It’s beginning to look a lot like a quiet Christmas this year, but that’s no reason to compromise on your creativity during this magical season. There are plenty of perks to a ready-made Christmas, of course, not least of all the time it saves, while just a few homemade touches can make your festive celebration extra-special.
And rather than half-heartedly throwing together a few disposable crafts from ready-made kits, why not invest a little extra time into something that can be re-used year upon year or gifted to family and friends? The effort that goes into these labours of love will be much appreciated by recipients, and your household décor will be the envy of visitors and Instagram followers alike.
Tis the season for a little creativity, so we’ve put together some tips to give you some inspiration for a happy homemade Christmas.
Delightful decorations
Are you ready to deck the halls?
Whether you’re looking to make all of your decorations – table centrepieces, tree ornaments, garlands and the like – or you’ll be looking for some items that provide a strong starting point for your additional homemade crafts, making sure you order a good selection of Christmas party supplies is a great place to begin your creative festive crafts.
Plain garlands and wreaths are easily customisable additions to any hallway or staircase. Artificial berries and pinecones add a natural winter wonderland feel, whilst a ribbon is the perfect finishing touch to your personalised creation.
If you prefer a minimalistic approach to your home décor, simple two-dimensional shapes such as stars look great hung on doors and walls and can even be used to hang on the tree. These can easily be made with the use of a little copper wire, check out suppliers Ormiston Wire for this understatedly handy craft material.
When it comes to your Christmas dinner table, don’t use up too much space for decoration, but don’t be afraid to add a few personal touches. Plain gift tags can be decorated for each person’s place setting and will double up as keepsakes or bookmarks. Alternatively, why not make your own Christmas crackers, with a small gift inside especially chosen for each person? Bonus points if you turn this into a proposal opportunity!
Fabulous food
The culinary celebrations are the highlight of most people’s festive season, and yet that much-awaited Christmas dinner only scratches the surface of December’s festive food delights.
This aspect of Christmas more than any other lends itself to a range of homemaking opportunities and the best part of it is that each lovingly cooked, baked and brewed item can be tailored to your tastes.
To jazz up your savoury snacks, simply wrap them in ‘blankets’ or bacon – this can be done with just about anything, from halloumi to Brussels sprouts, and don’t forget a dollop of cranberry sauce. Meanwhile, you can elevate just about any dessert with a generous helping of salted caramel or rum sauce. One beloved Christmas classic is a yule log, which is fairly simple both to prepare and decorate, simply add a dusting of icing sugar for snow and some edible decorations of your choice (chocolate acorns and robins are popular).
If you don’t feel like going to the trouble of making your own Christmas desserts but still want to be the host with the most, icing sugar is an effective trick for making just about anything look homemade – simply pop your shop-bought yule log, Christmas cake or mince pies onto a plate and sprinkle with a smattering of icing sugar or a drizzle of chocolate.
These are just a couple of inspirational ideas for getting crafty and creative at Christmas, but there are lots more, especially if you have children around to entertain. For instance, old Christmas jumpers can be upcycled to create seasonal cushion covers with little effort, or perhaps you can find some fab festive print fabrics online for making your own Christmas face masks? Whatever you decide to creative with this festive season, we are sure your friends and family will approve!
