Christmas Home Tours 2011

Are you getting ready for the Christmas Home Tours at The Inspired Room?

I am getting ready, too. Right now the house is a little chaotic and I could use a Christmas miracle to get everything photo-ready. If the weather cooperates and I can catch some good light, tomorrow I’ll share a sneak peek of my mantel before the big event. Then on Monday we’ll open the doors for the 2011 Christmas Home Tours.

Important details for joining the link-up:

The 2011 Christmas Home Tours at The Inspired Room will begin at 6:00 PM PST (9:00 PM EST) on Monday, December 12th.

If you plan to share your home, you’ll have most of Monday to prepare your post — plenty of time to get photos uploaded and ready. Last month The Inspired Room had nearly a million page views, so there’s often a lot of traffic for participants and commenters.

These parties and the comments can drive a lot of visitors to linked blogs, so don’t hesitate to join early. If you want to be among the first to link up, head to The Inspired Room around 6:00 PM PST on Monday to add your link. The linky will remain open all week, so you can add your tour later if you can’t make the start time.

For the newbies

Welcome! If you’re not sure what “adding a link” or “linking up” means, don’t worry — it’s easiest to learn by doing. Below is a simple overview of what to expect on Monday night.

Join the party

Three easy steps to join the Christmas Home Tours linky party:

One:

Take photos of your decorated home this week — a whole room, a cozy corner, or a festive mantel will do. Don’t worry about house size, camera gear, or editing skills. The goal is to have fun and share your space. Treat the online party like a real one: imagine greeting guests at the door or setting out cookies — it makes the experience more playful and welcoming.

Two:

Upload your photos to a public place online where others can view them. A blog post is ideal because you can add context and description, but a public Facebook album or any shareable web page will work as long as it’s accessible.

Three:

On the day of the party, copy the link to your photos and add it to the party linky that will appear in my Christmas Home Tours post at 6:00 PM PST on Monday the 12th. Once your link is added, visitors can click through directly to your home tour. It will make more sense when you see the linky in action.

You don’t have to share your own photos to join the fun — visiting other homes on the tour is just as enjoyable.

Please help spread the word! If you can, tell friends about the party via your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or other social channels between now and Monday.

That’s all it takes to participate. If you don’t want to share your own tour, set aside some time to visit others — the tour will be full of inspiration and festive ideas.

Don’t forget: I’ll post photos of my Christmas mantel tomorrow. I also have another post scheduled to go up later today that was delayed while my server was down, so feel free to stick around and explore. If you’re here, take a look at the new Room Tours I’ve recently added.