement in Christmas-centred iconography. As the transport option of choice for Mr. Claus himself, there’s little argument as to the festiveness of these antlered mammals. As such, you might make them the centrepiece of your festive decorations! Light-up reindeer in the front garden can bring the Christmas spirit in spades, while red-nosed reindeer baubles can bring a shock of colour to your otherwise green Christmas tree.
Donkeys
Donkeys are not the first animal you’d think to include in your decoration plans, but lest we forget that a donkey was present at the birth of Christ – and hence is an unignorable fixture of every Nativity scene. This might be a good opportunity to get your children to help you, as a Nativity theme could inspire some crafty turns from your young-uns. Donkeys shouldn’t become a focal point of your decorative planning, but can add some rustic charm if deployed in the right way; nativity artwork and a mantelpiece ornament are more than adequate.
Polar Bears
Polar bears are not inherently Christmassy beasts, but their white appearance and chosen habitat are very much winter in a nutshell. Polar bears are also common guest stars in favoured televisual Christmas delights, The Snowman being chief amongst them.
All this to say, polar bears could be used to great effect in pursuit of an animal-themed Christmas décor. Outside, polar bear ornaments can bring the Arctic Circle into your garden, adding a little more magic to proceedings and giving your future snowmen some pet in the process.
Robins
Robins is an understated Christmas animal, that often gets their decorative representation through the hanging of quaint Christmas cards with watercolour birds on the front. But robins can be used to great effect elsewhere, suffusing your home with Christmas feeling without drawing too much attention. Robin tree decorations are a cute idea, while little robin ornaments can be used to spice up everything from your fireplace to your side tables.
Penguins
Another North Pole regular is the humble penguin – better known for their appearance in the Christmas film Elf, Penguins bring magic and sparkle to any winter wonderland. Felt penguins are a lightweight and easygoing decoration that could fit any variety of décor concepts, and practically any room.