Now the pumpkins and broomsticks have been cleared from the aisles Christmas has well and truly made its way into the shops. It’s our wedding anniversary on Sunday and James and I always mark it with buying an annual decoration to hang on our tree. Getting a couple of new decorations signifies the start of the festive season for me. Shall we all get in the Christmas spirit?
Personalised
First up, comes the personalised and monogrammed pretties. I bought a few custom decorations last year when my friends had their firstborns and it’s a lovely idea to think they have something to bring out every December to perch on their Douglas Fir. There’s a post in the RMF archives with lots of other suggestions.
Rustic
Then on to the rustic, which I’ve always found one of the easiest ‘themes’ to add to every year as wooden trinkets, woodland inspired decorations and organic elements always seem to be on trend. Several years ago I pinned a wire star to a Pinterest board which was decorated with eucalyptus sprigs and I’ve been on the hunt for my own ever since. I found the one I’ve used in the header above at Light4Fun and removed the faux greenery and added my own from the garden instead.
Modern
There’s a small part of me that wants to throw out most of my decorations and start again and go all out modern. Sleek clean lines, glossy bubbles and metallic geometrics, you’ll find them all below.
Garlands
Garlands are so versatile. Hang them on your tree, from a cupboard, down the banister or on a mantle piece. I bought a pom-pom one last year that I hung over our hallway shelves and I can’t wait to get it out again this year.
Playful
A couple of weekends ago James and I had an impromptu trip to Norfolk for the day. In a very cool lifestyle store in Wells-Next-The-Sea I spied a load of glittered animal tree decorations. Not my usual cup of tea but every once in a while it’s nice to embrace something new. Anyway I told myself I’d buy it on the way back to the car but by the time we’d been up to the multi-coloured beach huts the store was shut. Nothing haunts you quite like the things you didn’t buy, so maybe I need a playful bit of decor to make up of it.
Candles
Last Christmas my team at work gave me a personalised candle. It smelt divine and it was adorable to have a custom Coleman candle on the bar cart. I know lots of people who treat themselves to The White Company Winter candle to kick off the festivities and get the scent as well as the sights of Christmas through their home.
Have you found any treasures to deck your halls with? Any new Christmas decorations to add to your stash?
I haven’t bought any yet but I’ve been looking at balsam hill Christmas trees. My husband isn’t into Christmas and drags me down with his attitude every year but I’m determined to not let him this year. Not sure whether that will extend to spending lots on a tree though. Any other recommendations for artificial trees?
I don’t I’m afraid. I’m still using my parents fake tree from over 20 years ago! Hoping some of our lovely readers will sweep in with some good suggestions Jade.
Fabulous post Lauren – my White Company Winter candle & diffuser have been purchased and will come out to play on Dec 1st – it is the smell of Christmas!!
I started making Christmas bunting this week – Scandi theme 🙂 I bought some gorgeous decorations when i was in Bruges last weekend – and off to Rye this weekend so hoping for some georgeous homeware shops for me to expand my crimbo decs further – a wreath is big on my want list for this year 😀
And very importantly – my Look Fantastic advent calendar has arrived and christmas shoes have been ordered and are on their way 😀
Cannot wait to festoon my house with glittery christmassy fabulousness!!!
Ooooh Janey. You are in the Christmas spirit!
What are your plans for your scandi bunting? How do I make some?!
I bought some gorgeous fabric last year – scandi festive vibes – and did make one lot last year – felt very proud when i had it on display – for how to make – i’ve got this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Crafts-Knitting-Preserving-Gardening/dp/1905490755 – which i used for the how to – but there are loads of instructionals online if you just google – i am hand-sewing mine as i don’t have a machine and i find hand-sewing quite relaxing but it takes a bit longer – but would be super quick if you have a machine! x
You’re a legend Janey!
Desperately need to see a picture of this!!
Nice suggestions Lauren, I need some inspiration as I can’t seem to find baubles I like this year for some reason… I did see these the other day though which I thought were pretty https://www.nkuku.com/product/alura-pear-bauble
They’re so pretty Nicola. Really lovely colours x
In a Christmas funk this year. We are supposed to be moving end November but everything keeps getting delayed. Now looking at an immediate pre Christmas move date so I don’t think my husband would appreciate moving an 8ft tree from our current house to the new house. Not really sure what to do. I’m not having a fake one…..everyone has their limits.
