Preparing Your Home For Christmas

Some of the best things about winter (apart from the presents under the tree) are the Christmas decorations and the process leading up to the celebrations.

Before you proceed with decorating your home for the holidays, make sure you make some necessary home repairs first. I’ve made you a list of refurbishment tips that can get you through winter, which includes getting glazed windows and filling your pantry full of food you can cook for winter. In this post we look at decorations and home tips to get your home fully prepared for the festival season.

Decorate your entryway

Greet your guests with a beautiful DIY Christmas wreath that you can make using wooden hoops, Christmas balls, or even simple golden garlands that you can get from arts and crafts stores. Country Living has a list of some of the most beautiful wreaths you can make. You can also buy a natural wreath so your guests are welcomed with the smell of pine needles.

Get scented candles

Set the mood with some scented candles that you can leave around the house. Elle Decor recommend Christmas-smelling candles that each have a unique scent for the festive period. If you want your home to have a floral Christmas smell, you can get varieties that will leave your home smelling like lavender, geranium, and ripened grapefruit. For holiday dessert lovers, you can get candles that smell like sugar cookies, caramel, or sweets. Other blends include fir, peppermint, pine, cloves, and cinnamon.

DIY your Christmas tree ornaments

You don’t have to spend much on your Christmas decors, especially when it comes to your Christmas tree. You can use a variety of materials that can still make your tree look sophisticated for a fraction of the cost. Pinecones, cinnamon sticks, and pompoms are great materials, to begin with. If you don’t have the time to make your own ornaments, there are cheaper alternatives, like wood and paper ornaments. Good Housekeeping detail how easily a Christmas tree can be upgraded from the traditional design through changing the decorations. A black and white decorated tree or a tree completely covered in flowers, will make your decor the envy of your friends.

Make sure the home is Christmas cosy

Replace your lightweight throw pillows and linen with chunky textures like knits and velvets. Plaids and dark, rich coloured wood can also give your home that extra cosy feel. Apart from putting up festive Christmas decorations, you also need to make sure your home is nice and warm. Check if your fireplace is working properly. Hire a chimney sweep for some thorough cleaning and routine maintenance to prevent any leaks or draught. If you need to replace your fireplace, make sure you get one with the right output for your room. The larger the room the fireplace is in, the more heat output you will need. The long list of fireplaces featured on Screwfix come with different levels of heat output. Ask an expert to help you measure which would best suit your room. You should make sure your fireplace has at least 50% heat-efficiency so you know that you’re not wasting valuable energy.

Light up your rooms

Whether you’re using candles, lamps, lanterns, or twinkly lights, adding more lighting to your home just makes it more enchanting. Warm holiday lighting is best, particularly golden light. For something even more festive, get LED multicolour ball lights that you can use to decorate doorways or tables with. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can install moving lights that you can control through apps. For your outdoor lighting, get some colourful lights that can be put in and round the garden to create your own winter wonderland. Just set it up in front of your home’s facade, turn it on, and you’re done.