As the frosty winter air begins to nip at our noses and the twinkling lights of Christmas start to adorn our streets, it’s time to turn our attention to the heart of the holiday season – our homes. This year, more than ever, we’re all looking forward to welcoming our loved ones into our homes, to share in the warmth, joy, and festive cheer that Christmas brings.
But how can we ensure our homes are as inviting and festive as possible? How can we create that magical Christmas atmosphere that makes our guests’ eyes light up with delight, and fills their hearts with the spirit of the season?
From twinkling fairy lights to aromatic scents, and from cosy corners to festive feasts, we’ll guide you through the steps to create a Christmas haven that your guests will absolutely adore. So, put on your favourite (sustainably sourced) Christmas jumper, grab a hot cup of cocoa, and let’s dive into the merry world of festive home staging.
Get The Gift Shopping Over With Early
Let’s be clear; the truly festive house is also the most relaxed one, a place free from stress and with to-do-lists long since conquered. The goal of a great Christmas period is to have very little to do but enjoy your home and your family as the big day advances, don’t you think?
What’s one of the most stressful things about Christmas? Christmas shopping, of course. Whatever you do, don’t leave it until the last minute. Get your gifts early, wrap them up efficiently and hide them somewhere safe until the tree’s up! Simple.
Set Up A Twinkling Outdoor Christmas Display
For most of us, winter decorations involve a similar dance of bringing down our artificial Christmas trees from the loft or buying the real deal, wrestling with tinsel and fairy lights, hanging wreaths, filling the house with holly and ivy, and adding cute little Christmas trinkets to our home.
Some of us even subtly adorn the outside of our home with a few outdoor Christmas lights to create a magical, twinkling spectacle. This year, after several Christmases that felt a bit treacherous due to COVID, it’s time to go all out – think glowing garden reindeers, a brightly lit Santa in a sledge, an inflatable snowman…the works.
In the name of both sustainability and nabbing a bargain, you might want to research the cost of permanent Christmas lights, which will set you up for many more festive seasons to come.
Wherever you stand on garish decorations, there’s no denying that the sight of a front garden done up in festive lights brings cheer to all that pass it. And whilst you may be concerned about excessive Christmas lights’ power consumption, there’s no need to say ‘bah, humbug’ just yet; there are plenty of solar powered and energy-efficient choices out there.
Cosy Corners
When it comes to creating a festive atmosphere, it’s not just about the decorations and the food. It’s also about creating cosy, inviting spaces where your guests can relax, unwind, and truly soak in the festive spirit. Here’s how…
- Layer Up: The key to a cosy corner is warmth and comfort. Start with a plush armchair or a snug sofa, and layer it up with soft, fluffy blankets and cushions. Opt for materials like velvet, faux fur, or chunky knit in festive colours like deep reds, forest greens, or classic creams.
- Light It Right: Lighting plays a crucial role in setting the mood. Avoid harsh, bright lights. Instead, opt for soft, warm lighting. Fairy lights draped over a bookshelf, a table lamp with a warm glow, or a cluster of candles can create a magical, cosy atmosphere.
- Festive Touches: Add a festive touch to your cosy corner with some Christmas-themed decor. It could be a mini Christmas tree on a side table, a festive wreath hanging on the wall, or even Christmas-themed cushion covers.
- A Good Read: A stack of good books or a basket of Christmas-themed magazines can add a nice touch to your cosy corner. It gives your guests a chance to unwind and enjoy some quiet time.
- Warm Drinks Station: Consider setting up a small hot drinks station near your cosy corner with a selection of teas, hot chocolate, and perhaps some mulled wine. A warm drink is the perfect companion for a cosy Christmas corner.
Remember, the goal is to create a space where your guests feel at home, a place where they can wrap themselves up in a blanket, sip on a warm drink, and bask in the glow of your festive decorations.
It’s All About The Festive Scents
Channelling the energy of Christmas ought to extend far beyond the visual appeal of decorations; you can exploit all the senses here, and smell plays a huge role in bringing the comfort of the festive season into your domestic space.
