How the Obamas Decorated for their Final Christmas at the White House
There's no holding back for the First Family's last Christmas at the White House, especially when it comes to the decorations. The theme for this season is "The Gift of the Holidays," evident in the ubiquitous present motifs around 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, whether in stacked silver boxes in the archways or a large ribbon sculpture outside the East Wing.
Super-sized stuffed toy replicas of the Obamas' dogs Sunny and Bo (made from 25,000 yarn pom poms), and Lego-made "gingerbread" houses (there are 56 of them to represent the U.S. states and territories) are notable pieces of decor.
The main attraction, however, is the White House Christmas Tree, which FLOTUS welcomed with her two nephews on Friday. The 19-foot Douglas fir stands tall in the Blue Room with various gold and silver ornaments and a metallic garland reading the preamble to the Constitution.
Even the foyer leading up to the Blue Room is perfectly decorated. Silver ornaments drape and dangle from the ceiling while matching metallic presents with red bows are stacked up between pillars.
A gingerbread replica of the White House stands on display in the State Dining Room, its usual post. It consists of 150 pounds of gingerbread, 100 pounds of bread dough, 20 pounds of gum paste, 20 pounds of icing and 20 pounds of miniature sugar sculpture pieces, according to The Washington Post. A coordinating gumdrop wreath hangs in the background.
The hallway decor are works of art themselves. One entrance in the East hallway features trimmings made up of 8,000 red gift ribbons. Meanwhile, "snowball" arches in the Center Hall are made with garland and 6,000 twinkling ornaments.
Friendly snowmen line the walls, too, adorably dressed in earmuffs and scarves.
In a window-lined portion of the East Wing, red, pink and purple streamers hang from the ceiling leading up to another tree at the end of the hall.
And a geometric American flag stands in another part of the wing.
The grandest display might be the one outside Cross Hall, where trees overloaded with metallic ornaments and embellished garlands line the walls.
The rooms themselves are kept cozy as well. Mini trees and wreaths spruce up the Red Room of the White House, with a coordinating bough over the fireplace.
The Library has a similar warm feel, except ornaments are the main feature-they line the fireplace in various colors and playfully overflow in a book-shaped bin.
A centerpiece dedicated to Michelle Obama's Let Girls Learn initiative even showcases two petite Christmas trees crafted from pencils.
Even the outdoor decorations are impressive. Two trees dressed with bell ornaments flank the front door of the White House, while a large ribbon sculpture stands outside the East Wing.
The Obamas have set the bar high for holiday decorating; future First Families have big shoes to fill.
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