Top 10 ways to make sure your Christmas keeps it sparkle
1 - Light up your life
You can’t have too many fairy lights at Christmas! Spares that don’t make it onto the tree can be used to light other features of your home to transformative effect. Tall glass vases can be filled with lights to serve as makeshift lamps, or you can add lights to larger mantel decorations, wreaths or garlands. Simple white fairy lights stand the test of time, no matter what other decorations you opt for. For that classic Christmas twinkle go for warm white LEDs, available from Woodies DIY, €29.59 for 200.
2 - Go Natural
Greenery, foliage and berries are a cheap and tasteful way to decorate your home. Carole Horgan of The Best of Buds florists on Cork’s South Mall says that this year she’s seen an upsurge in people trying their hand at making their own wreaths and garlands. She stocks greenery and a selection of dried and scented items like cinnamon sticks, but this year raw cotton is a big favourite for its snow-like effect.
“A lot of people are dressing their mantelpieces, I’ve noticed that’s getting more popular,” Carole says. “I think burgundies and deep purples are great this year.” She also recommends using living plants like hyacinths as part of mantel dressings, both for their scent and their ability to last the entire Christmas season.
3 - Colour
Metallics are back, with muted coppers and bronzes very popular. The Brown Thomas design team have opted for dusky pinks, creams and baroque gold for their window displays, but window dresser Geraldine Hanley had some words of warning; although choosing a new colour scheme for your Christmas decorations may seem appealing, she said, it’s a good idea to have plenty of basics that blend well with the colours in your home.
Her top tip for simply and quickly transforming old colour schemes and combining them with something new? “Ribbon! Bows make a tree look amazing, it’s cheap to buy in large quantities and of course you can choose whatever colour you want.”
4 - Trees
Whether you’re a devotee of the real deal or you prefer the convenience of a synthetic tree, get creative with your tree-topping ornament – an angel or star may be traditional, but this year there are plenty of ideas for the top of the tree, from the sublime to the ridiculous. If you don’t have the space for a tree, get creative with your options. The old Christian tradition of the Jesse Tree gets a modern makeover and can consist of anything from a bare branch simply decorated to ornate wire creations; ideal for smaller living spaces.
“If you have an artificial tree, to get that lovely pine smell just get a few real branches and either add them in around the base of your tree or make a garland for the mantelpiece,” Geraldine Hanley says.
5 - Keep it simple
Don’t use the entire contents of that chest in the attic every single year! Sparser styles look well with the current trend for all things Scandinavian. If the Nordic style is doing it for you, opt for simpler decorations in neutral or nature-inspired tones.
Why not invest in a set of handpainted ceramic tree ornaments from Sarah McKenna for muted good taste? Or choose some traditional Norwegian wooden ornaments, or beautiful starched Czech lace tree decorations; Irish equivalents of these delicate tree ornaments are available from Pure Crafty, 24a Paul St, at just €4.99 for three.
6 - Fun, fun, fun.
Turn decorating into an annual festive tradition that kicks off the Christmas season. Have some mulled wine or hot chocolate and crank up the carols. Get children involved by baking some edible tree decorations or a gingerbread house.
There are plenty of recipes and downloadable gingerbread house templates available online, from the simple to the breathtakingly ornate. Light up your creation with individual LED lights for a magical effect that kids will go crazy for. Decorate the finished house with everything from liquorice allsorts to strands of candied angelica, and the resulting confection makes a beautiful conversation piece, as long as it stays unnibbled until Christmas day!
If baking isn’t an option, how about making a crib, some homemade snowglobes out of reused jamjars, or some labour-intensive but rewarding popcorn wreaths for your tree?
Geraldine Hanley has this advice for families who don’t want to fall out over matters of taste when it comes to decorating: “In my house, the kids have their own tree. They put whatever they want on that, all the stuff they’ve made over the years and it’s really colourful…and then there’s my tree! That’s done to perfection, with all the ribbon and the lights on.”
7 - Candles
The lovely tradition of a candle in the window to light the way for Mary and Joseph originates in Ireland. It’s time to dispense with the plastic candle bridges and get back to basics: as long as you abide by a few simple safety rules, there’s nothing like the glow and scent of real candles to add an authentic touch to your home. Why not try bowls of floating candles, or else group clusters of dramatic beeswax pillars on sideboards or as table centrepieces? Swedish Angel Chimes combine the magic of candlelight with the sound of tiny chiming bells, and are a firm favourite with children anticipating the arrival of Santa:
8 - Sentimental feeling
Remember that Christmas is a time for family, and don’t forsake your hand-me-downs. They may not appear as professional as something in a design magazine, but then again who wants to celebrate the festive season in a sterile film set? Your Christmas theme should be relaxed and happy and reflective of your lifestyle and personality, not aspiring to an ideal of perfection. Be creative when mixing up your old inherited decorations with new trends; white lifts most schemes fantastically while not clashing horribly with your vintage or hand-me-down decorations. Failing that, why not upcycle old ornaments by spraying them a new colour?
9 – Knock, knock
However you may feel about lighting up your garden, a cheerily-decorated entrance to your home is a great way to make guests feel welcome. Door wreaths are enduringly popular, but why not try three smaller wreaths on a decorative ribbon for added eye-catching appeal?
Lanterns and paper bag luminaries are great for lighting the way to Christmas get-togethers. Luminaries, or Luminarias, are a Mexican tradition and incredibly simple to make, with plain white paper bags and some sand or soil and either a candle or an LED for each one. Designs are often cut into the bags, but plain is still effective.
10 – The Ghost of Christmas future
3d printed ornaments are featured heavily in The White House this Christmas. While still an expensive option, there are loads of breathtakingly inventive designs available online that combine delicacy with ingenuity.
Thingiverse is an online hub where 3d print designs are available for free download, and worth a look.
It may be a while before we’re all merrily printing our own ornaments on a whim, but the future is just around the corner…
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