But we've been growing and selling Christmas trees now for 10 years, and as long as you take good care of your tree, it can last for the whole season, even if you put it up advent weekend.
The first best thing you can do, is ask the following questions to the people who are selling the trees.
1. Where are the trees gown?
If they aren't grown in this country, they've come in from abroad. That means that they've been cut since October. The longer the tree has been cut, the drier they become, and it is when they are dry that they will drop their needles. If they are UK, they are much fresher, as most UK growers won't cut until there's been a frost on the trees to harden them. Cutting nationally would usually start around the second week of November, so they're already much fresher than those coming in from abroad.
2. How often do they get tree deliveries?
Once you know your Christmas tree is UK grown, double check when their tree delivery came in. Some of the bigger garden centres will have been stocking trees since the middle of November, but if they only have one or two deliveries in, you know those trees aren't the freshest to begin with. Others will have weekly deliveries, so it's worth checking, to make sure you're getting the freshest tree possible to start with.
Once you've located a tree that you're told is fresh, just run your hand along the branch. If a lot of the needles are coming off in your hand, then that Christmas tree isn't as fresh as you've been led to believe, and won't last til Christmas either. The odd needle coming off isn't an issue, but if a lot of the branch comes away, that's a bad sign.
The above questions obviously don't apply if you're getting your tree from a cut your own farm.
Get your tree netted before leaving the shop. Whilst you might think leaving it loose would be kinder, by containing it all tightly, this stops the needles and branches getting damaged whilst moving your tree between the shop and your home. All decent Christmas tree retailers will have netting machines available and will do this free of charge for you.
When you get the perfect Christmas tree home, leave it outside for as long as you can, but only if you're able to. Keeping a real tee cool, and outside where it can absorb the damp will help extend its life.
Heat and water.
So making sure you have a receptacle to stand the tree in that will hold water is crucial. We highly recommend the Cinco stands that we sell in the shop, as these hold plenty of water.
To make sure the real Christmas tree can absorb as much water as possible whilst in the stand, use these hacks to maximise the time your Christmas tree stays fresh.
Before you put the tree in to the stand, trim a small disc off the bottom. This removes the hardened wood from when it was cut, and allows the tree to take in water easier. You could if you like, also add a cross in to the bottom, which will allow water to seep up into the trunk.
You don't need to add a cross this with our trees as they're drilled up into the tree, to help them sit on the display pins and to absorb water whilst in the shop.
Once you've got your Christmas tree in the pot and before you start decorating, make sure you fill up the stand with plenty of water. Instead of water, Gwilym swears by lemonade or sugary water, using the same principle as for flowers that glucose is good for trees. Despite looking before writing this article, I've found no scientific evidence that this works, just customer reviews from those who've been doing it for years!
is that the real Christmas tree then needs to be kept well watered.
A cut tree can drink at least a pint of water every day, so make sure you've got a method of watering the tree sorted out.
We use a piece of hose, with a funnel, and a medium size jug. The hose actually stays in the pot and is hidden towards the back of the Christmas tree, so that we can get to it (fairly) easily.
Most people know about their real trees needing water. It's the same with cut flowers too, isn't it? If you didn't put them in water, they'd die.
But as with flowers, so too with real Christmas trees, the heat can be just as damaging.
Those beautiful lifestyle and interior glossy magazines are buggers for misleading us. The Christmas tree next to the real fire which is roaring away. The epitome of cosy Christmas.
But actually, that intense level of heat will make the needles curl up and dry out. Although they won't fall off. But the tree will absolutely honk, as though something has died next to it.
And underfloor heating isn't too much better. Although the heat isn't nearly so intense, you do have to make sure that you check the water levels
every day. Spritzing the needles every couple of days can also be a great idea to keep them nourished.
Try to keep your real Christmas tree as far away from the central heating radiators as you can go too.
Apart from the heat inside, don't forget the heat outside. Trees in windows that face the sun will also be warm through the glass, and this can help make a tree go brittle. In honesty, the sun isn't so strong at this time of year to make a big difference, but when coupled with underfloor heating for example, can be more of an issue.
If there really is no where else to put it, just remember that the warmer the room, the more water you'll need, and more regularly too!
I hope that this guide helps you to take care of your real Christmas tree this year, and that you enjoy your Christmas!
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It seems a little silly having advent countdowns, when the calendars help you count down! But, in this instance, it's having something that isn't used to house presents of some kind! These might take the form of rulers, number blocks or even decorations. And they don't need to cost a lot of money either - the concept of the countdown in the middle is mini decorations that can be hung on some branches - if you're crafty, you'll be able to come up with some excellent ideas for advent countdowns!
These are candles that have the days of December down the side, and for each night you burn through that number. These are something that take me back to my childhood. The weekend before December 1st, my mum would make a table centrepiece with greenery from the garden, some red carnations, with one of these in the middle. every night then at dinner, we'd light the advent candle and burn it until the date had disappeared.
Sadly we don't currently sell advent candles, but keep an eye out for one, and give this method a go if it appeals to you!
A very traditional style of advent calendar that predates the chocolate tray one! Where you open the door, and instead of a chocolate behind the window there's a little picture.
These are quite difficult to come by, but if you do these make great presents for somebody who's older or non-materialist. And of course, they're easy to post for those that live away!
An advent wreath isn't something that we do much in this country, it's celebrated more on the continent. Maybe this is due to the decline in practising Christianity in this country? But with an advent calendar, it's the lighting of a candle for each of the four Sundays preceding Christmas. Each candle represents a different virtue that Jesus stands for, including Joy, Love, Peace and Hope. Religion aside, I think this is a lovely way of being thankful, following on from the American Thanksgiving, where we can contemplate and be grateful for the joy, love, peace and hope in our lives.
So there we have some different ideas on how to countdown to advent. Will you give one of these a try this year? Or are there any others that you do that's not been included?
With just a little imagination, you can start your favourite new tradition and get back on track to recapturing some of the Christmas magic from your childhood.
