Lights, inflatable Santas and more are flying off the shelves as
homes get outfitted for the holidays
Like marketing gimmicks and hot gift ideas, a fresh batch of Christmas decorations are born each holiday season. Retailers in the South Valley say the festive décor is getting more elaborate on the outside of homes and more elegant on the inside.
Inflatable snowmen, snowglobes and reindeer have been selling well at Target in Hollister, said store manager Shannon Swartz. An addition this year is a holographic device that reflects different holiday-themed designs, such as Santa or falling snow, onto a house.
Another new outside decoration is a three-tiered gift box stack that lights up. The new decoration has been difficult to keep stocked, Swartz said.
Although the outside holiday motif is getting brighter and more eye-catching, Carol Jimenez, a floral designer at Michael’s Arts & Crafts in Gilroy, said elegance is popular for the interior. Bronze and copper tones are the hot hues this season, she said.
“When I put together a wreath for a customer, I use some metallic spray paint and sort of camouflage it, and it gives it a nice look,” she said. “Wreaths like this have been on high demand during the past two years.”
Along with centerpieces and mantle decorations, scents are another way for people to decorate the interiors of their homes. Jean Jones, a San Juan Bautista resident who works at Michael’s during the holidays, said scented pine cones make homes festive.
“It’s best to keep (scented pine cones) near the door so it’s the first thing people smell when they enter the home,” Jones said. “To keep the scent lasting a long time, you can put some of the scented oil on a cotton ball and place it in the bottom of a bowl where you keep the pine cones.”
The oils are available in a range of scents including cinnamon and vanilla. More contemporary scents, such as lavender, would complement a modern-looking home, as would contemporary decorations, Jones said. On the other hand, if your home looks more traditional, she recommended staying with traditional décor.
Decorating your house, both inside and out, can be a fun way to welcome the holiday season, Jones said.
“I think people get really into decorating because it’s something you can do with your family, and it puts you in the holiday spirit,” she said. “Some neighborhoods also get really competitive.”
