Every year on 1st December, the Christmas spirit in our household suddenly accelerates from 0 to 100mph.
That first weekend of December is when we buy our tree, hang our homemade wreath and get generous with twinkly fairy lights.
Left to my kids, our house would resemble something from ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’, a tinsel-tastic palace with inflatable reindeer on the roof…
Thankfully I’ve managed to (reindeer) rein them in and everyone seems satisfied with the tasteful handmade decorations we’ve bought - and made - over the years.
For me, Christmas starts with scent: the warm, spicy aroma of cinnamon & cloves, the zesty fragrance of clementines, combined with the earthy woody notes of an openfire. These are the evocative aromas which inspired our scented candle, Nuit D’Hiver, which when lit, gently wraps the room in the warm embrace of Christmas.
Our new collection of handmade cinnamon decorations also carry a delicate spicy scent.
Crafted completely from cinnamon bark, these house lanterns have an understated Scandinavian style and a lovely nostalgic feel.
Let them glow beautifully on a mantlepiece or tabletop with an LED tealight nestled inside. Group them together in two or three different sizes to cast their soft light through their windows. (An advantage of illuminated decorations which don’t use naked flames, is that they are safer options around children, pets and elderly relatives.)
Hang natural cinnamon tree decorations - shaped like festive trees - on your own Christmas tree; or suspend the hand-carved stars from willow branches for a simple, delicately-scented festive centrepiece. These are easy but effective contributions that even little ones can make to decorating the house.
Handmade ceramic tree lanterns look magical with a warm coloured LED tea light illuminating their tree tips. Made from glazed stoneware, they are timeless decorations which will be enjoyed for years to come. Group them on a coffee table or dinner table for a pretty festive feel.
Mixing an element of gold into Christmas decorating nods to the richness of the season. Combine vintage brass candlesticks with natural beeswax candles, and fill decorative antique brass trays with vibrant clementines, for a beautiful seasonal finish.
Every year, I make my own door wreath and challenge myself to do this without spending any money. Keep an eye out for my reel on Instagram, where I create a natural wreath from branches, flowers, berries and foliage from our garden. There’s nothing more satisfying than a seasonal decoration you have made yourself from scratch.
December means the start of our family cosy season…and we can’t ‘do cosy’ without slippers! We all start the holiday period with new sheepskin slippers so we can pad around in total comfort, and with joy.
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