Hosting Christmas? Check out these festive finishing touches to spruce up your home

There’s only a couple of days left before Christmas Day itself is in full swing, and while trees may have been up some for time and presents have been purchased and wrapped, there’s still plenty to do for those hosting family and friends for that long-awaited festive dinner. 

From planning out your Christmas cooking schedule to cleaning the house for visitors, it can leave little time to design your table arrangement and add finishing touches to your home for the big day. 

Over the last few weeks, the Chapelton community has been getting into the festive spirit and now the charming and idyllic streets are lined with homes with twinkling lights and stunning seasonal wreaths, all of which complement the town’s traditional character and features. 

Most recently, Karen from This is 36 Florals hosted a wonderful wreath workshop at Slate and Grain Brasserie for residents and visitors. As an expert in both dried and fresh flower arrangements for occasions, events, workshops and installations, we caught up with Karen to get her top tips on sprucing up your home in time for guests coming round…

What are your favourite colours and trends for hosts to incorporate into their table decor this year? 

“Personally, I love all things velvet! It’s not a material people often think about adding to their festive decor, but I feel it adds a touch of luxury to any arrangement. 

“In general, jewel tones concur a sense of opulence but one trend I particularly like for 2022 is the neutral nordic scandi style. This minimalistic and simple style can be incorporated in many ways, from paper decorations and ceramic white ornaments to the use of natural colours like greens, beige and more earthy tones, this, along with adding flocked textures and a lot of pine greenery, all combine to express the spirit of a hygge filled Christmas!” 

What items do you recommend adding to the table to make it look more festive? 

“With so many things to think about, finishing touches such as table decor don’t need to be difficult. Think about it as more of a nice additional feature to complement your theme. 

“Something incredibly simple yet very effective that you can add is foraged greenery. This includes dried bracken, larch cone branches, pinecones, branches covered in lichen and even conifer branches from your garden hedging – all these help embody Christmas. 

“Try putting a few branches in a vase or along the fire mantelpiece along with lots of candles to create a traditional festive feel.”

What’s the best way to decorate the table that’s also practical and functional? 

“For the dining table in particular, it can be difficult to make it decorative while still leaving plenty of space for plates and glasses. A really simple method is to place a fresh sprig of rosemary or garden foliage at each place setting, this can easily be moved aside but is something you wouldn’t have throughout the year so it feels more seasonal. You can also take advantage of dressing the items already on the table such as glass stems. 

“If you want to try something a little different and get creative, create small bunches of greenery and tie them onto chairs, this creates a sense of occasion but also doesn’t take away from the table space. 

“For the centre of the table itself, consider adding ivy up candlestick holders or small bud vases strewn up the length of the table. Not only does candle light create a magical ambience but these pieces are easily removed to make space for the turkey and trimmings.” 

Finally, any tips for keeping festive finishing touches cost effective? 

“The main elements of Christmas decor tend to be trees, wreaths and ornaments placed throughout the home, so naturally people don’t want to spend too much money on finishing touches such as table arrangements or coffee table decor. 

“Throughout the years, families often collect a variety of Christmas decorations. If these past styles no longer fit your theme, consider changing up your old decorations with the likes of spray paint. This is a cost effective way of changing the colour of old baubles and decor and they can be placed alongside greenery to create home-made garlands. 

“For a more boho look, mixing bicarbonate of soda and emulsion to paint baubles will give a matte ceramic feel.”

Want to know more about Chapelton’s thriving community? Check out the blog for more information on events, businesses and the high quality housebuilders that are creating beautiful homes throughout the town.