| still have not decided where to display your new | | | | Have you ever thought of showing off your |
| collectible Christmas village this next holiday | | | | village, or maybe a few of your village pieces in a |
| season. Or maybe you are just tired of setting up | | | | smaller vignette inside of a side garage window? |
| your current display in the same expected | | | | Perhaps you have been thinking for years of a |
| location year after year and are looking for that | | | | way to incorporate your display in to your |
| ultimate new location to showcase your | | | | exterior decorating without the risk of damage |
| Department 56, Lemax, or other village | | | | from the elements. Well, a framed display inside a |
| collectibles. Grab a notepad and pen, because you | | | | garage window that is viewable towards the front |
| may find your creative talents energized and | | | | of your home is a wonderful way to add a |
| anxious to be put to use when you hear about | | | | storybook appeal to your holiday decorations. Be |
| these 5 great locations for your village display. | | | | sure to see my article entitled Creating a |
| Before I suggest the following possible locations | | | | Magical Window Display for your Christmas |
| for your Christmas village, it is important to | | | | Village’ for details on how to go about |
| remember that the viewability of your village is | | | | constructing this type of display. |
| affected greatly by the space you have available. | | | | Foyer sideboard table: Sideboard tables, sofa |
| Never being a fan of displaying every single piece | | | | tables, and consoles are ideal locations for smaller |
| in my collection just for the sake of unpacking | | | | village groupings. They are very easy to arrange |
| them out of mothballs, I always recommend | | | | village displays on top of, and are one of the |
| striving for visual impact in a display over showing | | | | better locations for isolating your display for a |
| the quantity of a collection. For that reason alone, | | | | more focused viewing point. These tables offer |
| you can consider the following locations to place | | | | the advantage of displaying at a level where even |
| smaller vignettes, or groupings of your village | | | | smaller children can see every aspect of your |
| collectibles to create more visually impacting village | | | | village setting. Of course that can also be its |
| settings. | | | | greatest disadvantage. If you believe tiny roaming |
| Curio cabinets: Not everyone has a curio | | | | hands may mean the destruction of your |
| cabinet, but for those who do, consider | | | | miniature town, choose another location. |
| temporarily replacing some of your regular curios | | | | Under glass of a wood-framed coffee table: |
| with a small village vignette or two. The key for | | | | This is a truly unique concept for displaying villages. |
| success here is to keep the vignettes small | | | | Imagine family and friends sitting around the |
| because of the glass shelving you typically find in | | | | family room talking about your village under |
| a curio cabinet. Rather than find out the hard way | | | | glass.’ This idea takes a bit more time and |
| that your village display was too heavy for the | | | | care to assemble your display, but the results are |
| glass shelves, why not simply group a small | | | | amazing. If you have this type of table, simply |
| vignette or two where each can tell its own | | | | remove the glass insert(s) temporarily while you |
| miniature story. You will love the glimmering | | | | construct your village. Place a large enough box |
| effect created by the village house lights shining | | | | underneath the table to elevate the viewing |
| and reflecting off of the mirrored background and | | | | surface that will be visible when you replace the |
| glass enclosure of the cabinet. It is very easy to | | | | glass back on top, but not so large that the tops |
| camouflage the light cords with a few miniature | | | | of the village buildings or trees are too high and |
| pine trees strategically placed. | | | | protrude through the glass level. Make sure to |
| Wall units: Wall units are a strong and perfect | | | | place a solid and flat item on top of the box to |
| location for displaying smaller village vignettes. | | | | create a sound surface, such as a shelf or two |
| Because the shelving is typically wood or a | | | | side by side. Cover the box and shelf with a small |
| composite material, you will not have to worry at | | | | white tablecloth to not only cover the more |
| all about the weight of your village like you would | | | | unsightly aspects of your box foundation, but to |
| with a curio cabinet. For that reason, you can | | | | also give your display a nice wintry effect. Finally, |
| experiment with terracing in your vignette. | | | | employ your own personal creativity to make a |
| Elevate a village piece or two towards the | | | | truly unique type of display. |
| background to create textured focal points for | | | | I hope you enjoyed these ideas for possible |
| viewers whether their eyes are drawn to the | | | | locations to display your village. You may even |
| back or the front of your display. Too often I see | | | | have a few of your own that suit your home |
| displays where a person has to strain their neck | | | | even better. The key thing is to take some time |
| to see a beautifully detailed village building | | | | and consider the visual impact you can achieve |
| shrouded from view by another similarly sized | | | | rather than just lining up your collection end to |
| piece or one bigger right in front of it. | | | | end. |
| Garage side window: Yes, you heard me right. | | | | |