There are few things more enjoyable that having the whole family round for Christmas, or even just making sure your home looks perfect for your immediate family. However, it can also be quite a hard thing to pull off perfectly, as well as being potentially one of the most expensive parts of the whole festive preparations.
So how can you make your home look great and fit the bill for a family Christmas?
By Heather Morey of Creative Photo via Wikimedia Commons [source: Jonathan Meath]
One way is to take some tips from how other people decorate their own homes and this year there’s a perfect opportunity to do just that. Sainsbury’s Christmas in a Day is a 45 minute festive feature film directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by Ridley Scott.
The fact that two such heavyweights of the cinema world are involved gives you the hint that this is something very special, and the end result certain is. Made up of more than 360 hours of footage provided by the public, the film is carefully edited by Macdonald, who is famous for The Last King Of Scotland and Touching The Void amongst many others.
The seamless montage provides a perfect snapshot of how millions of people around the UK prepare for their own Christmas in unique ways. From hilarious attempts at putting up decorations through to heart-tugging emotional scenes, the film brings home exactly how important the festive season can be to so many different people.
One of the striking things is not so much how different everyone is, but more how similar we are in so many respects and this includes how we prepare our homes.
A tree
Having a tree inside the house is something not many of us would consider doing at any other time of year, but at Christmas it is taken for granted that it’s a great idea!
Getting the right tree can make all the difference as it really is a focal point of the whole scheme of decorations. From expensive huge natural pines through to compact (and re-usable) plastic trees, there really is something for everyone no matter what you budget or the height of your ceilings.
Decorations
Of course any Christmas tree not matter what it is must also have decorations. Glass balls, fairy lights, an angel for the top – there are many traditional effects to be used but there is also plenty of scope for your own individual approach.
Placing more general decorations around the house are a great way of getting the whole family involved, even the youngest. From paper chains to elaborate lighting effects, there is really no limit to what you can do and no part of your home that needs to remain untouched.
red_green_xmas_balls.jpeg via http://christmasstockimages.com
Warmth
For those of us lucky enough to live in locations that actually mean it is cold around Christmas, keeping warm indoors can be a big part of making feel cosy and welcoming. Even if there isn’t three feet of snow outside making for the classic white Christmas, gathering around a real fire indoors can be a wonderful thing to do.
By Robbie Sproule via Wikimedia Commons [original source: Flickr]
If you’ve just got the central heating up full and don’t have an open fireplace to get those old logs burning, the subtle use of candles can have an equally enchanting effect.
Food and drink
The idea of a festive feast is probably the oldest part of the tradition and lies at its very heart, handed down through the centuries for times even older than Christianity. Macdonald’s film has some thoughtful scenes in it and some of these are to do with how we sit down to our Christmas dinner.
Remember, not everyone is lucky enough to be surrounded by friends or family at this important time of year and the reasons can be many and varied for why certain people aren’t in attendance.
Wonderful tips! THere’s nothing I enjoy more than decorating my home for Christmas! I love this time of year!