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.
BoBo,12-03-2010, 7:58PM
What does this have to do with the subject?
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Linda,12-07-2010, 4:02PM
Simple gifts.......that's what most Americans will be having this year, or they'll be going into foolish debt to give gifts they can't afford. I hope the Obama's enjoy their Christmas, but that's a kind of hypocritical theme for all the money they're spending this year....
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Erma Zimmerman,12-15-2010, 3:21PM
I can't believe the stupidity of these negative comments !! He is CHRISTIAN for God's sake. And for that matter, Muslim, true Muslim is not hateful. You people make me sick. !!!!!
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Wilma Mustaffa,12-15-2010, 3:56PM
First lady? Hell.Shes the first COW. Who0 picks out her clothes? The blind.
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JACK MEFFORD,12-15-2010, 7:29PM
PRESIDENT OBAMA NEEDS MEDS TO STOP SMOKING, ULCER MEDS, AND FRO MEN ONLY HAIR TREATMENT FOR GRAY HAIR, AND WISH HIM A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.
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DELORES C. NORMAN,12-18-2010, 9:42AM
THIS TRADITION HAS BEEN GOING ON EVERY SINCE WE'VE HAD PRESIDENTS AND A WHITE HOUSE. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT IS A CHRISTAIN BUT WANT TO FIND ANYTHING NEGATIVE TO SAY ABOUT OUR PRESIDENT AND HE IS OUR PRESIDENT WHETHER YOU WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT. IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES HE IS OUR PRESIDENT SO I SUPPOSE YOU ARE AN ILLEGAL PERSON IN THESE OUR UNITED STATES IF SO GO BACK TO WHATEVER COUNTRY YOU ARE FROM AND REAP THE FREEDOM YOU HAVE HERE TO WHATEVER COUNTRY YOU WANT TO BELONG TO. THIS IS ALL ABOUT RACISM AND ALL OF YOU NAYSAYERS KNOW IT SO WHY DON'T YOU GO ON AND ADMIT IT OPENLY.
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rose,12-19-2010, 7:20AM
evidently some of you have not scrolled through the pictures to see SEVERAL past presidents and first ladies.I especially like the one in tuxedo and bow tie.......The White House belongs to ALL Americans.
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Douglas christensen,12-23-2010, 2:44PM
Why all the lavish decorations for the White House? How many thousands of dollars were spend by the Obamas to put up so many Christmas decorations and then spend their Christmas in Hawaii? I'm sure if they spent just half the money for decorating this year and gave the other half to needy families the public would think better of them. But no, the Obamas just want to spend, spend and spend more of the taxpayers money. I guess Michelle didn't get the message in November about the Feds spending so much.
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ruth,12-28-2010, 10:51AM
why act like this is the 1st time the white house has been decorated for Christmas i believe the
Bush era had decor just as lavish-oh! they didn"t recycle as much. is Mr. Obama not entitled to
spend Christmas @home as previous ones? Get a grip-this man can"t fix something in 2 years
it toook 8 to create. who was you president when all of these subprime home loans were allowed
to happen? who started this war and found no weapons? like it or not he is the President so get a
grip