Christmas is one of the most magical times of the year. Home, streets, department stores, even banks glow with lights, snowflakes, and other decorations. So, it's only natural for the Christmas spirit to seep into your office.
Decorating for the holidays is a fun way to get into the season’s spirit. Office Christmas decorations can help to get everyone in a festive mood. After all, Christmas fever is exceptionally infectious.
When choosing Office Christmas decorations, it's important to consider your company's culture and the type of work done in the office. If your office is more formal, it might be best to stick with traditional Christmas decorations, like a wreath or a Christmas tree.
The first step is to choose a location for the decorations. The most common spot for Christmas decorations is the entrance or lobby area. You may also want to decorate other office areas, such as the break room or individual workstations.
Once you have chosen a location, the next step is to decide what decorations to use. Christmas trees are a popular choice, as are wreaths, garlands, and ornaments. You can also add festive touches to your office with things like stockings, lights, and Santa hats for everyone.
However, getting Christmas decorations right can be a tall order. Today we're here to share a few ideas on getting it right on the first try.
But, first:
Why Bother Putting up Christmas Decorations around the Office?
Is your boss the Grinch or a jolly Christmas elf? If he's the latter, then you're fine. But if they are a Grinch, then here are some compelling reasons to convince them to allow you to decorate your office:
It Builds Team Spirit
The challenge of putting up decorations can either be a competitive or a fun experience for all involved: whichever, the case it can do wonders for team spirit in the office.
Aside from the collaborative aspect, it brings out the creative beast lying dormant in your co-workers. What’s more, people would enjoy taking a break from computer screen-based tasks. And even better, decorating an entire office also gives workers from different departments a chance to mingle outside of business-critical duties inside the office.
It Provides an Infusion of Morale Boost
Christmas dinners, shopping, and family get-togethers aside, most people feel remarkably upbeat during this festive time. Whether it's the time off work, getting to see loved ones, or Christmas specials on TV –Christmas sparks a childlike excitement in all of us! Office decorations can bring this spirit into the office.
Consequently, it lowers absenteeism and encourages productivity and overall engagement to tasks. It could just be the secret sauce to attaining those elusive end-year targets.
It Cleanses the Office of Uptight Vibes
Christmas decorations add a pop of color that can soften the glare of stale corporate color schemes and functional office furniture. Unless your office has foosball tables and other chill-out accommodations like nap nooks, a little tinsel, or tasteful decorations can be a welcome relief – especially in your lobby.
Some natural or artificial foliage can also calm the stress that comes with rushing to beat end-of-year targets by improving your employees’ sense of well-being.
Tasteful Ways to Put Up Christmas Decorations in Your Office
A Sensible Christmas Tree
There's something elegant and tasteful about the traditional Christmas tree. For one, it's more inclusive when compared to nativity scenes, dreidels, and other religious decorations. Christmas trees command attention, and you can pull diverse creative spins on them.
You can elect to go small, big, or massive as long as it drips in lights and other finery. To top it off, you can decide to add your corporate colors so that it's not out of touch with your office décor.
Build a Snowman
If you live and work within white Christmas zones, then you've probably built snowmen since before you could walk. However, this may not be possible if Jack Frost never visits your neck of the woods.
In that case, you and your workmates can cobble a snowman's body with white cotton. You can carve out the eyes and a nose with some glace paper to make it a bit more fun.
Once he's ready, you can sprinkle a little glitter or add some lights. That would really make him pop! Now you can place him near your entrance –he’s bound to turn some heads!
Decorating Desktops
A desktop is an employee’s most sacred personal space. It’s where you commune with your work tools, and it’s the reflection that goes through the motions with you through the year. That’s why not many workplaces have regulations against how you can personalize it.
You can adorn it in figurines, wreaths, or the Christmas knick-knacks your kids make you. While you're at it, why not add a few red scented candles? This would make it look more appealing and tingle your olfactory senses. You have absolute freedom to play with your desktop. But, keep it classy, don't be tacky.
