Christmas is a time when everyone embellishes their houses with glimmering adornments, which are called for by the holiday season. These ornaments, found all over the house, are made to be either sparkling or red and green in color to represent the Christmas theme. Splendid as they are, Christmas decorations spend almost the entire year in the attic collecting dust until December appears. The old ones eventually wither out and get thrown away. The funny thing is, Christmas decorations actually have more uses than what their appearance suggests.

Christmas decorations appear rather flashy, making them easy to reuse. They can be turned into home ornaments that can be used all year long. Some items are pretty durable, which means they can be morphed into supply holders and other home fixtures. There are even decorations that can be used as fashion accessories. With all of your options, having a good collection of extra ornaments can always come in handy. Here are 15 of the coolest alternative uses for Christmas decorations.

1. Christmas Lights Night Light - After Christmas, you can arrange your Christmas lights to form neat patterns by your bedside. The dim glow of the lights’ tiny bulbs may not provide enough illumination for reading, but it makes dark spaces more tolerable to occupy. In addition, if the lights are well-arranged, they can make your room look more stylish when all the other other lights are turned off. Try assembling the lights to form figures and other stylish patterns. Remember, if you can form Santa, reindeer, sleigh and all, you should have no problems creating simpler non-Christmas figures.

2. Christmas Balls Table Ornament - A group of Christmas balls piled in a glass or a plate looks elegant, as it accompanies you to fine dinners and special luncheons. Just collect a set of same-colored Christmas balls and place them inside a glass. You’ll be surprised at how the ornament makes your table setting more exquisite. Serving wine or champagne is a must for such a setup.

3. Christmas Ball Wreath - Christmas balls, normally hung onto the Christmas tree, are surprisingly good decorations, regardless of occasion. Assemble a group of Christmas balls, stick them together like an actual wreath, then tie a bow and a few ribbons onto the resulting figure. You’ll have a wreath that can be used to embellish your home all year round.

4. Makeshift Boas - In the absence of a wardrobe boa, you can use a thick Christmas garland instead. Christmas garlands come in sterling colors, which can fit most types of elegant wardrobes. If you feel that the garland is too thin, you can wear several strands until you get your desired girth. As you can see, the posh Christmas decorations can give you that “red carpet look” you always longed for.

5. Fridge Magnets - Fabric-based Christmas decorations can be tweaked to create cool fridge magnets. For instance, a candy cane Christmas tree decoration made of fabric and foam can be transformed into a refrigerator stick-on. Superglue a magnet at the back of the decor. When the adhesive dries, use the magnet to stylize your fridge and hold important notes.

6. Chandelier Decorations - Chandeliers are fine structures that hold several light bulbs. Most of them have intricate patterns on the base, creating a classic design, which fits some home themes. To further stylize the decorative piece, you can hang several Christmas balls along the base. Use beaded strings to affix onto the chandelier base. As a result, you’ll have a doubly elegant chandelier for eventful evenings.

7. Christmas Bell Door Decoration - Brown wooden doors are nicely highlighted by Christmas bell ornaments. The bells’ shape and color blend well with the door’s color and contours. After the Christmas season, remove the bow on top of the decoration. You may then chose to keep the item attached to your door for the whole year.

8. Scary Snowmen - A lump of snow that comes to life is scary, which means ornamental snowmen can be tweaked to form creepy Halloween decorations. Remove the beads and buttons that make up the snowman’s face and outfit then replace them with a different set of beads, which transforms the jolly ice figure into a ghost or a fat skeleton. You can also use paint, felt paper and other art materials to create scary impressions. (Learn how to build a snowman)

9. Wreath for the Whole Year Round - Blank wreath bases accommodate any ornament that you can stick onto them. If you stick a group of tiny non-Christmas ornaments to the root or leaf-based decoration, you can actually create a fine-looking home ornament. You can even stick unusual things, so it can match the themes of stylized bedrooms.

10. Glitter - Glitter is used to glamourize things like dresses, decor or even body parts. Instead of buying a pack at a fashion boutique, you can remove the glitter from Christmas balls and other Christmas decorations. Collect the sparkling bits and store them in a covered container. The glitter used for Christmas decorations come in multiple colors, so you instantly have a ton of stylizing options.

11. Christmas Star Home Ornament - A star has many connotations, which means the Christmas star, usually found atop the Christmas tree, can be reused in oh so many ways. Place the star in a trophy case and it will accentuate the achievements of the trophies’ owners. You can also set the elegant item on living room cabinets, so it pushes the room’s aesthetic value.

12. Multi-Occasional Wreath - If a wreath can represent Christmas, it shouldn’t have any trouble standing for other occasions. It can be a Thanksgiving symbol, if you stick small clover and turkey ornaments onto the base. Halloween, on the other hand, requires a handful of small scary items. Clearly, the wreath can be used for any occasion as long as you have all the necessary items to stick. (How about an Easter wreath? read how to make Easter wreath)

13. Christmas Candles - Christmas candles are perhaps the easiest items to turn into regular household decorations. Their designs are not too Christmas-y, which is why you can keep them on your dinner table or your cabinets for the entire year. Just remove the bows and ribbons attached to the candles right after Christmas.

14. The Versatile Mistletoe - The mistletoe may be a Christmas item, but its appearance makes it usable for the entire year. In addition, it can match some room themes and home furniture. A group of mistletoes blend well with a wooden or a nature-themed room. As for large mistletoes, they are good table ornaments while their miniature counterparts can be used as fridge magnets. Best of all, you can reuse those symbols for stealing kisses during Valentine’s Day.

15. Christmas Bow, Item for Stylizing - The Christmas bow looks pretty while beautifying wreaths and other Christmas decorations. Remarkably, its ability to stylize stretches beyond the Christmas season. Tie it on figurines, decorative furniture and birthday presents, and you will see how it turns already beautiful things into pretty elegant pieces.

Christmas ornaments are known for their extraordinary splendor. Expectedly, a well-arranged set of Christmas decor turns a normal home into a place of spectacle and Christmas cheer. Given the aesthetic qualities of those ornaments, you can freely use them beyond the Christmas season with a little creativity and an eye for interior design. Marvel at how those decorations make you and your room look like fine pieces of work, even before Santa arrives.