• Holiday decorations can be understated or extravagant.Christmas tree branch with blue Christmas ball image by emka from Fotolia.com
  
  The holidays are a time for gathering with family and friends to celebrate the season---and if you're gathering family and friends at your house, you probably want it to look good. By using season-appropriate decorations, you can deck the halls and impress your guests with holiday arrangements that are more original than sticking a Santa hat on a lawn flamingo.
  
  

Utilize Fruit

• Hanging up a bunch of fruit outside your house may seem like a foolish idea---after all, how long before it rots? In winter, the answer is actually about four weeks, depending on how cold your area is. Apples, cranberries and limes are just a few fruits that can be used in decoration---try lining the inside of a vase with cranberries to make a candle holder, or pinning small limes to a wreath. These homemade decorations are sure conversation pieces for arriving guests.
  
  

Bring Winter Indoors

• Embrace the snow and chill of the season with winter-inspired decorations. Use frosted jars and candle holders for holding tea light candles---the frosted glass evokes the feeling of an icy window. Use glitter to "frost" decorative accessories, like tree branches that may sit upright in a centerpiece display. Polished silver and aluminum accents give off an icy sheen and sparkle---try complementing these with green décor like holly, mistletoe and pine.
  
  

Use Sweet Decor

• Cooking, baking and eating are all time-honored holiday traditions---embrace this by decorating your house with homemade sweet treats. A fully accessorized gingerbread house makes for a colorful centerpiece that doubles as dessert, while baked cinnamon applesauce ornaments send a delightfully spicy aroma through the air. Bake and decorate Christmas cookies and leave them on platters throughout the house for decorations that double as hors d'oeuvres.
  
  

Add Religious Imagery

• You don't have to shy away from nonsecular iconography when decorating your house for the holidays. This can be as understated as hanging an advent calendar or as prominent as displaying a 10 foot-wide menorah in your living room. Nativity scenes both large and small are also popular holiday decorations.