Home for Christmas: how to decorate this year

By Sophie Hannam

Published: Friday, 10 December 2021 at 12:00 am

The festivities this year may feel a little different from usual. But, whether you enjoy a small neighbourly gathering or a cosy family celebration, there’s no need to scrimp on festive sparkle! With the help of our seasonal decorating ideas, you can still make this Christmas the most stylish one yet…

1

Choose a beautiful wreath

No festive front door should be without a wreath. Here, Florist Yolly has used dried hydrangea heads and dried hops and mixed them with fir and berries. The subtle addition of a bauble, a robin and some glittery leaf decorations keeps it natural and adds a bit of fun. Click through for more homemade and shop-bought wreaths for this Christmas.

"No
14in wreath, £65, Yolly. Deep Apricot Petersham ribbon, £2.40 per m, VV Rouleaux.
2

Decorate the hallway

Set the tone from the moment you step through the door. Here, a willing ‘maître d’ greets guests with a glass of something delicious. Or you could create a cheery wintery scene on a sideboard or mantle.

"Set
Bust, £120, The Long Room. Metal leaf lights, £42, Rockett St George. Pop-out crowns, £28 for four, The Shop Floor Project. Four dipped glasses, £55, Cox & Cox. Dried flower 14in wreath, £60, Yolly.  
"create
Spearmint paper decoration, £9.50, RE. Christmas Cottage advent calendar, £10, Angela Harding. Paper fox, £32, PaperPineTree. Finlay Fox slippers, £24.95, Sew Heart Felt. Paper chains, £18, The Shop Floor Project.

 

3

Make a statement with the tree

On this vivid tree, bright splashes of colour are used to create a twist on tradition. Greens and tones of gold and bronze are brought up to date with a flash of fluorescent coral in candles and ribbons. Click here for our guide to this year’s best Christmas tree decorations.

"Bright
7.5ft Unlit European fir tree, £699, Balsam Hill. Aeris rug in Petrol, £950, Cox & Cox. Reims table (one of two nest of tables), £199, Atkin and Thyme. Felt stockings, £65, Tobias and The Angel. Gold leaf garland, £32.99, Gisela Graham.
4

Go all-out with the wrapping

Metallics always make Christmas sparkle, adding a touch of magic. Tuck sprayed foliage under ribbon to make presents look extra special. Subtle paper wrapping can also be made to zing with plenty of luxuriant ribbons in zesty shades! Our guide to wrapping

"Subtle

Apadana chair in Midnight Green velvet, £795, Oka. 6.5ft Frosted Alpine Balsam Fir lit tree, £319, Balsam Hill.

5

Make the dining room shine

In the dining room, draw the eyes upwards to a hanging centrepiece or ‘flower cloud’ made from a faux foliage wreath with added berry branches and fern fronds. Coloured glass and decorative china elevate this otherwise simple table setting. And, when it comes to place settings, decorative metal angel wing candle clips make heavenly napkin ornaments, and can double up as extra presents for dinner guests to take home with them. 

"Draw
Twig floor lamp, £515 (with shade); green goblets, £55 for four; round Pulcinella tumblers, £70 for four, all Oka. Trinket garland (on lamp), £65; small lidded Dresden terrine, £150; large lidded terrine, £100; white china deer, £20 each; pink chargers, £20 each; green rimmed soup bowls, £100 for six; linen monogrammed sheet (under top cloth), £50, all Linda Keating.  White and gold cutlery set, £145; copper crackers, £45, for six, all Cox & Cox. Vintage napkins, £1 each, Mabel’s Five and Dime.

 

"Pink
Pink charger, £20 each; green rimmed soup bowl, £100 for six, both Linda Keating. White and gold cutlery set, £145; copper cracker, £45, all Cox & Cox. Glass candlesticks, from £16, Anna + Nina. Vintage napkin, £1, Mabel’s Five and Dime. Angel wing candle ornament (used as linen clip), £14.95, Rockett St George.
6

Make the kitchen feel joyful

Baking is especially jolly under a canopy of paper decorations and you can have fun by improvising – old piping nozzles make excellent cone trees on the cake!

"Clock
Lime snowflake,£4.50; apricot fan,£2.50; green paper decoration (far left), £13; large teal paper decoration, £18; spearmint paper decoration, £9.50, all RE. Sel pots, £25 for a pair; vintage scales, £20; green rimmed pot, £15; jelly mould, £10; two footed dishes, £10 each, all Linda Keating. Pair of mice candle holders, £38; paper balls, £9.50 for two, all Rockett St George. Knitted white snowflake stocking, £29, ChunkiChilli. Micro fairy lights, £12.99, Lights4Fun.
7

Get crafty and make pomanders

Old baking tins are wonderful receptacles for cloves while orange pomanders are being made…

"Old
Vintage baking trays, £14; snowflake cutter, £2; old piping nozzles, 50p; green glass dessert bowl, £33 for set of six; vintage tablecloth, £15, all Wooley Edge. Rusty candle disc, £8; mini wooden scoop, 50p, both RE. Set of scalloped cutters, £30; gilded mini baking dish, £4; tiny baking dish, £2, all Linda Keating.

How to make pomanders

In a nutshell, pomanders are the scent of Christmas! Here’s how to make them…

1. Begin by wrapping a length of ribbon around an orange, fixing the ends with a pin. You can leave it like this or wrap ribbon around the other way, to look like a parcel.

2. With a needle, pierce the skin in any pattern you like, pushing a clove into each hole.

3. Place the finished pomanders in a lovely bowl or dotted along the centre of the dining table to gently fill the air with their aromatic scent.

4. If you want to make these in advance, you will need to allow the fruit to dry out. This can be done by storing each pomander in a paper bag in a warm dry place, such as an airing cupboard, or a shelf above an Aga. 

8

Dress the stairs

Stairs cry out for a dose of flamboyance at Christmas. Wind lights, ferny fronds and golden garlands up the banisters for a magical way to light yourselves to bed.

"Osby
Osby Star lights, £23 for two, Lights4Fun. Starburst light chain, £30, Rockett St George. Fern garland, £32.99; pewter copper leaf berry garland, £22.99, both Gisela Graham. Sage Babouche slippers, £26; red felted wool mule, £36.95, both The Natural Slipper Shop. Strawberry Moss slippers, £26.95; Darci Donkey slippers, £24.95; Odette Swan slippers, £26.95, all Sew Heart Felt.

Styling: Rose Hammick
Photographs Catherine Gratwicke