Leave it to First Lady Michelle Obama to make sure that 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is the most decorated house in Washington, D.C. For the last eight years, Mrs. Obama has enlisted the help of some of the nation's best designers to make sure the White House exudes the Christmas spirit.
For her final Christmas in the White House, Michelle, and her dogs Sunny and Bo, had the help of event designer Bryan Rafanelli to create the theme "The Gift of the Holidays" with decorations inspired by the first lady's Let's Move and Let Girls Learn initiatives.
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2/15
It all starts with the tree! Michelle, her nephews Austin and Aaron and the first pets, Sunny and Bo, were presented with the official White House Christmas tree by Dave and Mary Vander of Oconto, Wisconsin.
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3/15
The 19-foot Douglas fir made its grand arrival to the White House.
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4/15
Michelle invited military families to the White House, where she presented to them and their children the finished product. The first lady told the crowd, "We're going to be celebrating our country's greatest gifts, with special decorations celebrating our military families."
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5/15
Children of military families made it to the White House to check out the decorations and even pet the first family's pets, Sunny and Bo.
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6/15
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! The East Hallway of the White House is lined with 8,000 red gift ribbons. Snowball arches were created with 6,000 ornaments.
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7/15
The White House shared an up close and personal view of the holiday decor.
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8/15
The tree of all trees! The 19-foot Douglas fir stands tall in the Blue Room decked with gold and silver ornaments and decorated with a metallic garland that reads the preamble to the Constitution. The tree, which arrived the day after Thanksgiving, took four days to decorate, according to a volunteer decorator.
The theme of 'Gift of the Holidays,' is meant to encourage people to reflect on "the true gifts of life," First Lady Michelle said.
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9/15
Each room got a touch of holiday magic. The Red Room is decorated with various small trees and color-coordinating trim.
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10/15
In the library, the theme is ornaments. Different colored balls are placed around the room. The centerpiece features two miniature Christmas trees made from pencils, which is an ode to Michelle's Let Girls Learn initiative.
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11/15
Fifty-six Lego gingerbread houses that represent each state and U.S. territory are featured in the branches of trees in the State Dining Room.
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12/15
More than 90 volunteer decorators from 33 states arrived on Thanksgiving to begin the decorating process at the White House. Tasks ranged from hauling boxes to hanging lights, in addition to wreaths and trimming foyers and banisters around the mansion.
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13/15
Sunny and Bo Obama posed next to their enormous replicas made out of 25,000 yarn pom-poms.
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14/15
Cross Hall is lined with trees decorated with gold and silver ornaments.
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15/15
A gingerbread replica of the White House is displayed in the State Room of the presidential residence. According the Washington Post, the delicious decor is made from 150 pounds of gingerbread, 100 pounds of bread dough, 20 pounds of gum paste, 20 pounds of icing and 20 pounds of miniature sugar sculpture pieces.
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