Preparing for the holidays can sometimes feel overwhelming. The decorating, the creating, the baking. Then there’s the shopping to do and the wrapping. Add in the church services, parties and programs to attend and hosting get-togethers with families and friends.

The list of things to plan seems endless. And coming up with new ideas each year gets more and more difficult.

Here’s where Pinterest can help. The social media site lets users browse, share and organize things and ideas on the web. They can pin their interests on virtual bulletin boards.

Quitman resident Erin Mullins said she uses Pinterest to get ideas for crafts, cooking and photography and is a valuable tool around the holidays.

“With Christmas coming up, it’s a perfect spot to find something new,” Mullins said. “I usually give cookies or little gifts to my friends and neighbors and sometimes it’s hard to find new ideas so that you’re not giving the same thing each year. I’ve already pinned several ideas that I plan on using this year.”

Parnell resident Brooke Gray has also been busy this year pinning ideas she plans to use.

“I am using Pinterest ideas for Christmas gifts to save money and to get away from the commercial Christmas that so many are wrapped up in,” Gray said.

To help you out with your Christmas planning this year, the Nodaway News Leader has pinned a variety of ideas on our boards at pinterest.com/nodawaynews.

Decorations

The first way the NNL can help you this holiday season is with decorating. Our “Planning Christmas Decorations” board has a variety of decorating pins, from jingle bells and shiny balls to hanging stockings, jolly snowman and trees with all the trimmings. Check out pinterest.com/nodawaynews/planning-christmas-decorations.

Here are a few of those pins:

Seasons Greetings Wreath

This Seasons Greetings Wreath is from the Seasons of Joy blog. It can be made using many materials from a dollar store at a cost of around $16.

Items needed include a grapevine wreath, off-white spray paint, baby’s breath, a bird nest, birds, transparent off-white ribbon and ornaments.

For step-by-step instructions or more information, visit deckthehalls-christmas.blogspot.com/2011/11/seasons-greetings-wreath.html.

Mantle Decorations

There are endless ways to decorate a mantle during the holidays and Holly Mathis Interiors has one idea using fresh greenery.

Starting with the greens, she added natural wood nutcrackers, plaid bows, burlap stockings and a large canvas picture with a Christmas phrase printed on it.

To read more about this idea, visit hollymathisinteriors.com/2011/12/welcome-christmas-tour.

Decorating Your Tree

These tips to help decorate your tree like a professional come from The Yellow Cap Cod website.

Designer Sarah Macklem says there are no rules when it comes to holiday decorating but it’s all about family traditions. Still, she has a few guidelines to get you started which include using the right bulbs, colors and textures of ornaments, finding graphic elements like the large snowflakes and adding unusual elements like the framed monogram.

For more about her ideas, visit theyellowcapecod.com/2011/11/holiday-home-series-tips-decorate-your.html.