]]>Here we've rounded up our favourite Christmas wreath ideas for your front door.
Firstly, let's take a look at the more traditional styles of Christmas wreath. These ideas will suit doors that are used often due to their compact size. Traditionally laden with fir cones, these are a choice of Christmas wreath that has been a strong choice for customers for many years.
The Shabby Chic White and Dove Grey Christmas Wreath is a contemporary twist on this traditional Christmas wreath, with an unusual colour pairing. This would look amazing on a neutral country cottage door, as the colours will complement the Farro& Ball style colours perfectly. The second image is of the Christmas red wreath, which again is a more contemporary take on a traditional colour scheme. Although is very compact, this has curled wood and artificial flowers rather than the fir cones that usually go into these style of wreaths. The red is broken up a little by sprigs of white flower, similar to babies breath. The final of these tight knit Christmas wreaths for 2022, is the frosted red berry wreath. This gorgeous Christmas wreath looks like it's been left out in a heavy dew, or had a light sprinkling of frost.
These tight compact Christmas wreaths work really well as candle holders as well for table centrepieces. Make sure though that you put a glass beaker in the middle of the wreath, and put your lit candle in there, as without this would be a fire hazard. The dimensions in the product listing tell you what the inner diameter is, so that you can find yourself a beaker of the right size if you fancied doing this.
The second style of Christmas wreath ideas for your front door this Christmas is the foliage Christmas wreaths.
These artificial Christmas wreaths all feature foliage as their decoration, focusing on the beauty of leaves for impact.
Not just foliage, this decorated small wreath that features in the first image of this collection and although technically it isn't just foliage, as it's got a few berries and cones as well. But I've included it here as the Christmas tree foliage is the predominant feature. The second Christmas wreath idea image features the statement burgundy wreath on a wooden front door. With masses of eucalyptus leaves all in varying shades of burgundy and purples, this is a true foliage Christmas wreath that needs nothing extra. So simple, natural and wow. The third image is the holly and berry rustic wreath - as wild as it is show stopping. Focusing on variegated holly leaves, this is accentuated by holly berries throughout the wreath.
If you're after something a little more modern, this next collection of Christmas wreath ideas might be more suited for your front door.
This collection of oversize Christmas wreaths will wow, even if they don't go on your front door. Maybe you've got some barn doors that are the first thing people see when they drive on to your yard, or you've got a pair of double gates on your entrance - these are the wreaths for the drama.
The first one is a glorious large decorated wreath. Gloriously full with a type of fir foliage, the bottom half is decorated with red berries. Throughout the wreath are cones. This is quite a heavy Christmas wreath, and so would need to go somewhere with decent fixings. The faux eucalyptus wreath is one of my favourites for this year, and unlike the last Christmas wreath, this is as light as a feather, and so needs to go somewhere sheltered. The oversize cone and foliage wreath is also a heavy one, and is jam packed with fir cones all over. Sprigs of foliage in amongst the cones just break up the mass of brown, but this is a wonderful Christmas wreath for impact. I feel that this would look amazing with some battery operated string lights wound around it too.
Take a look at all of the different styles of Christmas wreath that we've got in store this year. And don't forget, we can post anything out to you for just £4.50. But spend £30 or more and you'll qualify for our free shipping offer. Click and collect is also available from the Christmas barn, which is a great idea in case you can't get to us until later in the month.
Of course, this article hasn't mentioned fresh Christmas wreaths (available from advent weekend), or even the fresh flower Christmas wreaths that I make much closer to Christmas (mid December).
When these are ready to be photographed, I'll update the blog post with different ideas for these fresh styles of wreaths, but tell me in the comments, what's your preferred style of Christmas wreath.
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To keep yourself on track though, the first thing you'd benefit from doing, is just quickly work out how many items you actually need. You want enough to make the stocking or sack look full, but not so many that they are overflowing on to the floor.
Take an average size stocking or sack for your household, and just grab a couple of handfuls of items that may resemble what you'd normally put in there. But don't fill the stocking to stuffed, as you won't get quite so many stuffers in there when they've got wrapping paper on (if you wrap them).
For example, I know that each stocking in my household holds up to 20 stuffers, depending on how big they are. I may look for 2-3 large (as in a book size) stuffers, 5 medium (like a mug size) stuffers, and then the rest (approximately 10) would be small items.
Make a note on your stocking stuffer list from the mini planner and jot down numbers from 1 - X down the list. This way, you'll know when you've got enough for each one, and can stop buying.
As I pick bits up, I store them wrapped in an old bed sheet in a plastic carrier bag, the name written on the inside of the bag in permanent marker. I hope that a plastic bag is uninviting for prying eyes, but even if they do peek in, there's nothing to see but an old sheet. Sometimes I wait until the buying is complete before I wrap, and sometimes I wrap as I go. Whichever I do, they're ready in plenty of time for Christmas Eve night.
Below are over 100 unique stocking stuffer ideas, that could cater for all ages, male or female, with a variety of interests. All you need to do is to jot down the ones that you feel might work for members of your family.
I've listed ideas in no particular order, but they are listed by size. This way, you could easily pick some unique stocking stuffer ideas to suit which sizes you need, and who you need to buy for. Some of these ideas may appear in a couple of sized areas, just because you could get different sizes, from sample pots to full size pots for example.
These are the stocking stuffers that can fill up little gaps. This could be a great opportunity to try something new, like a shampoo bar, or to give something that you know will be used lots, like lip balm. If there's several people that you buy for who would use similar items, don't be afraid to buy a pack and split them up. For example buying a pack of 3 nail varnishes, and splitting between 3 girls, could be a more efficient option than buying 3 separate colours. And look for items that are beautiful. Single flavoured teabags might be an odd choice, but with independent brands, the artwork on the packets make this a very unique stocking stuffer idea. The same with single biscuits. The decorated biscuits particularly, are an artwork that I definitely would like to receive!
You may find that with a little bit of time, planning and thought, some of these are items you could possibly make too.
