Pippa Middleton is here, helping spread the word on how to best enjoy your holiday season.
The not-so-dowdy Duchess of Cambridge has released a list of Top Ten Tips For The Perfect Christmas, written under a pen name for the Party Times magazine.
- 1. Make Great Impressions…
Welcome family and neighbours by lighting pathways with tealight garden lanterns, LED light sticks and fairy lights wrapped round tree trunks or branches. Have guests met by a beautiful red berry wreath and windows decorated with silver snowflake cut-outs, reindeers and Christmas trees using snow spray. Then as they enter inside beautiful displays of cross stitch Christmas paper chains fill all the empty spaces and fairy lights brighten the fireplace. - 2. Sprucing Up The Tree…
A tree full of glistening lights and an array of colouful decorations heightens wonder and expectation around Christmas. Colourful red skating tree decorations and other beautiful pieces will stand out against dark green trees. Pick out timeless and unusual decorations with a nostalgic touch such as charming wooden decorations or for something unique, silver and red personalized baubles. Add a few edible chocolate treats and candy cane sticks; something the younger members of the family will love. Save any spare fir branches from the tree for napkin decorations or to add above the fireplace for a touch of nature. Look out for make your own angel kits or Christmas decoration kits, a fun weekend activity to do with your children and a perfect creative accessory for the top of the tree. - 3. Tis The Season To Be Baking…
Cookies and biscuits are great additions to a family Christmas and children will love helping you make them. Look out for Christmas cookie cutter sets that come in a variety of shapes such as star, reindeer, snowflake or Christmas tree designs. Store your baked treats in tins and hand them out to friends who drop by, served with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Hang biscuits on the tree by piercing a hole and threading pretty ribbons through them or wrap them in cellophane, tie with curling ribbon and hand them out as end of term gifts. Other wonderful festive treats include Christmas popcorn (caramelized and dusted with cinnamon) chocolate snowball truffles (coated in desiccated coconut) or chunks of gooey marshmallow-filled rocky road. Hand these out as end of term gifts or to family members, sealed in festive Christmas party boxes. - 4. A Gingerbread house…
Create a Scandinavian fairytale gingerbread house, good enough to eat. Not only will it look and smell appealing, it will bring out the child inside of everyone. Get your children to help build and decorate it with you and you can put it in a windowsill lit up or use it as a table centerpiece, adorned with hundreds of sweets! - 5. All Dressed Up…
Christmas themed tablecloths do all the ‘dressing’ aspect for you, there’s so much colour in the print you just need to add a centerpiece to give it some dimension such as an enchanted Christmas centrepiece. But if you’re opting for a more traditional table setting with plain red partyware, greens and whites then choose decorative cotten napkins, fun placemats and novelty place card holders. Fill bowls with colourful treats such as candy cane, peppermints and other shiny wrapped treats (Roses or Quality Streets). Alternatively festive baubles in vases or seven-tiered cake stands filled with an array of jovial delights. You can then arrange candles and nightlights at differing heights to create a dramatic and cosy atmosphere. Red crystal gems and snowflake confetti scattered in blank spaces on the table will glisten and catch the light, evoking a sense of enchantment. And don’t forget rocking Rudolph party poppers, chocolates and make-your-own party crackers – a few essentials that make a big difference.
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