How to prepare your home for Christmas

What are your run up to Christmas preparation traditions? Are there things you always do by a certain date, or in a certain order?

By now, I would’ve usually made my Christmas cake. I’m a little late this year, but its on my list for this week. That’s the start of my Christmas prep right there- the evocative smell of the cake spreading throughout the house never fails to make me- and the family feel festive. My vegan Christmas cake recipe is easy and delicious.

Another thing I always end up doing at this time of year is getting all the cosy blankets out and making them easily available in the living room and in the bedrooms. I love to curl up in front of the fire under some blankets whilst watching a film.

This year will be our third Christmas in this house but many of our decorations we’ve had for ages! Although I must admit I do end up buy a couple each year to add to the tree.

I look for decorations that are classic or a bit quirky. As you might expect we do have a few vintage ones but they can be so delicate, there’s been a few times when we’ve brought everything down from the loft and there’s been casualties… Just as well I keep buying them then eh!

I always try to have a bit of a clearout around this time of year too, be it toys or clothes or kitchen things, we do tend to do large charity shop drops around November time. It helps to do this often anyway, for your own sanity, but especially on the run up to Christmas.

I love these ornate gold baubles from John Lewis, the winged Lion is so handsome isn’t he?

Since living here we’ve played hosts on Christmas day to my parents as they are so close now and did it for so many years preceding. I see them a lot and they know what sort of state the house can get in with the girls toys (which sometimes feel they are taking over), furniture being moved around and you know- just regular real life. So I always make a special effort to get the house in a more ordered state especially as there’s generally much more stuff around the place.

This gorgeous coffee table is heavily influenced by mid-century design, and is so practical with the inbuilt storage behind some nifty sliding doors- great for stashing things away quickly or for storing that treasured issue of the Christmas Radio Times! It’s a real improvement from a battered previous one and it really brings the room together.My living room has been styled here with a mixture of my own things and some products c/o John Lewis.      

I love creating a centrepiece, especially a seasonal one, so having a tray on the coffee table enables me to create away whilst protecting the surface of the table.

So to sum up my top tips for preparing your home for Christmas;

• Make your Christmas cake in advance (one less thing to think about).
• Consider storage options, secret storage like this table or an ottoman, or perhaps baskets for toys.
• Dig out all those cosy blankets and have them within easy reach for guests and family.
• Have a clearout of the clutter, things you’ve not worn in the past year or toys the kids are no longer into.
• Are you able to update your living space a little? Just giving it a little refresh with some new cushions or throws can really make the difference, especially as you’ll be spending so much time indoors in the cold weather.
• Get creative and save some cash by creating your own table centrepiece from things from your garden or that you’ve found on a walk, adding a bauble or two adds that bit of sparkle.

What are your tried and tested ways or preparing your home for the festivities?