Keyring | Key torch | Mini sparklers | Ring |
Glasses chain | Small jug | Small ball | Mini toy car/animal |
Soap bar | Shampoo bar | Crayons | Reusable ice cubes |
Tea lights | Pretty plasters | Votive candle | Garden veg bed tags |
Fruit | Mini notepad | Lanyard | Single flavour teabags |
Nail varnish | Pack of seeds | Dibber | Pack single biscuits |
Hair clips | Lip balm | Hair bow | Christmas decoration |
Nail file | Fountain Pen ink | Scrunchies | Hot chocolate sachet |
Mini diary | Erasable pens | Mini bunting | Cocktail umbrellas |
Battery lights | Timer | Cupcake cases | Hot chocolate spoon |
Washi tape | Fat balls for birds | Erasers | Novelty push pins |
Pack of cards | Stick deodorant | Jigger | Mini craft kit |
Lip salve | Hair bobbles | Lego polybag | Pretty cupcake cases |
Lipstick | Shot glass | Seed bombs | Small bag of bird food |
Mini photo album | Eyeshadow | Cleanser | Detangling mist |
Measuring glass | Toothbrush | Hair bands | Make up remover pad |
Toothpaste | Small bag sweets | Stickers | Small pack of tissues |
Ear phones | Small spirit bottle | Reusable bag | Single chocolate |
Pillow mist | Badges | Face mask | Tea Infuser |
These are the items that are a little bit bigger, maybe up to a mug size. These can be a great way of bulking up the stocking, so that you don't need so many smaller items.
As with the smaller unique stocking stuffer ideas, some of these everyday products could be an opportunity to try something different. And look for unusually packaged pieces too, to make them feel more like an extra special gift if buying for adults. Try removing items from boxes, such as pencils, and packaging them differently like tying them up with a piece of string, if they will fit into the stocking easier, and look more expensive!. And of course, like above, don't be afraid to split down packets to share between stockings.
Family bag sweets | Razors | Hand cream | Box flavoured teabags |
Make up brushes | Necklace | Bubble wand | Pot of spice mixes |
Can of pop | Sponge | Tea towel | Nail varnish remover |
Craft kit | Hair wrap | Diary-up to A5 | Magnetic note pad |
Bracelet | Colouring book | Juggling balls | Gloves |
Head massager | Bath soak | Note-lets | Wooden massager |
Reed diffuser | Moisturiser | Room spray | Flavoured coffee |
Glasses case | Beeswax wrap | Flannel | Cotton reusable pads |
Small panettone | Notepad | Travel games | Coloured pencils |
Small bag coffee | Brush | Lead pencils | Bar of chocolate |
Shampoo | Conditioner | Tonic water | Magnetic to do list pad |
Snack pack - jerky | Unusual cordial | Pack of Pens | Nail cream |
Beard cream | Water bottle | Bra/vest tops | Flavoured vinegars |
Box of tissues | Pencil case | Puzzle book | Novelty onion glasses |
Boxer shorts | Flavoured salts | Deodorant | Cuticle cream |
Flavoured oils | Wall plaque | Socks | CD |
Bath salts | Knickers | Mug | Face cream |
Glass | Stickers | Egg cup | Frame & picture |
Unless you have a Christmas sack, there may only be one or two of these in a stocking, if at all. This could be a great opportunity to personalise something such as a desk diary with initials. All of these could also make great presents.
Material scarf | Colouring book | Ball | Flavoured coffee |
Travel mug | Craft kit | Notepad | Individual Xmas cake |
Bag of coffee | Desk diary | Snack pack | Bag of chocolate |
Desk to do list pad | Magazine | To do list pad | Flavoured vinegars |
Wall plaque | Flavoured salts | Bubble bath | Puzzle book |
Flavoured oils | DVD | Book | Pint mug |
Hopefully, you've got an idea of how many stocking stuffers you need, have made a note from this list of over 100 unique stocking stuffer ideas for members of your family, and have a shopping/making list that isn't overwhelming.
Give yourself enough time for wrapping and keep each person's items together labelled, and you've made it much easier for yourself on Christmas Eve.
Let me know in the comments below if there's something that you like to put in stockings that hasn't been mentioned here, and I can update the list for our other readers.
All perfect and hunky-dory? Or was there times during the 'perfect season' that you felt weren't all that perfect?
A mentor once said to me 'Why expect different results, if you don't do anything differently' and she's absolutely right. Why do we expect things to be different if we don't change anything about how they unfold? Why do we keep encountering the same issues when celebrating Christmas with our family year after damn year?
Because most people don't review. They don't look back at the last year, just after it's happened whilst it's still fresh in their minds. They don't look at what worked really well, and what didn't. They don't look at which actions still serve their family well, or what is outdated. They don't make notes, just after it's happened, to remind them of things for next year. It's just one of those things that isn't done.
This year, let's get different results. This year, let's celebrate Christmas with family as you want it to be. Your perfect Christmas.
Below are lots of prompting questions to get you to think about how Christmas was last year for both you and your family, and these have been split into the main areas of Christmas planning. Browse through the questions, and make a note of those that worked really well for you, and why. Likewise, anything that wasn't so great, make a note of, and why.
I'll bet if you're celebrating Christmas with young family this year, some would say that the presents are the biggest part of Christmas. And judging by the number of Christmas gift guides that come out, it seems to be one of those areas that give people the most anxiety. Have a think about the presents that you gave last year.
This can also a big part of celebrating Christmas with family. How many people in your household have an advent calendar for example? Or attend church? Here, think about the actual advent itself, the counting down the days to Christmas, rather than the activities that you do during the advent period. That will get covered further on.
This is all of those activities that we do when celebrating Christmas with the family that allow us to feel like we're #makingmemories. The trips to the grotto. The meet ups with family/friends that are organised to exchange presents. Trips to Winter Wonderland, or a fantastic light show. Watching the pantomime at the theatre. The Christmas Eve trip to the cinema that is your yearly tradition.
Have a think of all of those Christmas activities that get organised as part of celebrating Christmas with family, and how they all turned out.