If you have scented candles of the season, now is the time to break those out. While, of course, the former is the obvious go-to choice when it comes to making your home smell like Christmas, they’re not the only vehicle for improved aroma; diffusers, potpourri and incense can all do their bit, too.
Of course, if you cook some gingerbread or mince pies to share with your family when they first arrive, you’ll imbue your home with the most festive aroma and have some gloriously Christmassy snacks to hand, too!
On top of all that, we’re fans of creating our own scent with cinnamon and cloves in a candle burner, or using a slow cooker or stove top and making your home smell like Christmas with a simmering holiday potpourri. Delicious. Actually, don’t eat it…
Stock Up Your Store Cupboard
Remember when we said that a stressless house is a festive house. Well, that last dash to the supermarket when you realised you forgot to buy cranberry sauce or god forbid, enough butter to make brandy butter, is nothing but stress.
So, start stocking up on ingredients for your Christmas feast now. Remember, the freezer is your friend and you can prepare things like your cranberry and bread sauce a month in advance if you have to. Pesto Christmas trees, mince pies, pigs in blankets, stuffing, and parsnip puree can be made in advance and frozen, too.
Another thing that’s not festive – having no mulled wine or mince pies to offer when a visitor pops in. It’s essential, then, to stock up your store cupboard with plenty of festive treats and edibles. To get into the spirit of the season, we’re particularly fond of adding some Christmas magic to our coffees in the form of seasonally-flavoured sugar syrups. Invest in a bottle, and it’s so easy to inject some festive frivolity into your morning beverage.
Christmas Crafts
Winter weekends are the perfect time to whip out the glitter and get to work on a whole range of handmade Christmas decorations. Why not consider creating your own Christmas cards this year – much more thoughtful than a last-minute rush to the Pound Shop and much more kind to the environment, too.
Music Makes The Mood
Nothing sets the scene quite like festive holiday music, which should be playing from the very first day of advent, on repeat and turned up to eleven. If you’re not one for the more saccharine festive smashes, consider something a bit more surreal in the form of Bob Dylan’s ‘A Christmas in the Heart’ or J.J. Hrubovcak’s ‘Death Metal Christmas’.
There are endless options when it comes to holiday music, and curating your own playlist can be a whole lot of fun. It might seem old school, but it’s a great idea to burn your playlist to CD (yes, those can still be made), for you and your family to enjoy each year as something of a Christmas tradition.
That said, some people (we might be looking in the mirror right now) find it annoying to listen to cheesy Christmas music all day long, so maybe switch it out for some acoustic tunes every now and again. There are only so many times we can hear Michael Bublé!
Christmas Films
If you want to feel truly festive, proudly don Christmas pyjamas, crack open the Baileys and put on Home Alone on repeat, ideally playing on a massive screen in the background 24 hour a day, Kanye-style. Enough said.
Donate Unwanted Items To Charity
What’s the true meaning of Christmas? Giving, of course. Most of us have at least a few things at home that we don’t use that could make someone else’s life much easier. In particular, children’s clothing and baby items can be quite pricey and, at the same time, difficult to go without.
Gathering these items up and taking them to donate at a charity shop can help lighten up your space and also help families get hold of what need in time for the holidays at a price that they can afford. You might even want to take an extra step and buy things for donation. In particular, warm socks are among the most needed items for homeless people, yet they are one of the least commonly donated. This essence of giving is the best way to bring the festive spirit into your home this Christmas.
Get On Top Of Home Maintenance
Nothing puts a damper on the holiday spirit like a home maintenance emergency. As each season rolls away and a new one arrives, there are things you can be doing to help reduce the chance of a nasty surprise or a very expensive problem.
Indeed, there’s nothing that will make you feel less festive than your boiler breaking or your pipes freezing over just as guests arrive for Christmas lunch. Let’s save us both some time and direct you to our article on 5 mid-winter maintenance checks to make in the run-up to Christmas. Have a holly jolly good one!