You know how it goes. The 1st of November rolls around and BAM pumpkins are out and Christmas is in. You can't move for beautiful homes online and in magazines, with decorations even bigger and better than last year. I'm talking picture-perfect rooms with roaring open fires, huge dining tables decked out for Christmas dinner parties, and a tree in every corner. A gorgeous big home with lots of period features just lends itself better to Christmas decorating doesn't it?
I'm not begrudging anyone's beautiful houses. I absolutely love getting inspiration online, and regularly find myself falling down a Pinterest-shaped rabbit hole dreaming of real Christmas trees in huge bay windows. But I always come away feeling deflated about my own home. Envy is always a thief of joy (I wrote about this earlier this year) but this feels true more than ever this time of year. One day I'll have my farmhouse Christmas I'm sure, but for now, what to do your place is more home bargains than Home Alone (seriously though, how perfect was that house?!) and you've had to move three pieces of furniture just to get the tree into the lounge?
So here's some simple, quick ways you can get your home looking fabulous for Christmas without breaking the bank:
Budget decorations which cost pennies to make
My favourite thing to do in the run up to Christmas is make dried orange slices - they cost the price of a piece of fruit and will fill your kitchen with the most delicious festive scent. A full DIY tutorial is over on this post here, as well as some ideas for decorations you could make with your slices. Don't just stop at citrus fruits though - pop some cranberries in a jar of water and float a tealight on top for a really quick and simple table decoration.Choose one colour palette for your decorations
Simple one, but choose a 'theme' for your decor and stick to it every year. Mine is gold and white (I've gone classic, not letting myself be swayed by trends that I might end up bored of in years to come) and over the past five years I've slowly built up my decoration collection, meaning I've now got a lovely little stash of bits I can't wait to get out every year. I'll occasionally get tempted with a brightly coloured wreath or disco ball decks, but always return to my old favourites.Use foliage to create a table setting
Go foraging in your garden or local woods for some pretty seasonal branches you can use to create displays and table centrepieces. If, like me, you're a fan of faux stems then shop your own home and use what you already have to create a beautiful display. I recently styled my dining table for a brand collaboration and collected up all the faux eucalyptus stems I had around the house - not as beautiful smelling as the real thing of course, but much more long-lasting, and I can re-create this look again next year.Shop around for your decs
If you do need some new decorations then shop around and don't get tempted by expensive bits. Whilst the high cost things will always look stunning, you can pick up some really great bits in supermarkets and discount home stores. My annual 'update your home for Christmas for under £20' post is here, and there's some really lovely bits out and about this year. Just don't get tempted by a whole new colour scheme!Choose one indulgence
I have one indulgent thing I treat myself too and that's a 'Winter' candle from The White Company. Its a scent my Mum has always burnt this time of year, so it takes me right back to Christmases at home. This is actually the only new thing I've bought this Christmas, every thing else is bits I've built up over the years.Don't forget the true meaning on Christmas
The festive period is about family, having a break from our regular, exhausting lives and enjoying what you have. Having my family round me is what makes a 'perfect Christmas', and that has nothing to do with how the house is decorated, and whether there's a huge fireplace to sit in front of.Nobody should ever feel like what they have isn't enough simply because of what they see on the internet - because trust me, what you don't see in these photos are the sprout peelings, mountains of washing up, and ripped wrapping paper taking up everyone's home on 25th December.
Do you feel pressure to have a 'perfect home' this time of year?
Thanks for reading
Sam Xx
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