Do you start celebrating Christmas with your family by getting all involved in the decorating?
What can happen is that in an effort to get our house looking the best it can, we start trying to complete projects that are just too big. Projects that are going to take up too much of our resources, both financial and emotional, when there's already so much going on. It's those pesky big retailers again. Making you think you need a new sofa, when actually a throw over it is more than adequate. Or that the guest bedroom needs new wallpaper and co-ordinating bed linen when it only needs a good clean, and some fresh flowers or a houseplant! When you're celebrating Christmas with family staying over, they're going to be too excited to see you, to see whether your wallpaper has been up for 4 years!
Did you find yourself falling into this trap? Make a note of it here, so that you don't fall into that trap again this year!
Christmas isn't just the day itself. The period for about 10 days leading up to it, during Twixmas and New Year really falls into Christmas, with our eating and spending habits. And yet, we only consider the meal for the day itself.
But sadly, there is a tremendous amount of waste that comes from Christmas food. We overbuy. Why? So that we feel that our family isn't lacking? Buying food that in reality, the household doesn't eat. Over 270,000 tonnes of food waste happens just during Christmas week. Is this something you're guilty of?, Do you still have food that is hanging around in your cupboard now?
Take a look at your whole Christmas where the food was concerned to help you see areas where you could get more organised, get more help, or save yourself a little. Both in terms of finances, and in sanity!
If any of these points are making you feel a little uncomfortable, think about how you may be able to combat them this year. Meal planning and lists are a great tool to make sure you've remembered everything, and forseen everything, and by jotting down how many people you're feeding at each meal will help you determine quantity bought.
There's no getting away from that. But knowing what is important to you and your family, means you can spend money in those areas, and cut back on that which is no longer important.
Being aware of your finances helps too, and that is why budgeting and money management are hot topics right now. By thinking about the true cost of Christmas for you and your family, you can choose where to spend your hard earned cash.
A sure way of celebrating Christmas with family, either together or with those that live apart is done with the Christmas cards that we send, and the gifts that we give them. But, are you like I used to be? Wrapping presents at midnight on Christmas Eve? Or writing Christmas cards out hurriedly for the class school children the day before the kids break up from school?
I imagine this area of Christmas celebrating, is second in anxiety only to Christmas gifts. The volume of articles about trying new Christmas recipes, or about the perfect way to cook a turkey is phenomenal. We put a huge amount of pressure on ourselves to provide the perfect Christmas Dinner, fuelled by the media surrounding us. Telling us how we should be doing it. How we have to change things up. Is this pressure that we put on ourselves why the cook doesn't let anybody else help?
But actually, if our family love what we're doing, why do we need to change it? If you're adept at cooking roast dinners throughout the year, why are you panicking about the Christmas roast dinner?
Have a quick think about these questions, and see if any apply to your household.
This is a sensitive topic for many families, and by addressing this early, it allows you to come up with some ideas and solutions about how to combat family tensions this Christmas.
If you feel any of the prompts below are issues that cause anxiety and stress at Christmas, make a note of them, and you'll find that identifying them will help you find a solution. If you can't work any ways around a particular issue that bothers your family dynamics, take a trip to Google. There's sure to be articles written that could give you ideas about how to handle your particular situation.
These above prompts will hopefully really help you to review last Christmas. And hopefully, will act as a catalyst for you to really dig deep into what you would like to focus on, and do differently (if anything). Creating your perfect Christmas to celebrate with your family, and not what the big retailers want you to think your perfect Christmas should be.
If you feel there's something that has been missed from this article, drop me a comment down below, and I'll get the blog updated.
So, if you have 4 adults in your household, the cost of Christmas is at least £4,552.
And the above doesn't take into account all of the spending undertaken for Christmas, outside of those dates.
...such as advent calendars, Christmas jumpers, presents (if you buy them early), food shopping, and so on. Or post Christmas food shopping, Boxing Day sales, and just generally treating yourself because you're worth it.
WOW.
This article, which is part of the Get Organised for Christmas series, is going to get you to look at your true cost of Christmas. Because for-warned is for-armed. It helps you to see where the giant retailers are playing on your fears as you get closer to Christmas. Encouraging you to spend more, and more, for that extra special Christmas. And the reality is, your Christmas is just as special without the extra spending, because by working through your mini planner, you already know what is important to you and to your family.
Apart from the gifts, which most of us probably track anyway, below are an extra 50+ Christmas spends (in no particular order) that you need to be adding to your budget to work out your full cost of Christmas. See how many of these apply to you.
Cor blimey!
Even if each of these individual Christmas extras cost just £5 each, that's still £250 extra that we've not budgeted for. And if you can get a haircut for just £5 these days, make sure you tell us who your hairdresser is down below in the comments!
All of these extra costs at Christmas, no wonder we're frazzled by the end of January paying for all this stuff!
When I first worked out my cost of Christmas, I was staggered at how much was spent. And so I started looking at what was important to me and my family, which you've already done if you've worked through the mini planner. Now, the cost of Christmas has halved, and yet our Christmas experience has not. I think that it's got better. But by all means, if each one of these categories is important to you, feel under no pressure at all to try skimping on them. This is, after all, helping you to plan for you and your family's perfect Christmas.
To move yourself forward, factor in any of these additional costs that apply to your family into your budgeting sheet, and jot a figure down next to them. Then, keep a clear record of what you're spending throughout the season. I do write down each individual amount and categorise it in a large spreadsheet. And then during September - December, I tot it all up, and make sure I'm on track, and update the figures if I'm not. Some years I need to add a new category in that I've not used before, and most years, another category is missed out. But most importantly of all, you're in control now of your cost of Christmas. Keep your record somewhere safe, and you now have accurate figures to start off next years' planning with.
If there's any costs of Christmas that you make a note of and that you've noticed is missing from my list above, drop me a note in the comments and I will update the article.