I’d delay moving until the New Year but the kids are supposed to move nurseries and we can’t. We’re moving 12 miles away so we can’t start nursery without being there. And husband is refusing to have such inconvienence just so I can have a proper tree…..
I just don’t FEEL CHRISTMASSY without a proper massive tree. Decoration wise I am all about the classics…..white lights, glass baubles and natural green wreaths from foliage from the country. Made with proper moss I’ve chipped off the stones. Traditional. Only ever traditional.
Incidentally my new find this year is HEMA. Gorgeous stuff and great prices
This is great for £7 and would look lovely on a country cottage mantelpiece
https://www.hemashop.com/gb/shop/christmas/christmas-decoration/christmas-lights/bell-jar-with-led-lights-(25501701)?variant=25501701
Rebecca, I feel your pain. We moved on the 18th December two years ago and I had tree woes too. I didn’t put one up until we moved in to the new house. Had hardly unpacked a thing but you know, priorities and everything.
I did have an amazing wreath for the front door and took it from one house to the other though which helped me get in the spirit ever so slightly.
My White Company Winter candle has been out for about a month already – it’s my favorite scented candle by miles.
Jade – I bought our fake tree from John Lewis about 6 years ago. It was pricy (about £150 – eeek!) but it looks great, with very realistic ends of branches and as I’m hoping I’ll get lots of years of use from it is pretty cost effective 🙂
My husband also is not the biggest Christmas person, but he copes with the tree!
My annual Christmas buy is a Scandinavian Tomte – Christmas elf basically. I’m buying one for each year we’ve been married 🙂
Awww Caroline, what a sweet tradition x
How realistic does it look? The one I’m looking at on Balsam Hill at the moment is over £200 IN THE SALE!! And I’m still not put off 😳 I don’t think my husband knows artificial trees can even cost that much.
Jade, this won’t help direct you towards a husband-approved option I’m afraid, but my line manager bought a Balsam Hill tree a couple of years ago and she loves it. She’s actually talking about getting another one this year for one of her other rooms. I’m totally jealous as I want one too, but with 2 babies and the associated costs I just haven’t been able to justify the expenditure. You should totally go for it though! 😉 x
I can’t justify the expense either, we’re about to have some windows changed and a whole new kitchen after Christmas. And then everything else, ha. I’m sick of our ugly cheap one and its weird sticks of green tinsel. And he won’t entertain the idea of a real one. I may just have to put my foot down. I’ve been living with a bare screw over the living room mantlepiece for almost four years because I can never justify the expense of a mirror 😄 I am going to treat myself to a tree.
Uh oh. Just breezily informed him of my plans and he is resisting.
Rookie mistake Jade! You only mention it AFTER you’ve bought the tree. 😉 You’ll save money in the long run anyway – it’ll last years, whereas buying a real one every year all adds up…
Balsam Hill trees are gorgeous!
Mine looks very realistic. The inner bits are very fake, but you can’t see these and when the decorations are on it looks lovely.
Go ahead and invest! 🙂
Which type did you go for? Realistic or most realistic? I’m looking at just ‘realistic’ cos they are cheaper. They are apparently around a 50/50 mix of realistic to standard. I’m hoping that the realistic ones are all on the outside!
I bloody love Christmas!! I’ve already sent my husband a picture of the specific Lindt advent calendar I want and have started finalizing things for my daughter’s Christmas box which she will be presented with on 1st December (decoration for her own tree – so she doesn’t touch mine/book/festive film/all of the Christmas clothes I bought for her in the sale last year!)
I really want something for the stairs and I think a felt bauble pom pom affair might just be the ticket.
Decoration wise I am firmly in the traditional bracket. All of my decorations are red, green or gold on the tree. I got three from M&S the other day including a car with a tree tied to the roof which I have been coveting for ages and two little nutcrackers. All for £8!
