When Christmas decorating is in full swing, it’s hard not to get carried away with glitter and lights. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of year and what better way to celebrate it than by covering your house in baubles, trees, and everything in between? Still, for parents and pet owners, it’s also time to consider how safe your festive decorations are. Whether you recently welcomed your first child or introduced a new furry friend to the family, changes need to be made to ensure your decorations are both beautiful and safe for everyone. Common holiday items can pose a risk, so to help you, EZ Living Furniture has put together this list of items to avoid and prioritise to enjoy the holiday season without worry.

Christmas tree with dog sitting on chair next to it.

Festive Foliage & Decorations To Avoid

Understanding potential hazards for both children and pets is the first step in ensuring a happy and safe celebration for all! Here are some of the holiday items that can pose a risk to children and animals that you should be aware of before bringing them into your home during the holiday season: 

Toxic Plants: Mistletoe, holly, and poinsettias (common seasonal foliage) are toxic to animals and children. If you do have one of these in your home, be sure to keep it out of reach of children and animals and never leave them unattended. 

A great alternative to real plants is an artificial plant. Faux plants often give the same look as the real thing, but without the need to maintain them or worry about their toxicity. Prioritise the plain designs without artificial berries, LED lights, or snow-tipped leaves to ensure they are 100% safe for your home.

Breakable Ornaments: While there’s nothing quite like the look and feel of hand-blown glass baubles, it’s important to know that there are safer alternatives available! If you feel like glass baubles might be a potential hazard in your home, switch to plastic alternatives. Unlike glass baubles, plastic baubles won’t shatter if dropped or knocked onto the floor. And if you want to be absolutely certain of their safety in your home, we suggest prioritising those without glitter, sequins or a jewel-encrusted finish to eliminate any potential risk. Handmade decorations made from paper and felt are also a great option, as they’re eco-friendly and add a bit of personality to your overall look. 

Electrical Cords: If chewed, electrical cords can lead to electrocution and burns. If possible, cover or hide these from sight. Opt for battery-operated lights and figurines, as some will be cordless and others will have a limited amount of wiring.

Decorated Christmas tree with child sitting on a chair next to it.

Top Picks: Pet-Safe & Child-Safe Decorations

Real Christmas trees can be problematic, as fallen needles can be sharp and lead to injury for both children and pets. The water a tree stands in may also contain harmful chemicals due to insecticides, fertilisers, etc, which is why it’s best to opt for an artificial option for homes with pets and small children.

The Sherwood Christmas Tree, available in a range of sizes, is a tree we wholeheartedly recommend for homes that need to err on the side of caution. While it does feature hooked branches which need to be attached individually to assigned spots on the central pole, this extra effort can be overlooked because the result is a full-bodied artificial tree with a realistic look and little to no gaps (depending on how well you flock it). The full appearance of the Sherwood is an excellent feature because it limits the number of baubles you’ll need to decorate it, which means a smaller number of ornaments for children and pets to knock off.

Rockefeller Tree decorated with taupe velvet bows and other tree ornaments.

Glass baubles, while incredibly elegant, might just pose too much of a risk in homes with pets and small kids. Instead, choose tree decorations that won’t shatter if they happen to be knocked to the ground. There are lots of baubles to choose from, many of which are more appropriate and safer options for your home.  

Our personal favourites are the Gold Gift Box Decoration, Fabric Top Hat Christmas Bauble, and 4 Pack Taupe Velvet Bows. We also stock lots of sprays and clip-on decorations that are much safer than a traditional glass bauble. Remember to choose tree decorations that vary in design, colour, and texture to create an eye-catching design.

Star the Standing Snowman at EZ Living Furniture.

Figurines have come a long way since the porcelain dolls of the 90s. Thankfully, Christmas characters are becoming more of a fun-for-the-whole-family sort of thing. Instead of a figurine being purely decorative, they’re now made from plush materials and generally tend to encourage interaction in some way, whether that’s with lights, songs, or pliable materials. 

One of the newer figurines in our collection is Star The Standing Snowman. This larger-than-life character is made from soft, pet and child-friendly materials. While this might look like a traditional snowman at first glance, his legs can be extended. When short, Star can sit neatly on a shelf, and when extended, he can be placed next to the Christmas tree or front door, ready to welcome incoming guests.

Small EveGold Xmas Tree Candle Holder at EZ Living Furniture.

Christmas isn’t complete without the flickering of a Christmas candle (or two). And what better way to display these than on a beautifully complementary candle holder? You might think that having small children or pets limits you from including candles and holders in your home, but you’d be wrong. You can still incorporate both into your seasonal decor, but you just have to be a bit cleverer about it. Enclosed candle holders are an obvious choice, and of course, LED candles are an absolute must. 

The Small Eve Gold Xmas Tree Christmas Candle Holder is brand new to our seasonal collection this year, and it just so happens to be one of our favourites for homes with small children and pets. This enclosed tealight candle holder is an overall safer choice for those who wish to light real candles during the holiday season because of its design (preventing any tipping, etc). Still, even with an enclosed candle holder, you should never leave a lit candle unattended, especially when around small children and/or pets. If you want the comfort of knowing that when left alone, your candles won’t cause any damage, then realistically, LED options are a better choice. Plenty can also be controlled by a remote control, meaning you can simply switch them on from afar.

Creating a child and pet-friendly home doesn’t mean having to sacrifice style. With careful planning and incorporating some of our top picks into your Christmas decor, you can enjoy a beautiful and worry-free holiday season!

Interesting Read: Festive Dining Made EZ 

We hope you enjoyed this content and found it useful and informative. We aim to share our expertise and knowledge with our customers, and to do this, we have a team of content creators working tirelessly behind the scenes. We do not use AI to create our content. Click this link to find out more about our team and content guidelines.