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For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Pamela. The face of Worsley Creative Services. I’m an Online Visibility Specialist and I help budding entrepreneurs to grow their businesses online. I’m passionate about helping entrepreneurs to grow their small business and as part of this, I work with a range of businesses who provide bespoke and unique gifts. In this article I bring together my knowledge on all things gifting and small business, to talk to you about the fine art of gifting, how you can do it efficiently and support small businesses at the same time.
Buying the perfect gift is no easy feat. We all have friends and loved ones who can be particularly difficult to buy for and some of us can find gifting quite stressful. I’m going to make it easier for you and explain the simplest ways to tackle buying presents on a gift list.
If you’re lucky you’ll be buying your presents from a gift list and you’ll have a fairly good idea what to buy, or you might even know exactly what the person wants. This is great and it saves you the hassle of searching for hours looking for something you think they will like. But since you know what to buy in advance there is no excuse not to put in a little extra effort to support small businesses with your gift buying. Your effort won’t be in vain because with smaller businesses you often get a more intimate and personalised customer experience than with giant corporations.
You can also shop with a clear conscience if you buy from small businesses with a sustainability focus and one really easy way to be more sustainable when buying gifts is to avoid plastic bags!
Instead, go for something like these Elephant tote bags.
Don’t feel like you’re being boring for sticking to their list. If it’s on there, it is obviously something they want. Sometimes it is better to play it safe. This doesn’t mean it can’t be special or unique to them. If the person you are buying a gift for has a hobby or interests that you are aware of, try and look for a gift to do with that. For example, you might treat a little one with a passion for baking to a personalised baking set. If your gift is personal but also something related to the person’s hobby, then you’re ticking all the boxes for a great gift that is sure to be appreciated.
But don’t get stressed out if this isn’t an option, even an ordinary household item that your loved one will use everyday can be a great gift. For example, if your gift is for a little girl and you know they have been asking for a new hairbrush, you could get them a lovely personalised children’s hair brush! For a personalised everyday object to gift to an adult, try these 100% Vegan Personalised Weekender Garment Bags. Alternatively, you could go all out and get your loved one something really personal and heartfelt like an Illustrated Family Portrait featuring their nearest and dearest. This way you’ll put a smile on their face every time they look at your gift.
There are some other great ideas on how to use handwriting in your gift giving here, which would tie in really nicely with the idea of personalising presents from a gift list, or for using everyday household items as present ideas.
Sometimes when you get to know what someone likes it can be easy to just buy them the same gift or something similar each year. But it can be nice to mix it up and surprise someone with something a bit different. Something that they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves. One thing that never fails is giving an edible gift, everyone loves a tasty treat! If you think you’re loved one would appreciate a food themed gift and you’d like to source it from a local business, try these Raw Roasted Almond Cacao Bars for something delicious and sustainable!
Another great way to give someone a nice surprise is with any kind of luxury gift. Something indulgent or even just a high-end luxurious version of an everyday product like candles or bathing products.
Speaking of which, if you know someone who would love some luxury bathing products, gifting them one of Awesome Botanical’s handcrafted botanical bath soaks provides the perfect excuse for them to relax and pamper. They deserve it! Alternatively, if you know you’re loved one likes a bathbomb, they’ll love this indulgent Lavender & Bergamot Relaxation Bath Bomb. If your loved one doesn’t need anything bath related, indulgent skin care products are always appreciated. This Berry & Bloom Face Oil is delightful and sustainable, perfect for anyone who likes to take care of their skin and the environment at the same time. If you've decided to go for the luxury bathing products route then why not give them the complete home pamper experience. This leopard print letter box spa pamper set is the perfect companion to any luxury bathing product.
If you really have no idea what gift to buy someone and you don’t have a list to guide you, just go for something that is nice to look at! Anything that is beautiful, of a high quality and that will last a long time is sure to be appreciated. The most obvious option here would be jewellery. Jewellery is an especially good gift for women, however make sure that you have a good understanding of that person’s taste in jewellery before you buy anything as people can have quite particular tastes. If your loved one is into beads and bright colours, these Multi-Layered Beaded Necklaces from Jewelled Buddha are bound to bring a smile to their face. If your loved one already has a few nice necklaces then try this gorgeous Ocean Sea Glass Silver Ring. A beautiful gift should also be beautifully wrapped, this eco friendly Floral Fusion gift wrap is perfect for wrapping any girly gifts.
I hope I’ve been able to ease the burden of gift buying for you with this blog post full of gift buying tips. I also hope that I’ve been able to shine a light on the importance of shopping locally wherever possible when buying presents from a gift list. When you buy gifts locally, not only are they less likely to already be owned by your recipient, but they are also likely to be made of more sustainable materials and with more sustainable methods. Plus, when you buy from a small business, you are helping the small business owner to put food on their table, rather than helping a multi-million or billion pound corporation.
So when it comes to buying presents on a gift list, support your local communities instead of huge corporations, support traditional and local cultural practices and remember that you are always a more valued customer to a local/small business!
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Pamela. The face of Worsley Creative Services. I’m an Online Visibility Specialist and I help budding entrepreneurs to grow their businesses online. I’m passionate about helping entrepreneurs to grow their small business, so if you’re an entrepreneur and you would like to grow your business online I’d be delighted to help! Whether you would like to learn how you can boost your online visibility or are looking for more hands on support with SEO management, I can help your online business to get the attention it deserves.
We all know by now the effect that our Christmas gift wrap has on our planet. From the millions of rolls of unrecyclable gift wrap sold in cellophane to the glitter and coatings on our cards and paper.
None of this does planet earth any good!
The good news is that there are some wonderfully creative ways to wow with your gift wrap, while being kinder to the planet.
Below I've highlighted just five different ideas for eco-friendly gift wrapping, and hopefully, this will inspire you to be creative this Christmas.
These days you will find rolls of kraft paper in most shops, it is often cheaper than more traditional wrapping paper and while on its own it may look a little dull, it is very easy to beautify some simple kraft paper. What's more, you can use brown paper tape instead of sellotape (just check you get a recyclable one).
