Gallery: March postie delivers magic of Christmas with amazing decorations in her home

Most families have a Christmas tree and maybe a few other festive decorations in their homes this time of year - but for one Fenland family it is so much more.

Karen Arbon, a postie in March, must be one of the biggest fans of Christmas ever, and she has turned the family home into a festive grotto to rival any you may have seen anywhere else.

The mum of two begins her decorating regime in late October early November and spends the following weeks working to make everything as merry and bright as possible in her semi-detached home in Maple Grove.

And it really is a treasure trove of festive fun for her children Avy, 12, and seven-year-old Archie, while Karen's long-suffering partner Jay Blackwell helps when called upon to put up the decorations.

The entire groundfloor, including the kitchen has been given Karen's Christmas sparkle, and that includes creating a winter wonderland (new for this year) in the conservatory.

Karen said: "I have always adored Christmas, it is my favourite time of year and I have always gone overboard, but it has just got bigger and bigger each year.

"The children love it too, although Avy is getting to the age where she is a little embarrassed, but Archie embraces it and I often find bits from my displays missing that have ended up either in his bedroom or in the display he has created outside his door.

"There are 15 Christmas trees in the house this year, the children have one each in their rooms, and the rest are dotted about downstairs.

"The idea for the winter wonderland came last Christmas when I bought a pack of fake snowballs for a snowball fight on Christmas Eve. We had so much fun it got me to thinking - now the conservatory is filled with around 2,000 snowballs and it looks magic.

"I have no idea how much I spend on decorations as I buy them throughout the year ready to start decorating in October. This year I made some giant baubles to hang over the stairs. They took about two weeks to make and were quite a challenge, but I think they look great."

There is not a surface or a window that has not been given a festive make-over and that includes the window blinds which have been gift-wrapped to look like parcels.

There are festive rugs, tinsel, baubles, Nutcracker soldiers, and even a specially created menu sign, made by Jay, to go over the oven with the Christmas day offerings on it.

Every year Karen creates a special themed dining table, and this year has chosen to have a more natural look with holly and other greenery.

Karen is already planning ahead for next Christmas when she hopes to use mannequins and dress them as Victorian carol singers for the garden, which will also be filled with lit Christmas trees to create an outdoors winter wonderland.

"I don't decorate the front of the house as my neighbour really goes to town and it looks good. I like to have my displays around me where I can see them, that's why any outside decorations will be in the garden. Although I did suggest to Jay that we do something on the drive and he should park his car somewhere else , but he said it was a step too far.

"But like the rest of he gets just excited about Christmas and none of us can wait for the big - we're sure Father Christmas will be making a visit to us."