Original article featured in Velvet magazine, December 2010. Image credits, Cox and Cox.

Leaving large interior design projects for the New Year and focusing on festive details to make your house lovely for Christmas will save you money and stress. Kate Barraclough of Interior Design Talks gives some cost and time effective ways to decorate your home at Christmas.

Keep it simple

Christmas can be an expensive time of year, with entertaining, presents and interior decorations. To add to this, people try to get interior projects they have intended to do throughout the year completed in time for Christmas, with the aim to create the perfect space for entertaining.

However, this is not always necessary, as with some lovely decorative touches you can make your home an inviting and pleasing space without the hassle and expense, and you can then forget your fears about a spilled glass of mulled wine across your newly laid carpet, or chocolaty fingers smeared across your freshly upholstered sofa.

A simple wreath

A traditional way to welcome people to your home at Christmas is to hang a wreath on your front door. A ready made wreath of artificial berries can be reused each year, but made to look different using a range of accessories such as ribbons and varied shades of berries and foliage that you can buy on soft wire and can be easily weaved into your wreath.

For a more natural and simplistic look, a home made wreath made of ivy wrapped around a wire base can be just as effective. Wreaths don’t just have to be for the door. Lay them on a mantelpiece or deep window sill, and fill the centre with candles at different heights to make an interesting Christmas arrangement. This can work just as well as a centrepiece for your dining table.

Lighting the garden

A few lights in any outside space you have will make your entertaining space seem larger as they will draw the eye out into the garden rather than just being faced with a wall of darkness. For a contemporary fun look you can use rope lights to spell out a festive word along a fence, or simply light outdoor candles in exterior candle holders on your patio or decking which, grouped together, will look glorious flickering at you through the window.

Dining by candlelight always makes it seem more special, so stock up on an array of candles to fill all the holders in your cupboards, and if you decide to buy more holders there are a great range of mirrored glass ones with worn silvering effect on the market which look fabulous in the evening light.

Window decorations

Other ways to decorate the front of your house include tasteful Christmas window stickers that are simple and fun and come in a range of creative shapes and sizes such as these wonderful Dove stickers from Cox and Cox. There are also ranges of wooden letters on the market now, so you can place a festive phrase on your window sill or mantelpiece to greet guests.

The home made tree

There are such a wide range of decorations on the market to decorate your tree, but often the simplest are the most effective. Instead of bought chocolate treats to hang on your tree, why not bake your own cookies in festive shapes. Cookie cutters come in all shapes and sizes, so experiment with different themes – hearts, Stars, Christmas trees or gingerbread snowmen. Pierce each cookie with a skewer 1cm from the edge before they go into the oven, and then once cooked loop pretty gingham ribbon through the holes to hang on your tree. Choose recipes with ginger, cloves and cinnamon to add to the festive atmosphere.

If you don’t have much space for the traditional fir tree, or prefer the minimalist look why not make your own tree by using branches of twisted willow or hazel which you can buy from florists. Give them a dusting of white spray paint and hang frosted baubles and white fairy lights to give a modern and altogether different look.

Accessorise your table

Christmas dinner is one of the most important meals of the year and so the table should be laid with a care and to give a real sense of occasion. Spread you dining table with a beautiful tablecloth and immediately it will feel like a special occasion. Trims you can buy at the local haberdashery can add a sense of fun and unite a scheme. A simple string of white sequins tied around white linen napkins on the table would look lovely glinting in candle light. Try tucking a soft white, feather underneath the trim to add a decadent edge. Scatter baubles down the centre of the table or pile them high in a beautiful bowl to make a striking centrepiece.

Dining by candlelight always makes it seem more special, so stock up on an array of candles to fill all the holders in your cupboards, and if you decide to buy more holders there are a great range of mirrored glass ones with worn silvering effect on the market which look fabulous in the evening light.

Christmas scent

Don’t forget the importance of scent in your home. There are an array of winter scented candles in the shops, often perfumed with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg which bring a welcoming aroma to your home. You can make your own pomanders by studding oranges with cloves in criss-cross lines which smell delicious and are decorative too. Tie them with loops of ribbon and hang from window catches and door handles. Now all you need is the smell of mulled wine warming on the stove!