How To Do Christmas Without Spending A Fortune
I love Christmas. It truly is my favourite time of year, mostly because it’s one of the few times that the family all get together in one place. Not for long, obvs (we have a three day limit on any sort of family gathering, the maximum time we can spend as a unit before someone commits an act of murder) but it’s always so good to be together, albeit often in far too small a space and with far too much Prosecco and Vina Sol than is acceptable for such a short period of time. We have several family traditions, one of which is that Joe always BBQ’s the turkey. Yes, even in Yorkshire where it’s baltic from October onward. This stems from a Kerman family tradition (my side) when we lived in Hong Kong and my dad, an extremely keen BBQer, used to whip out the Weber kettle, wrap the turkey in several layers of silver foil and roast it on our balcony, twenty two floors up overlooking Lamma Island. Continuing this tradition is the only domestic culinary role that Joe undertakes all year and he takes it very seriously, standing outside whatever the weather, flourishing tongs in hand, calling for regular top ups of G&T. Anyone would think that he was Jesus feeding the five thousand. However, he does do a good job. Not only does it always taste delicious (you can’t beat that smoky BBQ taste) but it also frees up the oven for all other cooking situations. Sorted.
The Christmas turkey as BBQ’d by Joe. Not a dry thigh in sight.
When it comes to decorations, I’m onit like a car bonnet from the last week of November. I keep my boxes well sealed in the cellar, each one neatly packaged and ready to go. I’ve learned my lesson with this one. Years ago when we lived in Caversham, due to lack of in house storage, we stacked the Christmas decorations in the shed, a chilly space at the end of the garden. December arrived and the children rushed to drag them in, opening the boxes and throwing decorations with abandon across the living room. Unfortunately, the boxes had not been residing alone in the shed for the last twelve months. Several families - in fact, at least five generations - of spiders had been residing there too. In the boxes. It took a while to realise that the decorations were covered in hundreds of black spiders and once we did, the screams could be heard as far as, if not further than, Henley On Thames. Since this day of hell, duct tape has been my friend and even Houdini wouldn’t be able to get out of my Christmas boxes.
It has to be said that Christmas can be a budget stretching time, however hard we try to minimise the expense. Every year I swear I will keep to a budget; every year I announce that I am done and won’t be visiting the supermarket again, only to return on Christmas Eve in blind panic that I don’t have enough tubs of Quality Street or biscuits for cheese multipacks. In addition, we are all working hard to shop carefully, to shop with intent instead of chucking everything within sight into our basket, whether it be online or in store. Ways in which we can limit both expenditure and waste but still feel like we are nailing it style wise are at the forefront of our thoughts. So with this in mind, I’ve pulled together my top tips for making your Christmas sustainable whilst keeping it stylish, sleek and most importantly, super cool.
My super kitsch faux tree complete with embarrassed dog accessory.
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
Christmas tree decorations can be the price of a mini break but I still like to add some new beauties to my collection each year. I mix and match - buying one or two investment ones and then adding to whatever scheme I have chosen with cheaper buys, often only a few as my collection grows. This year, I’ve already picked up a few budget decorations in Flying Tiger and Poundland (because everyone needs a glitter unicorn on top of their tree, especially when it only cost a quid although I have to admit that the glitter has already moulted over most of the house), adding to these bargains with a well chosen couple from W A Green and Rockett St George which tick the investment box. Which moves me swiftly on to the main event - the Christmas tree itself. Real or faux? Real trees can be a significant investment over the Christmas period, but artificial trees can cost hundreds. So what to do?
There are differing views on tree purchasing from a eco perspective, according to The Guardian. Real trees may seem like the planet friendly option (they certainly have a smaller carbon footprint) but if put into landfill, they actually produce methane gas when they decompose which is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2. Two thirds of an artificial trees carbon footprint (equivalent to 40kg of greenhouse gas emissions) comes from the manufacture, plus they’ve often been shipped a fair distance to arrive in your living room. However, allegedly if you keep your artificial tree for ten years, then you’re equalling out the environmental impact.