Choose some ribbon (we love jute) to tie around your gift, add a gift tag and get creative with your calligraphy. This on its own will look simplistic and natural, though if more is more for you, add some festive foliage to the ribbon. Great eco-friendly gift wrap accessories include cinnamon sticks, dehydrated orange slices or some mistletoe making very pretty additions.
There are some wonderful reusable gift wraps available now. If you buy gifts for the same people every year, each person could have their own design of gift wrap to return to you to reuse, or to regift to someone else. Just make sure that they will reuse or regift too!
Our favourite? Wrag Wrap. I have been using their wrap for years and it still looks like new. My children recognise their gifts under the tree by their eco-friendly gift wrap.
If you have a little more time, I couldn’t write about ideas for eco-friendly gift wrapping without mentioning Furoshiki, the art of Japanese gift wrapping where a square piece of cloth or fabric is used for gift wrapping in an elegant and decorative design.
There are some lovely Furoshiki tutorials on YouTube. You can use scraps of fabric that you have around the house, alternatively, PriPri have some beautiful Furoshiki options made out of upcycled Saris.
There are some beautiful gift tags available now from many makers in the UK. I love these clay tags by Moon and Mountains Clay Designs, which work wonderfully for both a scandi Christmas decoration for the tree, as well as a way for your loved ones to identify their gifts under the tree.
Let them release their creativity, this would work really well on kraft paper. Invest in some Christmas stamps which can be used year after year or try your hand at leaf printing, this can have a lovely effect and you’ll be safe in the knowledge that this eco-friendly gift wrapping idea is completely unique. Choose green and red colours to print onto the paper to keep with the festive spirit
I hope you find some inspiration in this post for simple, yet beautiful ways to up-level your gift wrap sustainably, and helping your presents be the ones that are just too beautiful to open!
Zoe Roberts runs Out of the Box Gifts, an eco-friendly gift box shop with a focus on wellbeing, and all of the gift wrap that she uses is either compostable or recyclable. You can find her at www.outoftheboxgifts.co.uk on Instagram at Instagram.com/out.of.the.box.gifts or on Facebook at facebook.com/ootbgifts.
Eco friendly Gift Wrapping Idea #2 - reusable gift wrap
Eco Friendly Gift Wrapping Idea # 3 - upcycled sari furoshiki sqaures
So many to choose from!
How do you start trying to even decide which fairy lights to buy when there's rows upon rows of them in almost every shop you go into?
The fairy lights that we stock, and also the price difference between our Christmas lights and those available elsewhere.
When you're not quite sure of what you're looking at -
- it's so easy to go by price alone.
But then you're left disappointed when those cheaper fairy lights haven't made it to the New Year :-(
So let's start by looking at the different types of fairy lights that we stock.
We currently stock six different styles of fairy lights: string; glow worm; firefly; icicle; branch and battery operated. Let's take a look at each of them in more detail below.
The most traditional of the sets of Christmas lights that we stock in the shop. These are a long string of fairy lights with quite big spaces between the bulbs - a bulb is placed every 10cm - this makes the bigger sets very long indeed!
These all have a green cable colour, and are for indoors and outdoors use.
There's a timer function on all of these sets that go for 8 hours on, and then off for 16 hours. These fairy lights also have multi action lights, up to 8 modes, so you can set them to dance depending on your mood!
There's 3 different colours to choose from: warm white; multi colour; and cold white. Each colour has five different sizes available, and the product listings will tell you how long each of those sets is.
The most popular Christmas lights sets that get stocked in the shop.
Not quite as long as the LED string Christmas lights talked about above. These fairy lights have a much closer spacing in between the bulbs - a bulb is placed every 2.6cm, which makes these sets much shorter. To show what a different this makes, a 600 set of LED string Christmas lights has a length of 59.9 metres, whereas these 600 firefly Christmas lights have a length of just 15.5 metres.
These fairy lights all have a green cable colour, and are for indoors and outdoors use.
There isn't a timer function on any of these sets. These are permanently on twinkle mode, created by every other bulb flashing on and off extremely quickly.
There are colours available in the firefly Christmas lights collection. Each colour has three different sizes available, and when reading the product listings, the details for each specific length of fairy lights is listed.
Brand new for 2021 are these newest sets of Christmas lights to be stocked in the Christmas barn this year! Completely different from everything else that we stock, both in look and colours. The bulb itself is shaped just like a glow worms' tail, much more rounded than the conventional fairy light bulbs.
Similar to the firefly Christmas lights, these are a short string of fairy lights with quite small spaces between the bulbs. Whereas the bulbs were 2.6cm apart on the firefly Christmas lights, these are even closer - a bulb is placed every 2.5 cm. This makes a difference to the length too. A 520 set of glow worm lights measures just 12.9 metres.
These fairy lights have a green cable colour, and are suitable for indoors and outdoors use.
There's a timer function on all of these sets that go for 8 hours on, and then off for 16 hours. These fairy lights also have multi action lights, up to 8 modes, so you can set them to dance depending on your mood!
There's two different colours to choose from: pastel and holly jolly. Each colour has three different sizes available, and the product listings will tell you how long each of those sets is.
The most unusual set of fairy lights that we stock in the shop. Instead of being one long string, these are several strands (8 usually) coming down from a central electrical point. This gives a waterfall style look, or can be used to decorate the lights down the tree, instead of round. We use these fairy lights a lot in our Christmas lanterns.
These are a dewdrop style of light, which means that the micro bulb is laid into the string, rather than sticking out like on conventional sets. There are 15 micro bulbs on each string of lights. The bulbs are spaced 10cm apart.
These have a silver cable colour, and are suitable only for indoors use. These aren't suitable for outdoors.
These LED branch lights also don't have a timer function like the bigger sets of fairy lights. They do however have a static mode (the lights stay on all the time), a flashing mode (every fourth bulb flashes), and off.
There's just the one colour of these, warm white, and they are only available in the one size.
The most evocative of the White Christmas that we all dream of! The LED icicle Christmas lights - making your house look like it belongs in Norway!
