White House Christmas Tour 2014

Step inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as HGTV gives you an insider's look at the holiday preparations and decorations at America's first home.

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Photo By: Ken Cedeno/Getty Images

Welcome to the White House at Christmas

This massive tree greets visitors in the Blue Room, which is home to the White House's official Christmas tree.

Stately Occasion

Four large Christmas trees decorated in glass ornaments make for a suitably grand display in the White House's Grand Foyer and Cross Hall.

This Year's Theme

Each year first lady Michelle Obama chooses a theme for the home's holiday decor. This year's theme is "Children's Winter Wonderland."

Greetings From the First Lady

First lady Michelle Obama introduces the 2014 White House holiday decorations before a group of military troops, their families and children.

Honored Dignitaries

First lady Michelle Obama accompanies a group of White House guests into the State Dining Room. The theme and decorations for this year's White House Christmas is intended to invoke the spirit and wonder of the hoiday season as seen through a child's eyes.

Winter Wonder

Portraits and Adornments

The doorways in the White House's East Wing are draped in fresh evergreen garland accented with pine cones and silver and white ornaments. The East Wing hallway and lobby houses portraits of past presidents and first ladies -- like this one of Elizabeth (Bess) Wallace Truman, painted by Martha Greta Kempton.

Hand Crafted

In the East Room, decorations include books bundled in bronze ribbon or fashioned into tree ornaments like these with paper cut-outs of winter scenes.

A (Presidential) Dog's Eye View

Replicas of 'first dogs' Bo and Sunny feature heavily in holiday decor in several locations around the White House, including here in the East Garden Room.

North Portico Entrance

Two trees decorated in silver and white flank the main entrance to the white house where dignitaries enter during state dinners.

East Colonnade Entrance Landing

In this entrance to East Colonnade, the traditional USPS mailbox is placed for visitors to send season's greetings to service member overseas. The tree is dedicated to the memory of fallen soldiers, and its ornaments include ceramic stars trimmed in gold and signed by members of Gold Star Families.

East Colonnade

In the East Colonnade, eight wreaths of fresh evergreen hang in the windows, and the hall is decoratred with topiaries accented in gold.

East Colonnade, Wreaths

East Colonnade, Archway

This archway in the East Colonnade is made of 300 bunches of preserved hydrangea applied in herringbone motif.

East Colonnade

East Colonnade, Green and Gold Accents

East Colonnade, Garden View

East Colonnade, Garden View and Washington Monument

Visible just outside the East Colonnade halllway, in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, is an oversized gift-wrapped present made from mirrored material and topped with a huge red bow.

East Colonnade, Garden View

The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall

In the Grand Foyer, four large Christmas trees are decorated in hanging glass ornaments for a true winter wonderland feel.

The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall

The East Room

In the East Room, the largest room in the White House, two massive trees with oversized ornaments sit on either side of the creche display.

The East Room

The East Room, Carousel Deer

A decorative highlight in the East Room are the four folk art carousel deer on loan from the Charlotte Dinger Collection and the Merry-Go-Round Museum located in Sandusky, Ohio.

First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room

The East Room, White House Creche Display

The creche has been displayed every Christmas since 1967, when it was given to the White House by Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, Jr., of Far Hills, New Jersey.

The East Room, Creche Display

The 47 baroque figures in the creche are made of carved wood and terra cotta and were created in Naples, Italy in the late 18th Century.

The East Room - Creche Display, Detail

The East Room, Decorated Sconce

The East Room, Tree Decorations

State Dining Room

In the State Dining Room, two fourteen-foot trees sit on either side of the fireplace and portrait of president Abraham Lincoln.

State Dining Room

State Dining Room, Window Decorations

Decorating the window bays in the State Dining Room are vintage luggage pieces decorated with antique Washington, D.C. travel decals and dusted with glitter.

State Dining Room

The First Lady Entertains Guests in the State Dining Room

State Dining Room, White House Replica

The gingerbread White House replica, seen here in the State Dining Room, is a Christmas White House tradition.

State Dining Room, White House Replica

This year approximately 250 pounds of Pastillage, 40 pounds of Marzipan, 80 pounds of gingerbread dough and 25 pounds of sugar work were used to create the gingerbread house.

State Dining Room, White House Replica, Detail

First dogs Bo and Sunny make yet another appearance in the White House Christmas decorations, this time in the gingerbread White House.

