DIY & Decor

You’ve bought the presents, you’ve made your own gifts, it’s time to wrap them. It seems that people either love or hate wrapping presents.  Some people find it relaxing, others tedious; some think it makes a present, others that it’s a waste of time & money..

This is a preview, read Christmas Wrapping in full.

How to be eco-friendly at Christmas

Christmas has become all about indulgence, presents, extravagance and, inevitably, a lot of waste. Not only do we overeat and overspend during the festive seasons but we also overuse energy, overwaste food and resources.

Even if you generally buy organic, fair-trade, locally produces goods - it’s very difficult not to be seduced by the madness of Christmas consumerism. You most probably end up eating, drinking, spending and wasting more than you would have wished..

This is a preview, read Green Christmas in full.

We tend to associate Christmas decoration with wreaths & garlands, baubles hanging on the Christmas tree, tinsel lighting and shiny wraps…

Although these elements are the most familiar decorating details, they can be complemented or replaced by interesting displays with a contemporary twist.

Although you can buy some ready-made Xmas props, they are best made by yourself - allowing them to be unique yet coherent with the rest of your decor..

This is a preview, read Christmas displays in full.

Make your own candles!

Candles are one of the most important elements of Christmas decoration and entertaining because of the ambiance created by the dancing of the flames, the soft light, the shadows, the festive scents etc. The shops and home stores are packed with candles of a various shapes, sizes, colours and scents -   but, oh boy, some of them cost a fortune!..

This is a preview, read Christmas candles in full.

It’s St Nicholas Day.

Today is the day when you should put up your Christmas decoration. Or at least you should have worked out which décor theme you want to go with this year. If you want to miss out on the usual Christmas nightmares of panicking, arguing and getting stressed out - you should really start preparing for the holidays. NOW. You’ll need to consider a lot - particularly if you’re hosting the Christmas dinner and/or a party for friends & family.  First, you’ll need to sort out your home decoration, sending out your Christmas cards, your gifts, the tree, the shopping for your party… you see, there is a lot to do  - so start now!..

This is a preview, read St Nicholas Day in full.

Christmas is about giving - it’s meant to be about giving love, but these days it’s about giving presents. Most shops & stores are already full of gifts and presents seducing us into the madness of Xmas buying (despite promising ourselves last year that we’d never again spend so much money on presents!).

So, before you start going wild with your credit card, why don’t you consider making some of this year’s gifts yourself? Particularly if you have lots of friends and family members to think about! Not only could you save yourself a lot of money, but you’d make something unique and individual that will be much more appreciated..

This is a preview, read DIY Christmas gifts in full.

Decorating the Christmas table

When it comes to decorating for Christmas, we think about garlands & wreaths, the tree, the outside, the lighting… etc. We tend to leave the Christmas table to the last minute..

This is a preview, read Christmas Table Decoration in full.