These are a string of fairy lights with strand coming down every few centimetres at a 90 degree angle. These 'bits' of fairy light that dangle down are what forms the icicle element of these lights. The lengths of these icicles will vary every two or three strands to give the effect of dripping. The bulb spacing on each of these strands is 8cm.
These all have a white cable colour, and are suitable for indoors and outdoors use.
There's a timer function on all of these sets that go for 8 hours on, and then off for 16 hours. These fairy lights also have three different snowing speeds!
There's two different colours to choose from: warm white and cold white. Each colour has three different sizes available, and the product listings will tell you how long each of those sets is.
The most useful of the sets of Christmas lights that we stock in the Christmas Barn.
These can vary quite widely in design, pattern, length, number of bulbs etc, so the best thing for these lights is to look up each product listing individually for the technical details.
The one thing that they do all have in common though is that none of them require electricity to work - they all run off battery power. Most of these fairy lights run on AA batteries, the most commonly available sort, but some will require AAA batteries. Again, each of the product listings will give you details. These run from 6 bulbs right up to 50 bulbs.
These are great for using intertwined with garlands, wreaths, on fireplaces, or on the staircase bannisters.
I love battery lights as you can put them anywhere, regardless of the need for an electrical socket. The downside is that the light they emit can be slightly weaker than the electrical counterparts.
That's the breakdown with differences and similarities of the sets of fairy lights that we stock. There's a comparison table down below so you can see at a glance how the fairy light sets all stack up against each other.
String |
Glow Worm |
Firefly | Icicle | Branch | Battery | |
Indoor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Outdoor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Some |
Timer | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Some |
Multi Action | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Some |
Colour Cable | Green | Green | Green | White | Silver | Varies |
Lead cable Length | 10m | 10m | 5m | 10m | 8m | Varies |
Bulb Spacing | 10cm | 2.5cm | 2.6cm | 8cm | 10cm | Varies |
Life of Bulbs - no. of hours | 8,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 | Varies |
I had wanted to write in detail about why there's such price variations in Christmas fairy lights between the different shops, but I've already written loads more than I intended! So below, I'll just very quickly run through the eight main differences between cheap Christmas lights and those that cost more.
The reasons why prices vary so much between shops are affected by three factors.
The first few reasons are to do with the technicalities of the fairy light sets. Details like: bulb size; bulb brightness (also known as the wattage); lead cable length; thickness of wire; timer functions; and whether they're suitable for indoors or just outdoors use.
The second set of reasons is to do with the supplier: packaging choices; guarantees provided; quality of marketing; are they factory or third party wholesaler?
And the third set of reasons is around the seller. Me. How much of our costs do we have to recover? Costs such as business rates, staffing, display sets, packaging all play their parts too. You don't get the same Christmas lights experience in Asda as you get given here at the Copper & Holly Christmas Barn.
I will write a separate blog post around this, as it's a very interesting subject, just click on the link to view.
Many thanks for reading, and comment below, are you a warm white, cold white or a bright light kinda gal?!
]]>I don't think there has never been meat and fish in our freezer, especially as we try to buy our meat directly from the farmer, and this tends to come in half-animal size boxes. But stocking up on reduced price meat and fish from the supermarket really helps to reduce food waste, and if it goes straight into the freezer when returning home, will give you a really tasty meal later in the week/month. You'll often find as well that you get the more expensive lines in the reduced section, as the supermarkets don't tend to sell so many of them, which will give you a really luxurious meal one weekend.
Below are 10 items that might appear on your dining table that can be prepared way ahead of time, kept in the freezer until Christmas Eve, and then either finished off, heated back up or just served on the big day.
Soup is a great way of using up gluts of vegetables, either that's grown in the garden, or because you've bought too much, and what could be easier than heating up some soup straight from the freezer, and adding some croutons (which can be stored in an air tight container), and warmed rolls (which can also come out of the freezer). Whilst each soup is slightly different, those that are not cream based or great for freezing, so take your favourite recipe and make it during November, when there's plenty of time, and the shops still have plenty of the ingredients in before the mad panic of buying!
Pate is a faffy one to make, but works really well as a starter preceding a big dinner like we have at Christmas. Serve with toasted sourdough (which can also be frozen), and use fresh parsley to garnish. Most pate freezes, and can also be stored in an airtight container. Pick up the livers from a butcher, it'll be much easier than trying to find them in a supermarket.
Roast potatoes can be prepared and par-boiled in advance and stored in the freezer until ready. Great for when hob top space is in short demand when cooking a big dinner with so many components. Boil for 15-20 minutes, then fluff them in a colander, and store them in the freezer when cold. When you pull them out, they can go straight in from frozen into a hot oil pan in the oven but just give them an extra 10 minutes or so. Saves on all the peeling that a mountain of potatoes takes during the morning!
Making stuffing yourself beats anything that comes out of a packet, but it's a faff that really can 'get stuffed' on Christmas day! However, making it in advance and cooking, ready for re-heating, works a treat if you like crispy stuffing on the side. If you like to cook your bird with stuffing, freeze the breadcrumbs and mix in a bowl once thawed, and then you just need to chop an onion and some sage leaves to stuff your turkey.
If you have turkey, it's highly likely you have bread sauce, and this is also one of those things that taste so much better when you cook it. However, stirring a saucepan of this at the last minute when everything else needs to be dealt with, is not my idea of breezing through Christmas dinner cooking! Cook in advance (up to 6 weeks), bring out to defrost when needed, and serve cold (or warm if you prefer).
These can be fully prepped and cooked, or just got ready, and can be done way in advance. Cocktail sausages are definitely one of those things that get stripped from the supermarket close to Christmas, so save yourself the headache and get them from your butcher early. Wrap the bacon and store them in the freezer ready to cook, or you could even cook them and store them in the freezer just to be heated up. It's up to you. If you use a glaze on them at all, this would need to be done outside of the freezer to get all of those yummy juices.