The conclusion? If you’re going to buy an artificial tree, make sure you love it because you’ve got it for a while. And if you’re buying real, make sure it’s from here in the UK and not imported to minimise the carbon footprint. I’ve got two artificial trees (one white, one green) from Balsam Hill and they’re in their third year of use - prelit and bloody massive, I can’t see myself swapping back to the real deal for some time yet. No painful needle drop, no cat attacks and no bough droop (no one likes a bough droop, especially at Christmas), it ticks all the boxes, although I do appreciate the beauty and smell of a fresh tree. But from a budget point of view, dragging the artificial one out of the cellar costs not a jot so I’ll be hanging on to mine for a while. Oh, and here’s another idea - if you’re short of space, you can buy fabric panels with Christmas trees on which you can then decorate with lights. Mine came from IKEA and is back in stock this year for £15 - it looks brilliant hung on wooden poles.
My hallway, more honeycomb than you can shake a cat at.
Deck The Halls
If I had to rate Christmas fun jobs from 1-10, this baby would definitely be up there as an 11. I LOVE decorating the hall. It’s my favourite job to do and I plan it months in advance. A few years ago, I invested in some faux foliage and I use this up the bannister as a starting point. The real thing is a far cheaper option, with a trip to the local woods often yealding more foliage than you can handle. However, for someone like myself who decorates before we’ve even waved goodbye to November, the droopage element makes it a no go. I add to the foliage with honeycomb decorations which can be put away and reused each year. I mix and match the colours, ordering well in advance from eBay for the budget factor and adding to the basic scheme with more decorative ones. Last year, I used Talking Tables who have loads of lovely options to give your display the edge or try Paper Dreams who have loads of gorgeous options.
Head to the woods again for tree boughs which are perfect for ceiling decorations. A few years ago, I hung them in front of the living room window using twine and cup hooks in the ceiling (begrudgingly installed by Joe who completely ballsed it up). I added small decorations, battery powered fairy lights, honeycomb balls and pom poms and the effect was brilliant - a simple and cheap decoration that had maximum impact for minimum cost.
The front and back doors don’t get away scot free either. Last year I made my own wreath using foliage from the garden - all you need is a metal wreath circle from Hobbycraft and some florist twine and you’re away. Not only is it budget friendly but it’s also a very therapeutic job if you’re creatively inclined, producing something that is completely individual to you and your style. For those of you looking to invest in something that you can use year after year, try The Secret Garden Company who produce the most amazing handmade wreaths that will last pretty much forever. Sustainable and ethical florist By Bloom have the most glorious of fresh wreaths.
If you’re going to wrap a present, you may as well do it properly.
Wrap It Up
One of the prettiest parts of the Christmas look are the presents wrapped up under the tree and it won’t surprise you to know that I approach the wrapping of presents in the same way as I approach everything else in my house - obsessively. Every year, I have a plan of what I am going to do and am online mid October ordering what I need before I’ve even started considering the present buying. But how to do it without spending more on the wrapping then you do on the content? My answer is always the same - brown paper for the win. You can buy huge rolls of it on eBay for minimum cost and from thereon in, you can let your creativity go wild. Last year, I used 2cm thick neon ribbon in various colours, combined with black and white photographs of each recipient that I’d printed from Facebook. No, I wasn’t joking when I said I was obsessive. BUT it was cheap, individual and looked bloody brilliant.
Nutscene garden twine is a good alternative to ribbon - not only do they do a full complement of every colour of the rainbow but they’ve also brought out a neon range. Luggage tags are the perfect classic label look - again, eBay is my homeboy for this stuff and I order well in advance in plenty of sizes. Use silver and gold Sharpies for maximum effect. Decorate with Christmas print stamps - years ago I invested in a box from Cox & Cox that I still use today.
