The White House preps for the holiday season with an array of decorated rooms. In the State Dining Room, decorations were designed to compliment the colors in the William Cogswell portrait of President Abraham Lincoln that hangs above the fireplace on the west wall.
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A handful of volunteers helped ready the White House for Christmas.
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In the coming weeks, public tours will be offered to tens of thousands of people.
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Ornaments hanging on the White House tree are from previous administrations and were sent out to communities across the country with the direction to decorate them with their favorite American landmarks.
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First lady Michelle Obama announced that White House employees will participate in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots Drive this holiday season.
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The State Dining Room displays the annual gingerbread house designed and constructed by White House pastry chef Bill Yosses and his team.
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One of two new additions to the miniature White House this year is a shadow box feature where you can look into the gingerbread State Dining Room.
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The East Room is decorated with fresh garlands, blue hydrangea, seeded eucalyptus and beaded fruit.
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The Green Room showcases two eight-foot dried pepper berry topiary trees made from 400 bunches of California grown pepper berries.
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In the Red Room, an embellished mantle with cranberry garland and two cranberry wreaths around the necks of the carved mantle figures channels the holiday spirit. Two Fraser fir trees in gilded Versailles boxes are accented with cranberries and deep red velvet and taffeta ribbons.
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The Green Room mantel.
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In the East Room, four 60-inch wreaths suspended with silk cord hang behind antique torchieres complementing the mantel garlands.
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The Douglas fir tree stands over 18 feet tall and nearly 13 feet wide. The ornaments are hung on the tree with blue ribbon embroidered with the words "reflect," "rejoice" and "renew" in several different languages.
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The White House tree is also lit with environmentally sound LED lights.
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Another view of the East Room.
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Four 60-inch wreaths suspended with silk cord, hang behind antique torchieres can also be found in the East Room.
Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post
Another new addition to the miniature White House is the White House kitchen garden on the South Lawn.
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Another view of the White House Green Room.
Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post
Gallery Credits:
Photo Editor, Producer Sam Funt
Text Editor Andrea N. Browne