Sadly, I don’t like the White Company Winter candle half as much as the Autumn one.. So if anyone has any better festive candle recommendations I am all ears! Thanks for the post – hohoho! XX
Lindt chocolates are my absolute favourite Jennifer. Excellent advent calendar choice!
Crabtree and Evelyn ‘Noel’ room spray is gorgeous and has a Christmassy scent that we use year after year. Maybe try that Jennifer? x
Ooh the Christmas box idea sounds fab!! Great idea x
Jennifer I’m also not a huge fan of Winter but I love the White Company Pine candle – it’s my Christmas purchase every year. It smells like freshly cut Christmas trees, yum!
Hi Kate and Jennifer, I hope you don’t mind me busting in on your chat – but maybe you noticed in the post above another candle hiding behind a little pine.. This is my brand, Sweetness & Light and I have two delicious Christmas scents – if you are looking for something different.
Sorry for stalking!
My website is sweetnessandlightcandles.com
And thank you Lauren for the feature – even if I am a bit late to the party!
Ladies, if you are feeling creatively crafty, the wire star frames/ wreath frames are in Hobbycraft. For under £5! You can then add foliage, lights or baubles to your heart’s content! Mine currently has (withering) autumn leaves wrapped around it…
Love me a bit of Christmas crafting Danielle!
I’m obsessed with Christmas. My husband is absolutely not a fan of the expense this entails. So far this year I’ve already bought a new tree topper and some tree decorations. I still need a garland for my bannister, and as of now, those antler decorations will be featuring on my tree!
Each year I buy my kids a decoration each, the idea being that they can use them to decorate their own tree when they’re big enough. I might look at some of those personalised options for this year. x
Also, we need to talk about Christmas crackers. I want ones that look stylish on my table, but I don’t want to pay £45 for 6 crackers with silver mini photo frames in them. I have kids, not to mention that I’m an overgrown child myself. I actually enjoy the multi coloured plastic tat that comes in crackers, I just want the outside of them to complement my table settings too. And I’m way too lazy to make my own. I really feel there’s a gap in the market here, or maybe I’m just shopping in the wrong places…
Agreed re Christmas crackers – the “luxury” contents are generally rubbish, not useful, and not worth the money. But I like them to look nice too… Not on the High Street has a few nice ones at a slightly lower price point, but I haven’t found any others yet…
In years gone by I’ve bought the empty Wilko ones and filled them with nail polish and whiskey minatures and mini bubble baths for the littles. I’m not sure they do them this year but there are others about. I know Lisa is planning on making some from scratch!
Ooh do you think Lisa would maybe do a post on how she’s making them? I’d be keen!
Let me see how they go Kate! 😉
Last year was the first Christmas in our house and we had a big tree and invested in some beautiful decorations from White Company. I won’t lie, my husband wasn’t totally on board with the decoration spend BUT agreed they were beautiful and worth the investment once they were up (win). I’m so excited to get them all out again and may get some personalised baubles this year too! EEK! I’m so excited about Christmas, not sure why but it’s been on my mind for ages! x
It’s so good when they come around to our ideas Sophie 😉 You’ll have those decorations years too x
Wow that anthropologie decoration is beautiful… I shall definitely be purchasing! I love the White Co Winter candle tradition that’s going on, I am starting that this year! Currently on the hunt for a garland for the fireplace, something which looks nice and full, which seems hard to find! I am hosting this year for the first time, so I feel my Christmas crazy is justified (but I also just love Christmas!) Looking forward to all the Christmas content RMS! X
It’s so pretty isn’t is Sarah? You definitely need your initials for your tree 😉
Good luck with hosting. x
I LOVE Christmas, my mother still gets the most excited and starts banging around in the kitchen (at about 6am!) as she is so impatient for everyone to get up and start the day!! My husband, whose family is all about the lie-in, does not understand this at all 🙂
Sadly I’ve had to accept we won’t have a tree this year as we are heading out to see relatives for a good week or so before Christmas. But I do make my own wreath, which I will be doing this year too, and I will make sure the house is suitably festive regardless! I just can’t justify the £70-odd price for a tree we will hardly see. Next year!! Love the idea of the Christmas box for little ones above, I think I can probably stretch to a mini tree, with some little fun decorations (my tree is all colour coordinated with matching baubles, so not exactly the place for child creativity!). I have to say I’m itching to put the Christmas music on, soon!!
