Garden sheds 'can be used as a Santa's grotto'

16:11:20 19th November 2010

A standard garden shed can easily be transformed into a Santa's grotto, one commentator has asserted.

Jamie Simpson, writing in a piece on articlebase.com, said that the first step required to turn a shed into a festive den is removing all tools and potting soil, storing them temporarily in the garage or basement.

He goes on to advise people to paint the inside of their sheds white to give the illusion of snowy conditions.

Mr Simpson writes that small figurines, a footstool and a crocheted throw over a comfy chair will all make the grotto more convincing.

"If you live in a cold climate, you might want a method of heating. Make sure that you check the capacity of the garden sheds or run weatherproof cords from the house," he added.

When emptying sheds of all tools and equipment, people might also want to get rid of any old or unwanted chemicals kept there, such as paint and pesticides.

This is what residents of Parkes Shires in the US will be doing later this month as part of a safe chemical disposal programme, the Parkes Champion-Post reported earlier this week.