A “Merry Christmas!” Banner
A vast or small banner that says "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Holidays!" (Depending on your office politics) is a great way to usher in the festive season. You can opt to buy one or work with your officemates to cobble one together. Whichever way you approach this task, it’s bound to be oodles of fun for all parties concerned. Well, maybe not for the office Grinch.
After building the banner, you can hang it at your reception area or any shared space to spread the cheer and message of goodwill.
Dangly Santa Stockings
Don't let the absence of a fireplace mantle prevent you from participating in this age-old Christmas tradition. Dangling Santa stockings is a great idea. They represent you opening up your world to presents, goodwill, and unseen opportunities in life.
You can get them monogrammed with your co-worker's names so that Santa knows where to stuff his presents. You can place them on your desks or somewhere in the lobby, break room, or other shared spaces. After the holidays you don't need to throw them away. They can go into storage for next year's Christmas celebrations.
Your Computer Could Also Use Some Cheer
Computers are cold and calculating machines that speak in ones and zeros. They have no feelings outside their tasks and sometimes fall to neglect. But, since you’re decorating your desktop – why not decorate its most crucial resident?
Naturally, the perfect place to start is with a tasteful Christmas-themed wallpaper or screensaver. This helps enhance your overall decoration scheme. You can also add some stickers or tiny paperweights to the top of your CPU or side of the monitor.
Decorate Lobbies and Other Shared Spaces
The breakroom, reception area, stairwells, window mantles, and other shared office spaces could also use some Christmas cheer. The good news is there are infinite ways to show some love to these spaces. You can add jingle bells, garlands, Christmas lights, and cut-out snowflakes streamers. While you're at it, why not throw in a mistletoe? –you may get lucky (wink, wink).
If your office has many employees, you can split the task among various departments. This can be the perfect time to outdo your least favorite department. There's nothing wrong with a bit of competitive spirit while taking a break from the monotony of office tasks. But, keep in mind not to overload the spaces with decorations in the heat of excitement. Remembering that you'll have to take them down after New Year should be enough inspiration.
Light It Up, Christmas Style!
The strobing effect of red, green, and blue Christmas lights can be too polarizing for office spaces. So, you can use fairy lights instead. These types of light can provide an opulent glow that can transform a dull wintery office into a winter wonderland. They work as perfectly on drab cubicle walls as on Christmas trees.
However, it pays to have a safety-first mindset. Ensure you keep fairy light away from flammable decorations and other fire hazards. It also pays to ensure they are turned off after everyone leaves the office. This prevents them from burning out too soon and keeps your electricity costs low.
Wear Something Festive
Thus far, we've talked about the importance of decorating inanimate objects that can't feel the joy of this festive period. But, what can you do to get even further into the holiday cheer?
Christmas office costume parties aren't all-the-rage like Halloween. But, there's nothing wrong with experiencing a few Christmas hijinks. You can do so by wearing an elf or Santa hat. Christmas ties are also a zany way for the men in the office to spread cheer.
At the same time, the ladies can try it with festive tops, belts, suspenders, or any Christmas-related accessories. While you’re at it – why not turn it into a contest? You can even take some photos to hang next to your stockings or post on Instagram to spread the cheer to an even larger audience.
A Decorative Christmas Archway
Deck the halls with boughs of holly. So the song goes, but you probably didn't think it's another fantastic Christmas office decoration idea. A flourish of green, pink, and white is the perfect way to usher in employees as they make their way to their desks.
There are many ways to go about this. You can get an inflatable archway, throw in some ribbons, candy, and Christmas balls, and you're off to a good start.
Conclusion
So there you have it, a bunch of ways to lift the spirits and deck your office in festive cheer. The good news is there's no wrong way to go about it, and you can combine all these ideas. But, it's worth noting there's a thin line between classy and tacky.
So, it would be wise not to take things too far; else, you'll have a nightmare of a time when taking down all these decorations. Remember that you can reuse some of these decorative elements next year. So avoid using strong tapes and glues when sticking things to walls and other surfaces.
We’ll be back soon with tips on how you can take the decorations down after the holidays. So, stay tuned. Till then, why don’t you have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!