When do you think is acceptable to put Christmas music on Annie? I haven’t succumbed yet but very nearly did putting this post together x
Well this comment section just made for excellent tea break reading and Christmas excitement building.
We’ll be celebrating Christmas in my parents house this year and thankfully my Mum goes ALL OUT for Christmas. Next year when we buy a house I can’t wait to break the decorations out of storage and get super festive in my own way!
How’s the buying going Naomi?
All the chat is so lovely Naomi!
Awwww this has got me all excited!!
Can’t wait to get all the decorations out of the loft & get decorating (hurry up December!! haha!)
Loving the decorations above BUT I am all about colour at Christmas, the more colour the better! My favourite purchase from last year HAS to be our wreath from Cath Kidston – https://www.cathkidston.com/fcs/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/WONDERLAND-1-1.gif – perfection!
Anyone else seen any great colourful decorations yet this year?
Love your wreath Rebecca!
I am probably the opposite to everyone else in that my husband spends a fortune on decorations! Sadly he buys them before consulting so we have ended up with a woodland and gingerbread man theme in traditional colours! It is quite cute for the kiddies and in truth beautiful glass baubles probably wouldn’t last long. He also bought a fake tree and 3 years in it has been more than worth it’s price. Plus it has survived numerous decorations being pulled on and off by the girls. Last years purchase was one of the white John Lewis twig trees for our snug which I do love and although I’ve always wanted a different colour theme it’s so expensive to replace everything. Also I do remember part of the fun of Christmas for me as a kid was getting the box of decorations down and seeing all the mini toys and teddy bears that we loved so much. Not always stylish but so many memories. Back in the 80s a lot of our decs came from relatives in America so we had some amazing stuff that you couldn’t get here! I still have some although Edd makes me hide the Cabbage Patch angel ornament at the back 🙂 xxx
We need to see this Cabbage Patch Angel!
I’m certainly starting to feel rather festive! I bought my first Christmas decoration the other day and I’m eagerly awaiting its arrival – a ‘Merry Christmas ya filthy animal’ banner from Darwin and Gray – https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/460285060/f-i-l-t-h-y-b-a-n-n-e-r-s?ref=related-1
Ha Polly! That’s brilliant x
This year I am finally making a pompom wreath – look on Pinterest! The pompom makers arrived from eBay last week, I bought the wool and now struggling to get scissors that are sharp and pointy enough to cut through the wool on the pompom makers – if anyone has any suggestions they woudl be gratefully received.
I am a long standing member of the Women’s Institute but am known for my complete lack of ability to even crochet a row when everyone else was whizzing up beautiful crochet poppies to ‘poppy-bomb’ our local town! I am therefore starting with an easy Christmas craft!
I am so excited about buying my first tree and all the decorations, for my first Christmas in my first home with my boyfriend. Although I cannot decide which colour theme to go with!
Love all these suggestions. I’m not allowed to mention the C word until after the boyfriend’s birthday at the end of Nov, so secretly decoration buying atm. I think this might be the first year that we get a real tree – I’m waiting to see if the £20 Ikea ones are any good. Though this year we also have cats, so goodbye glass baubles and hello wooden non-breakables…
Last year, I bought the 20 pounds IKEA tree. I think it is ok, but does not look as real as a more expensive tree. As I read all the comments above, I am considering investing in a new tree maybe next year.
Loved reading all the xmas related comments i am inspired to make my own wreath and xmas cards will have to visit hobby craft this weekend. Also been having the balsam hill dilema but a real tree costs about £40 and is only usable for a year and my twig tree which we bought 6 years ago died last year ( my dog chewed through the cable when he was a puppy the first year we got it) so it probably could have lasted longer. In terms of decorations i have antique ones from my great grandmother my mum gets me a swarovski one every year i have 12 now there a nice collectors item and i search high and low for one whenever i go on holiday. Got a nice one from washington this year