Christmas incoming 🎅🏼🎄

We’re in the last day of November, the temperature has dropped, the Christmas goods and songs are in every shop and most of the houses around us have their Christmas decorations up already!

I should disclose that we also have our decorations up. We now have a home with a fully blown teen, and a pre teen. Change is everywhere, but the excitement for Christmas is still alive, so when my 12 year old asked for the decorations up we couldn’t say no. It is early, lots of people would say too early, but as we put the Christmas music on and started decorating, we had to admit that it is the most wonderful time of the year.

It’s a different kind of decorating, but it’s still decorating, and depending on how you do it, the aftermath could lead to problems for future decorating.

Tak.

Traditionally blue, tak now comes in different colours. White, pink, yellow, purple or green. No matter what colour it is, when you take it off of your wall the same thing will be left behind. A grease spot 😱 covering this is no mean feat. If you just emulsion over it the stain will come through. When decorating its best to apply stain block first. This is the only way of guaranteeing the aftermath of tak adherence will disappear.

Sellotape.

Sellotape is great for wrapping, but not so reliable for holding up anything with any weight. If it does hold, there’s also a danger when taking it back off. Two things can happen, it can leave a sticky residue, and it can take the paint off with it. If there is a sticky residue left on glass or plastic that’s not a problem, white spirit or sticky stuff remover will get rid of that. You can’t use either on paint though as they can dissolve it.
If it takes the paint it means at best sanding and painting, at worst filling and painting. A lot of work for some temporary decorations.

Hooks.

Hooks are generally adhered with sticky plastic or foam. It’s amazing! I’ve had hooks up outside for years that hold tight, but again taking them off can cause some damage. As above sticky stuff remover is great on certain surfaces, but can lift the paint with it, so be super careful.

Tacks.

Tacks can hold weight, are small and leave small holes when taken down. Pretty reliable for temporary decorations. The holes though….I remember my dad would go around after Christmas with paint and a cotton bud filling all of the holes. That works great if you decorate every year. Any longer than that though and you risk the paint being a slightly different colour.

David’s favoured way or adhering anything to painted walls is to tack them. He’s also happy to leave the holes. So I spend my time counting the holes when I’m doing wall Pilates 😬 but unless you are that close up, you really can’t see them.

With only three working weeks until the Christmas break our diary is now into February next year. If you are looking for a full refresh after your decorations come down get booked in for next year!

the painters wife xxx