This is a contentious item for the Christmas Dinner contenders, but for me, I feel a roast dinner isn't one unless there's a Yorkshire pudding on the plate. My husband disagrees. But cooking these, for some reason, scares me. And so, I choose to cook them in advance, Aunt Bessie-style, and pull however many out that I need at the time. The oven is already nice and hot ready for them to go in, just make sure you heat up the oil first!
Now, whether Christmas pudding needs to go in the freezer or not is questionable, but the fact of the matter is that it can, and I have myself had Christmas pudding in the freezer from one year to the next. This can be useful to know if you've got leftovers that you really can't bear to eat at Christmas - it does freeze very well, and can be pulled out in January on a night for a yummy treat after dinner. On a side note, handmade and fresh custard can also be frozen (and is usually much nicer than the packet mix or tinned).
Brandy butter is a great one for keeping in the freezer, as it can also be brought out and eaten with warmed mince pies straight from the freezer. It also is so easy to make, and you can put as much, or as little, brandy and sugar in as you like. In fact, flavoured butters are a great addition for the freezer, as they can jazz up a plain piece of meat, or vegetables very easily.
Whilst we don't really need these, there's something very luxurious about having a treat with your coffee after a special meal, and I just think there's nothing that says Christmas quite like a mince pie. Snack size ones can be quite faffy to make, and expensive to buy, so make them when you've got plenty of time, especially for the occasion (or any other diner parties you may throw during this season). Also make some standard size ones for snacking on when visitors come round for coffee. 20 minutes in the oven straight from the freezer, and they're ready.
There's also loads of other foods that can be stored in the freezer and pulled out for the meal, and I particularly find that recipe books created for the season (Mary Berry, Nigella or Delia Smith) and the Good Food website will have loads of suggestions about specific recipes that can go in the freezer in advance. Over time, by creating a list of your favourites and getting them completed early, will give you much less tress on the day, and will allow for a much calmer morning that you can actually enjoy.
This can be as big or as small as you fancy. Whilst the one pictured is for a married couple, you could do something very similar for a baby's birth, a person's favourite saying, or a list of travel places in the shape of a globe. Pop it in a photo frame, or get professionally framed for a present that is unique and thoughtful.
Tips: - Give yourself plenty of time, especially if you're not used to calligraphy, or your handwriting needs a bit of work!
- Use a rule to give yourself straight lines to work from
- Make sure you get a photo frame with glass in it. Anything else looks cheap.
- Do the design in pencil first, lightly sketched, then when happy transfer into pen.
Lettering on clothing. It's a classic right, everybody's at it. Sometimes it's not even words (LDN, NYC, STR anyone?). So if it's good enough for the big boys, it's good enough for us. Use nicknames, first names or a favourite saying, and with this you don't even need to worry about it being too tidy, as the lumps and bumps in our bodies will distort it anyway. Write your chosen words/phrase in the centre, to one side, around one arm, or even on the back. It's all good.
Tips: - Use fabric paint, or pens. Anything else will wash out or run.
- Just buy a plain coloured top, t-shirt or vest top from a basics range.
- Do patterns if you want, or just keep it very simple.
- Use tailor's chalk or pen to write out roughly where you want the calligraphy.
Although the picture here shows cushions, which might not be the easiest thing to calligraph due to the thickness of the material, there's loads of things you can use that live in the home. Glasses, plant pots, plates, mugs, photo frames, coasters, the list goes on and on. You do need to make sure that the handwriting materials you use are suitable for the surface they are going on to, otherwise all of your hard work will be wasted. Practice on a sample piece, before you go guns-blazing on to the piece that you want to give.
Tips: - research this one carefully. Make sure you're using the right materials for the job.
- this will need practice. Get a practice model of a similar consistency or material.
This is something I've been doing now for about 3 years in some shape or form. Brown wrapping paper, black sharpie pens, and stamps with black (or occasionally coloured ink) are standard in my wrapping arsenal, and I will mix handwritten words (or the name of the recipient in big letters) with motifs and images depending on the occasion. Now, this might not appeal to everybody because it does look very home-made and rustic (especially if the daughter has been helping), but there's loads of ways you can really smarten this idea up. Plain white paper with gold or silver lettering, textured paper with a tom-bow style lettering pen, or even handmade paper, with which you could easily write on with biro, or felt tip pen. This works better with smaller gifts like jewellery boxes, otherwise you could find yourself writing phrases forever.
Tips: - make sure the wrapping paper isn't too big for the present. You don't want to waste a lot of your effort because the paper is too big.
- if using gel pens, allow them to dry before wrapping the gift
- start from the top of the page down so your writing doesn't get smudged
- do this after wrapping. Write the name of the recipient in big bubble style writing, then fill in the rest of the front of the present with one greeting repeated over and over. Just do the one side.
I confess, I've used this one on more occasions than I care to think about (mostly because I've forgotten to buy a card in advance). Sometimes it's a simple greeting written in my best handwriting on the front, sometimes it's one greeting written over and over in the front, with just one line of it written out in a different colour. This is a great one to use for thank you cards, valentine's, easter or birthdays for those in-between years [just like my 41 years old coming up soon if you want the practice ;-)]
Tips: - use textured or heavy weight card for a luxurious feel
- if using a heavy pen (like a Sharpie) make sure it doesn't bleed through to the inside of the card)
- draw yourself lines as a guide, and they don't have to go on the horizontal
- if you're covering the front with the same greeting, start off with the different coloured greeting first, and build the others up around that one
- if you're good at art, maybe monogram, so take the initial letter and decorate that.
The above are just the tip of the iceberg, and whilst I've focused on writing your designs, you could always sew, embroider or print. Just don't forget that, as with all things, the more you practice the better your designs will become. Of course, if you've tried and everything has just gone wrong, you can always buy these type of products from artists and makers themselves. Try craft markets, facebook communities, and galleries to find the maker that's the best fit for your design.
I hope this has given you some inspiration, either to learn or improve a skill, or just a new set of ideas for difficult-to-buy-for people. And all of these can be used for Christmas presents, with a little thought and fore-planning. Happy calligraphing!