Planning & Ideas - Holidays - Christmas

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Give & Get Advice

Secrets of a Spectacular Holiday Home

Holidays are a time for family and friends to come together and enjoy the comforts of home. Make your house a welcoming haven for visitors with the perfect touches.

Also: Enter to win our third annual This Old Gingerbread House Contest

How to Pick the Perfect Tree

Get the best gifts for your DIYer

How to Build a Cozy but Safe Fire

Upgrade Your Mantel in a Weekend

Holiday Gifts

Gifts for the New Homeowner Essential gifts for your new neighbors	Gifts for the Garage Guy Give your garage guy the gift of clutter control	Give Cool Tools 11 absolutely unnecessary tools so cool you'll want to have them—or give them—anyway	Edible Home Improvement Gifts The way to a handyperson's heart this holiday season is, indeed, through his or her stomach	Tool-Themed Tree Ornaments You're a house-proud DIYer—and you've got the ornaments to prove it

Holiday Decorations

Choose a Live Christmas Tree Choose a live tree to extend the holiday spirit long past Christmas. Buy one now, plant it later, then watch it grow year after year	This Old Gingerbread House Contest Winners See how tools of the trade—band saws, wood rasps, belt sanders, Dremels—make award-winning gingerbread houses	Eco-Friendly Holiday Decorations Deck the halls with these stylish and recycled, all-natural, eco-friendly items	Firesafe Holiday Lights Electric holiday lights and displays sparkle and wow, but they're also potentially dangerous	Tools for Making Gingerbread Houses You're a house-proud DIYer—and you've got the ornaments to prove it

Holiday Fixes

12 Quick Fixes Lightning-fast repairs you can get done in no time	More Quick Fixes More fast repairs to get done before the guests arrive	Preventing Ice Dams Take care of trouble spots and you will enjoy a winter free of icicles—and the damage they can do to your roof	Snow Blowers Snow blowers have come a long way from their humble origins. See the best of today's models	Digging Out Your Car? Don't Damage the Driveway Handy tips for avoiding damage to your driveway when you're shoveling snow

Holiday Yule Log

How to Tile a Hearth Jazz up the buffer between the fire and the floor with colorful tiles	How to Tile a Fireplace Surround In a few days, you can create an ellegant entertainment spot for dinner parties and family holidays	7 Clean Sweeps for Fireplaces Safety tips for before you spark up the logs this winter	How to Install a Gas Fireplace In this how-to video, This Old House host Kevin O'Connor discovers the benefits of a direct-vent gas fireplace	How to Install Glass Fireplace Doors Retrofit your wood-burning fireplace with the safety of glass doors