The White House Christmas tree is attached to the ceiling in the Blue Room, to keep it from falling over. Credit: Getty Images
You may still be searching the attic for that one last box of Christmas ornaments, but the President and First Lady have their house totally decorated for the holidays. On Dec. 1, the First Family welcomed members of the media and military families to a preview of the 2010 White House Christmas decorations, and as expected, they are lovely.
The White House theme this year is "Simple Gifts" (what, you don't have a decorating theme? I have kids, so my theme is usually "Things That Won't Shatter When Hit by a Flying Nerf Football.") Many of the decorations -- including two trees in the Green Room made entirely of recycled newspaper and decorated with ornaments made from magazines -- were crafted from simple materials, while others are pieces from previous years that are making a return appearance. In keeping with the simple, home made theme, First Lady Michelle Obama spent time during the open house doing crafts with children of U. S. military families; the kids also got to decorate cookies.
The "Simple Gifts" theme focuses on family, nature, food and music -- the simple pleasures in our lives. But even this pared-down holiday is still big when it comes to the White House; according to ABC News, the White House decorations include 19 Christmas trees, a 350-pound gingerbread house and a replica of Bo, the First Dog, made from 40,000 pipe cleaners.
Click through the gallery for a look the White House decorations -- and then check out our decorating tips to get your own home looking holiday-ready. And to get your house up to speed for the holidays, check out DIY Life's last-minute home repairs.
WEngel7232,12-03-2010, 5:14PM
Happy to see these two Morons enjoying the tax payers money decorating the White House. Today the unemployment rate hit 9.8%.... Keep up the good work Mr President!!! By the way take your bride on a few more trips arounfd the world, while people in this Country are suffering!!! IDIOT!!!
Reply
shariann dowding,12-03-2010, 4:40PM
VERY VERY NICE. DO HAVE A WONDERFUL MERRY CHRISTMAS .PLUS A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Reply
scottjoy3,12-03-2010, 5:00PM
I didn't know muslims celebrated Chistmas!
Reply
Slammin,12-14-2010, 5:41PM
@scottjoy3
It's obvious u don't read, listen to the news and forget about picking up a book or a magazine...He's been in office for two years and numbskulls are still trying to say he's Muslim...We'll we know what part of the educational system ur from....ELEMENTARY MY DEAR WATSON!
Becca,12-03-2010, 5:13PM
Didn't notice any religious ornaments anywhere on the trees or decorations for last year or this year. Oops! Forgot, Muslims don't celebrate Christmas. Surprised they even HAVE Christmas trees, but of course, if they didn't, that would REALLY attract attention. Too bad the children of military families didn't get to celebrate with their moms and dads whom the Obamanation promised to bring home. Guess they're still in Afganistan
Reply
Margaret,12-03-2010, 5:47PM
One question.....Who pays for all these lavish docorations? Because thats a really nice horse drawn buggy carrying one of the "19" christmas trees for the white house!
Reply
Jennifer,12-03-2010, 5:55PM
That has to be the ugliest tree I've ever seen! Blue? Are you kidding me? Is that some sort of Muslim "Holiday Tree"???? Yuck!
Reply
rock,12-16-2010, 5:50PM
What is going on with you, Jennifer? Colin Powell himself, scolded those Americans who STILL believe that President Obama is Muslim. Stop watching only FOX news and find out the true story. He is as American as you are and President Obama is your President as well as the rest of the citizen of this country. When you hope that he fails, you are hoping that America fails. Shame on you.
BoBo,12-03-2010, 7:51PM
Seems crazy to spend the money on all the decorations with so many Americans out of work. Our unemployment rate is back up to 9.8%, Obama should use the decoration money to feed the unemployed. When it comes down to it, looks like we are heading into a depression.........I fear it's the end of good times for many years.
Reply
J V L,12-03-2010, 6:25PM
The article might have been more interesting without the running editorial commentary by the authoress. After all, no one who read that article did so to find out what was going on in her home. The interest is in the White House.
But before you get all sappy about how much work Michelle Obama put into it, you might want to consider that there is a team of people who work at the White House, and Michelle SUPERVISED. Aside from a photo-op snapshot or two, the biggest bulk of the decorating is NOT done by the First Lady.
Ladies and Gentlemen: the White House decorations--paid for by the taxpaying citizens of the United States of America. Think of the white chocolate gingerbread house gracing their decor while you are struggling to put a decent meal on your family's holiday table.
Reply
giuliana,12-03-2010, 7:26PM
i can't believe that YOU people are saying he is muslim. be reall! and not ignorant! this is so rediculess! its sad!
Reply
ms.r,12-13-2010, 7:46PM
giuliana ...true ask him why he wont put up the crib that was a old gift to the white house. (muslim) ..yes
scottjoy3,12-14-2010, 7:02PM
He is a muslim. Are you trying to say that being a muslim is a bad thing?
the_fool,12-03-2010, 6:40PM
Many people have to have a simple Christmas with high unemployment and the Government taking your tax dollars and paying for 10 plus Presidential vacations plus his many campaigning vacations.
Reply
Ceci,12-05-2010, 12:45PM
Such excess during these tough times!!!! People out of work are wondering how to put food on their tables. All those trees and decorations cost tons of money. Did Michele decorate them herself? NO WAY! A 350 lb. gingerbread house? For what? Yeah right their kids just love gingerbread that much. They are sticking it to us. They know it's their demise in the White House anyway. They'll probably be traveling out of the country for Christmas....maybe some muslim compound.
Reply
L. Savage,12-03-2010, 8:57PM
It's sad about all the negative comments. I wonder why there wasn't much said in the Bush days as president. And, about this war because of Bush not Obama. The economy got bad before Obama.
Reply
scottjoy3,12-14-2010, 7:01PM
economic state of America got bad with Bush, got worse with obama and his emty hope & change speaches.
BoBo,12-03-2010, 7:59PM
Please do not comment until you learn how to spell!
I could not care less what religion Obama is..........................all religion is a sham, a waste of time & money.
Also, more people have been killed in the name of religion then for any other reason!
Reply
Slammin,12-14-2010, 5:49PM
Well it's obvious you read and know the truth...All the hype of Christmas and it's spending were created by a NON CHRISTIAN PEOPLE to get money out of folks pockets. I too agree that RELIGION IS A FARCE...It's designed to seperate people and not unite them...Folks would rather live by BLIND TRADITION than by serving the true Creator...Poor souls, and then the IGNORAMISES turn around and blame all of this on our current President. It's obvious what the problelm is. When will folks realize that this is ALL A DESIGN? SUCKERS on all levels!!!!! Folks who live by color are more blind than most! It's not about the color of the skin but the COLOR OF THE GREEN or soon to be THE GOLD!!!
BoBo,12-03-2010, 7:58PM
What does this have to do with the subject?
Reply