Pop to the garden for sprigs of greenery (eucalyptus, mistletoe and holly are all excellent cuts) to tie on to your parcel to finish it off. Another (even more obsessive) idea is to wrap smaller presents in printed music sheets (Google ‘printed music sheets’ and go to images for instant inspiration) or if you’re an Instagram aficionado, multipurpose the sheets of last years Stendig calendar as wrapping. Check out the Miller Grey blog for the ultimate in wrapping chic and I’ll be demonstrating my own ideas this year on a later blog. Okay, I’m stopping now or I’ll be here for hours.
All of the tableware on this table is vintage charity shop finds.
Make It Pretty
Decorating your Christmas table to magazine standard costs a fortune, yes? Oh no, it most certainly does not. If you want something a little different from your usual day to day crockery, hit the charity shops for inspiration. A veritable treasure trove of vintage, it’s impossible to pop in without finding an array of pretty decorated plates of all sizes, perfect for layering up on the table at minimum cost. Who wants matchy matchy anyway? It’s far more fun to bring back preloved pieces that still remain beautiful today, pieces that will make your table look individual and unique. The charity shops are also a magnet for crystal and glassware - I’ve got a huge collection of charity shop glassware and Christmas is the perfect time to bring it all out. Wine glasses, water glasses, after dinner liquor glasses - the more the merrier and it’s lovely to see it all laid out on the table being used. I wrote a blog with three easy ideas for styling your table - click here to read.
Tablecloth wise, try using large linen or thick cotton flat sheets which double up perfectly and if you’re lacking in napkins, get out the sewing machine. When my sister got married, she used fabric remnants to make individual napkins for each guest, a quick and easy idea that was super effective. Add a decoration from your box to each plate and tie with some greenery from the garden to each napkin with twine.
This year, I’m intending to use wood slices as centrepieces down the table, decorating them with both faux and real foliage and candles (try Easy Florist who have loads of different slices at an excellent price). If it’s good enough for the Anthropologie store merchandisers, then it’s good enough for me. And crackers? This year I’m thinking about making my own using a pre bought pack with all the bits in, decorating to my table scheme and adding in my own small fun gifts instead of pulling them open to a plastic puzzle and a silver fish. Time allowing, obvs. I like to have these ideas in the pipeline.
Who knew that all you needed to produce a decent dip was a mini blender?
Canapes From Heaven
Much as I am a huge fan of prepared party food (in fact, tempura prawns, duck spring rolls and pigs in blankets are pretty much our main meal throughout December), when it comes to the big day I like to go it alone and make it myself. If you’ve read my blog for a while, you’ll know that I launch upon you my favourite five canapés in the weeks leading up to Christmas and this year will be no exception. It’s taken me many years to learn that making your own sausage rolls using puff pastry and sausage meat is about a tenth of the price of buying them prepacked and nearly the same to discover that by blitzing a jar of red peppers, feta and pine nuts you have a dip to die for. And don’t even start me on the fact that an entire vat of hummus can be produced in less than five minutes using chickpeas and tahini. LIFE CHANGING.
I’ve got thirteen people for Christmas lunch this year (lucky for some) and I can tell you, as a combined force they are equivalent to Mr Creosote when it comes to scoffing pre dinner nibbles. But how to serve them? Pop to the tile shop and buy extra large slate tiles, then glue felt beneath so that they don’t scratch, perfect for presenting your perfectly formed canapés. Use wooden boards as platters or visit the charity shop to buy huge vintage decorated plates for serving. The (logical, I admit) trick to keeping the cost down is to plan recipes with inexpensive ingredients that can be done in advance, thus combining clever budgeting with minimum stress. You can read my previous blogs on this subject here, here and here and I’ll be publishing my latest favourite Christmas ready recipes next week so watch out for it.
So there are my top tips for a clever Christmas. I’ll be elaborating on some of these points over the next few weeks leading up to the big day on my blog but in the meantime, I’m going to be spending far more time than is strictly necessary on table planning and Facebook trawling for suitably hilarious gift tag photographs that will add the edge to present opening. But first of all, I’m off to attempt the opening of the trussed up Christmas boxes with a very sharp knife and a side of jam jar for any unexpected spider action. Let the festive season commence!