State Dining Room, Christmas Trees

State Dining Room, Tree Ornaments

State Dining Room, Mantel Decorations

Volunteer-made ornaments are assembled to resemble Scrabble pieces that spell out "Winter Wonderland" on the State Dining Room mantel.

State Dining Room, Decorations

The East Garden Room, Interactive Display

The west wall of the East Garden Room features a new interactive display that integrates a projected image of visitors into a snowscape scene.

East Garden Room

Sunny and Bo stand guard over the East Garden Room.

East Garden Room

More than a mile of black and white ribbon was used to fashion this year's replicas of first dogs Bo and Sunny.

East Wing Hallway

The portrait of first lady Nancy Reagan, painted by Aaron Shikler, hangs next to one of the doors in the East Wing Hallway. The doorways are decorated with fresh garland accented with pine cones and silver and white ornaments.

The Blue Room

The official White House Christmas tree, located in the Blue Room, is a Concolor Fir from Lehighton, Pennsylvania. It stands 18 feet tall and is nearly 12 feet wide.

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

The theme for this year's tree is "America the Brave" to pay tribute to the men and women in America's armed services.

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

Around 2000 ornaments decorate the tree, including decorations fashioned from coloring-book pages hand-decorated by children and thank-you messages written to the military.

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

The Green Room

The decorations in the Green Room draw upon a winter garden theme. The room features two 8-foot trees decorated gold pine cones and burgundy ribbon.

The Green Room

The Green Room, Tree Ornaments

The Vermeil Room

Vermeil Room

The mantel in the Vermeil Room is decorated with fresh garland and ribbon accents, arranged just below the portrait of first lady Claudia (Lady Bird) Johnson.

The Vermeil Room

Two dress-form mannequins take the place of traditional Christmas trees in the Vermeil room. The "trees" feature unique skirts fashioned from evergreens and frosted decorations.

The Vermeil Room

Designer Alex Bittar created the hand sculpted ornaments and jewelry for the dress forms.

The Vermeil Room

Hand-made necklaces on the bust form mimic ivory pinecones and are interwoven with vintage broaches.

The Vermeil Room, Tree Ornaments

The Red Room

In the Red Room, handmade fondant vases designed by Maggie Austin, a local designer based in Alexandria, Virginia sit on side tables. The vases are made to look like stone and are decorated with intricate faux berries, birds, and branches all made of sugar.

White House Christmas 2014

White House Christmas Tour 2014

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Welcome to the White House at Christmas

Stately Occasion

This Year's Theme

Greetings From the First Lady

Honored Dignitaries

Winter Wonder

Portraits and Adornments

Hand Crafted

A (Presidential) Dog's Eye View

North Portico Entrance

East Colonnade Entrance Landing

East Colonnade

East Colonnade

East Colonnade, Wreaths

East Colonnade, Archway

East Colonnade

East Colonnade, Green and Gold Accents

East Colonnade, Garden View

East Colonnade, Garden View and Washington Monument

East Colonnade, Garden View

The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall

The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall

The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall

The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall

The East Room

The East Room

The East Room, Carousel Deer

First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room

First Lady Michelle Obama in the East Room

The East Room, White House Creche Display

The East Room, Creche Display

The East Room - Creche Display, Detail

The East Room, Decorated Sconce

The East Room, Tree Decorations

The East Room, Tree Decorations

The East Room, Tree Decorations

The East Room, Tree Decorations

State Dining Room

State Dining Room

State Dining Room

State Dining Room, Window Decorations

State Dining Room

State Dining Room

The First Lady Entertains Guests in the State Dining Room

The First Lady Entertains Guests in the State Dining Room

The First Lady Entertains Guests in the State Dining Room

The First Lady Entertains Guests in the State Dining Room

State Dining Room, White House Replica

State Dining Room, White House Replica

State Dining Room, White House Replica, Detail

State Dining Room, White House Replica, Detail

State Dining Room, Christmas Trees

State Dining Room, Christmas Trees

State Dining Room, Tree Ornaments

State Dining Room, Tree Ornaments

State Dining Room, Mantel Decorations

State Dining Room, Decorations

The East Garden Room, Interactive Display

East Garden Room

East Garden Room

East Wing Hallway

East Wing Hallway

The Blue Room

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

Blue Room, Christmas Tree Decorations

The Green Room

The Green Room

The Green Room

The Green Room, Tree Ornaments

The Vermeil Room

Vermeil Room