Christmas is one of those times of year that many of us love to embrace. The gifts to one another, the looks in kids’ faces, the magic, and everything in between. A chance to see your family and your friends and enjoy all of the festivities. But preparing for the big day and the lead-up to Christmas, not to mention the day itself, can be a little hectic and overwhelming. So here are a few Christmas hacks for the festive season.
Keeping a real Christmas tree alive for the holiday season
If you get a real Christmas tree, then one of the priorities is making sure it still looks its best come Christmas day. So a few tips would be to trim the base again before you place it into water. This helps the tree to absorb the water better. If the base seems to have dried out, drill a few holes at the bottom to help. Lastly, make sure it is out of direct sunlight so the leaves don’t crisp up.
Make your own Christmas crackers
Christmas crackers are a fun part of mealtimes at Christmas, but let’s be fair, some of the supermarket-bought ones aren’t always the best in terms of gifts and jokes. So why not have a go at making your own this year? You can buy cracker kits and fill them with whatever you like. You can even use toilet roll tubes and wrap them in paper or fabric for a real DIY effort. They look lovely on the table and will be filled with love.
Budget-friendly stocking fillers
Stocking fillers can be a nightmare, especially for children. So a great little tip is to fill them with budget-friendly things instead. Chocolate, pound shop toys, even toothbrushes, and scratch cards. It is the thrill of opening up the gifts that makes it special. You can collect these things throughout the year to spread the cost.
The sock advent calendar
If you like the idea of a homemade advent calendar then why not use socks? Peg up socks to a string and decorate each one with a number and a festive decoration. You can then add whatever you like to each one. Effectively they are just small stockings hanging on your wall and can look very effective. Buy a set of festive socks and then you can re-use them each year.
Wrapping paper for your table
Wrapping paper isn’t just for presents. You could cut out pieces of nice wrapping paper and use them as place settings on your table. Another little trick is to cut out small place cards and write the names of the people on them to give a more personal touch.
Polaroid decorations
The polaroid is back and is a great way to decorate your home. Take a few snaps and peg them to the tree, or hang a piece of string and add polaroids to them. You can collect them over the years to display years of memories of Christmases.
Create a Christmas diary
Finally, why not keep a Christmas diary? You can buy specific ones that prompt you to record certain memories but just a plain notebook will do. Stick in pictures, share anecdotes and events. You will thank yourself for the book of memories in years to come.
Hopefully, these hacks will help you during the festive season.