12 Christmas hacks to make this season extra special
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It’s the most magical time of the year, so make this Christmas even better than the last with these DIY Christmas hacks.
Whether it’s last-minute decorating tips you’re after, DIY gifting ideas or other ways you can go the extra mile to make it special, Good Homes has you sorted.
1. Personalise the place settings
Make guests feel extra special on the big day with their very own reindeer place card.
These are extra special, and are perfect if you have a smaller party.
If you don’t have the budget for fancy table settings, simply tie a handwritten label to a small branch of festive foliage or leftover baubles for a similar effect.
- 3D Personalised Wooden Reindeer Place Settings, £7 from Not on the High Street – buy here
2. Add a drinks station
Keep the party going throughout the festive period by serving up a home bar. Whether it’s a dedicated drinks cabinet (check out the Ballatta drinks cabinet in oak, £2,340 from Ercol) or retro bar cart (like the Sofia Drinks Trolley, £59 from Dunelm), go glam with cocktail accessories for a shimmering self-service option for your guests.
3. Makeover your mantel
Thanks to trending on Instagram, ‘mantelscaping’ is having a moment, so why not make your fireplace the star of the show with plenty of garlands, tealights, lanterns and paper pom poms.
Simply stick to a colour scheme and vary the size of your decorations for a chic, cohesive look.
Looking for more inspiration? Find more fab Christmas decorating ideas for your fireplace here.
- Resin Ornaments white iced LED lights, from £24.99 from Gisela Graham – buy here
- Snowy holly garland, £12.99 from Gisela Graham – buy here
- Wooden garland, £9.99 from Gisela Graham – buy here
- Browse the full Ski Lodge range here
4. Get organised
Have a mini clear-out of your kitchen cupboards to make way for your festive fare. It will make you feel more prepared for the big day, and ensure it runs smoothly, especially if you’re hosting!
Reorganise with lazy Susans, tiered shelving and labelled jars to make cooking a breeze over the Christmas period. Looking for more hosting tips? Check our our guide to hosting Christmas this year.
5. Door décor
Dazzle your guests before they’ve even stepped inside with a magical outdoor display. It will bring joy to children and adults alike, and ensure your house looks extra festive this year.
Adorn your doorway with plenty of twinkling lights to give a warm winter welcome.
- 1.2m Swinsty acrylic stag light up reindeer, £129.99 from Lights4fun – buy here
- 38cm wire wrapped 3D LED star light, £59.99 from Lights4fun – buy here
- 58cm wire wrapped LED wreath light, £71.99 from Lights4fun – buy here
6. Keep the kids busy
Need to get on with some festive prep?
Give the children these cute Christmas cakesicles to decorate.
A great seasonal baking project for beginners, find the easy-to-follow recipe on Hobbycraft’s Ideas Hub.
- Funcakes deco melts, from £5 from Hobbycraft – buy here
- Cake star snowflake plunger cutters, £3 from Hobbycraft – buy here
- Ready-to-roll icing, from £2.50 from Hobbycraft – buy here
- Dr Oetker rainbow sprinkles, £3, from Hobbycraft – buy here
7. Be snack savvy
Keep all those half-opened bags of party nibbles fresh in smart snack jars.
This will ensure nothing goes to stale and help curb your waste this Christmas.
You can get an array of sizes too, so the larger ones can double up as a place to hold leftovers.
You can even send your guests away with an extra portion of their favourite dish.
- Set of three Xmas food containers, £1.99 from The Range – buy here
8. Recycle the wrap
Choose a more sustainable way to give presents this year and learn a new skill at the same time by trying your hand at ‘Furoshiki’, the art of Japanese fabric wrapping.
Use festive tea towels to wrap your gifts, which can be kept by the recipient as a memento, or save them again for next year.
If you’re looking for more ways to have an eco-conscious approach to Christmas, check out our handy guide.
- Set of 2 Green Christmas Pudding tea towels, £12 from Next – buy here
9. Go for a ready-made option
Not got the time to spend making your own centrepieces?
Fear not, there are plenty of options for ready made and easy to assemble centrepieces that will wow your guests and set off your tablescape.
We love this combination of natural foliage and LED Christmas candles.
It’s magical and authentic and will fit in with almost any scheme.
- Purchase your choice of LED candles and garlands at Lights4fun
10. Bust the dust
Want to make sure your home is clean and sparkly ready for Santa’s visit?
Enlist the whole family to help shape up each room of the house, and try and leave the high traffic areas to last.
If you want to give your artificial tree, tinsel and any faux foliage a boost before the big day, simply place a pair of tights over the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner.
This will get rid of any excess dust. You can thank us later!
If you have a real tree, keep it looking it’s best until twelfth night with these handy tips.
11. Cosy-up your scheme
A quick and affordable way to refresh your interiors for the season is to pile on the festive-themed throws, rugs and cushions to instantly create a warm and welcoming vibe – perfect for those long winter evenings.
Whether you’ve hosted or you’re arriving home, it’s lovely to come back to a warm and cosy vibe with your tree and living room looking inviting and ready to relax.
We love this stylish set up, complete with festive green cushions.
- Merry Christmas indoor Christmas cushion, £12 from B&Q – buy here
12. Deliver a no-hassle dinner
Take the pressure off the big day by getting your festive feast delivered to your door.
The Gousto Turkey Christmas dinner comes with all the trimmings ready to cook, so no supermarket stress or slaving away in the kitchen required; from £30.48 for a two-person box including two recipes.
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