Our Christmas Decorating Rituals
Christmas Decorating Rituals – What yours?
Putting up our decorations and getting a tree is, for many of us, the time when it really starts to feel Christmassy. We recently discovered, from talking to our team, that whilst we all love transforming our homes with festive lights and decorations, we all go about it in a slightly different way. Here’s a round-up of our team’s Christmas decorating rituals. We’d love to hear about yours, so do let us know what your traditions and must-haves are.
Mark – Brand Director
I rediscovered the joy of decorating for Christmas, when we started our family and memories of my own childhood came flooding back. These days we’ve settled into our very own Christmas routine, which usually starts with me buying the largest tree, I think I can get away with, and then promptly getting told off by wife, because it won’t fit. Cue my retreat to the garage with saw in hand. We always have Christmas music on while we decorate, and it has to be the cheesy Christmas classics. I’ll have a glass of something alcoholic in hand (usually a beer) and a mince pie nearby. I’ll need something to sustain me while the kids pull out every box of tinsel, baubles and lights and spread it all over the lounge. At this point, I realise, I’ve forgotten to hide the annoying musical/dancing Christmas dog, Elf and Santa that my mother-in-law has bought the kids over the years and will spend the next half an hour wrestling these off the kids, before removing the batteries. We freshen up our decorations every couple of years and change our colour scheme. This year we’re thinking of white and silver, as it’s a good match for the rest of the house. The one thing that always stays the same, is that the Star is the last thing to go on the tree and the kids take turns in being the one to put it on the top. Remembering who’s turn it was last year is another challenge. Finally, when the tree is decorated, the lights are all working and on, it’s time to dim the main lights and settle down to watch a classic Christmas film; Polar Express or maybe Arthur Christmas or Elf.
Georgia – Digital and Marketing Manager
The first weekend in December is always our weekend to decorate. This year though will be different, as I’ll be away at our Cyberjammies Autumn/Winter 2019 photoshoot. I may be shifting my Christmas decorating plans to the following weekend, but the ritual will remain the same. We’ll start by driving to Starbucks and pick up a Christmas inspired hot drink. We’ll then head off to Fred Smith Trees, where we always buy our tree, and will browse,
drink in hand, to find the perfect one for us. On the way home, we stop at our local garden centre to see what new decorations and lights they have, even if it’s just for some
inspiration. When we get home, it’s time to light the candles and hang up some fairy lights. Elf is our movie of choice, while we decorate the tree and the rest of the house. Our colour
scheme is always white and gold with twinkly fairy lights in every corner. The absolute number one Christmas rule in my house is that once we’ve decorated, main lights are banned and its fairy lights and Christmas candles only. I stock up on plenty of candles and my favourite places to get these are from Homesense and Bath and Body works. I also love a
little Christmas tat to add some fun which might be a garish Santa mug, tacky bauble or cushion. When we’re done decorating, it’s time for some more classic Christmas movies, and we too our fans of Arthur Christmas and The Polar Express. While I’m in the festive mood, I’ll make a start on my Christmas cards and we’ll finish off the evening with a very large hot chocolate and a Hallmark Christmas Movie.
Sharon – Customer Service Manager
Like Mark, I always try and buy the biggest tree which used to be OK in our old house but since we moved to a cottage, it can be a problem, so the tree is now an outdoor feature. I hang tons of lights on mine and always have a traditional wreath on both front doors. Christmas music and warm mulled wine are ‘must haves’ when we decorate, with the log burner on for a cosy feel. It sounds like an idyllic scene until you throw two Jack Russell into the mix, who run around, going crazy every time a box is opened. I’m sure they think it’s presents for them. We have a similar rule about no main lights and its side lamps and Christmas lights only for us, once we’ve decorated. I love twinkly white lights, never coloured and not flashing. I know it’s boring but it’s a look I love. We use a driftwood, hand- made tree indoors with minimal decorations except some twinkly lights. Candles are an important part of creating my festive home and my favourites usually come from Yankee. To decorate the rest of the house, I use green traditional garlands around the mantle, fireplace and log burner, as well as on the bannisters and stairway. I’ll hang small ornaments from the beams of our cottage and to finish off the Christmas look, we have one very special piece. We’re lucky to have an antique wooden sleigh. When our boys were younger, they used to play in it but now we use it as a decoration and fill it with wrapped gifts near the front door.
Laura - Designer
I always start early as I’m a big kid when it comes to Christmas. We normally get all our decorations down from the loft, in the last week of November. It’s always the same tree and same tatty decorations! I love the whole routine of getting the box down from the loft, untangling the lights, replacing any broken bulbs and arranging the baubles. About four years ago, I started to buy one new ‘special’ decoration every year, which now includes a flamingo, a gingerbread house, a Santa space man and this year a gold dinosaur. The kids are normally on hand to ‘help’ me assemble and decorate. Once they’ve gone to bed, I tend to rearrange things a little. I know it’s Christmas once I’ve...
1. Hung the same piece of gold tinsel above the mantelpiece. The smell of tinsel is Christmas
to me!
2. Watched Santa Claus the Movie
3. Ordered a mulled wine at our local pub
And
4. Heard Mariah Carey on the radio!
Sonia Grummitt- Events and Interiors Stylist
(Sonia styles our fabulous press events)
It’s the time to be jolly .... well that starts at my house in November, mainly due to my love of Christmas and the time it takes to decorate each and every room. The whole experience for me starts with carols being sung in the background, as I unpack my many boxes of decorations. The jiggling sound of my bell decorations signifies, that Christmas has
arrived, which dates back to my early childhood when I was listening out for Father Christmas and his sleigh. The first decoration to be hung is my freshly hand-made Christmas door wreath, which I make myself every year and is always a different colour and design. This year I will be making unique designs for other people, as I’m selling my fresh door wreathes at my pop-up lifestyle shop in Writtle. Every room in my house is then styled with a varied design and includes a freshly smelling pine Christmas tree with décor. The same colours of grey, white and silver flow through every room, with a mass of feathers and snow to compliment the festive themed look. Once decorated, my house is then scented with reeds and candles and room sprays. This year my favourite fragrance is Comfort and Joy, which I stock in my little store, from the lovely lady who owns Coco and Ginger. Its then time to sit back with a glass of Prosecco and share the festivities with my friends and loved ones. A merry Christmas to you all. Enjoy....
Happy Christmas decorating from the Cyberjammies team!
