Grandma's Essential Guide To A Magical Holiday Season

Heartfelt festive homemaking ideas from Grandma

There's nothing like spending Christmas at Grandma's house. The cozy atmosphere, delicious home-cooked food and familiar security of knowing that Christmas is covered.

However, that warm festive feeling doesn't come around by accident, it's been handed down through generations of people who've worked hard to sprinkle seasonal magic effortlessly over the holidays.

So, without further ado click or scroll through to check out Grandma's Christmas tricks that we're handing down to you...

Have a pre-Christmas clean

Grandma knows a clean house is a happy house, especially at Christmastime, so give your home a good clean before the festive season. Appliances get more use at this time of year, so don't forget to give those a deep clean too.

Grandma knows a thing or two about saving the pennies, so rather than buying lots of expensive cleaning products look to natural remedies like white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to freshen up your home.

Organize your decorations

Before you get dazzled by the sparkling new Christmas decorations in the shops, make sure you carry out an audit of last year's ornaments. It's easy to forget what you have stashed away in the loft, but if you have a look before you hit the shops you won't waste money buying repeats of items you already own and don't really need.  

If you have multiples of any decorations why not gift them to friends and family or offer on free sites?

Gift to charity

Why save the big clean for spring? Before Christmas is the perfect time to have a tidy up and declutter, before you welcome guests and all those new presents into your home.

If the kids have outgrown clothes or no longer play with certain toys and games donate them to a local charity shop so others can enjoy them. Grandma will be proud!

Have a Christmas craft box ready

A well-equipped Christmas craft box can save any last-minute Christmas glitches.

Stock it with luggage labels, bakers' twine, snow spray, old Christmas cards, florist wire, Christmas motif stamps, buttons and ribbon and keep it stored with the Christmas decorations so it's not raided throughout the year. 

Make a reusable advent calendar

We've noticed a trend recently with endearing homemade advent calendars like Grandma would have had and we can't get enough of them.

Not only are they more sustainable but they allow you to be more creative too. This one comes ready-made and would be easy to recreate with small fabric pouches. 

Be as organized as Martha Stewart

Glamorous Grandma, Martha Stewart's secrets to a beautiful home are handy to know all year round but the queen of homemaking's crown shines brightest at Christmas.

She says, 'In the four weeks leading up to Christmas and the weeks that follow, there is so much to do. Careful planning is what enables you to accomplish it all – and enjoy it, too". A practical Christmas planner with sticky notes and lists to fill out will ensure everything goes to the festive plan. 

Create a festive warm welcome

Grandma knows first impressions count. Create a festive first impression for when guests arrive by dressing your front door and hallway with Christmas decorations and props.

Decorate the banister with ribbon, LED lights, greenery and baubles. Style up a decorative sleigh with a few faux gifts (empty boxes wrapped to the max) and set a fragrant festive scene with scented candles flavored with spice. 

Make your own Christmas cards

Bring back the tradition of Christmas card writing and get creative by making your own. Choose to decorate them freehand or buy rubber stamps with festive messages for a quicker and rustic alternative.

Why not make some tags too? Luggage labels make simple yet stylish name tags for both gifts and dining place names. 

Craft personalized stockings

Christmas stockings are usually hung on Christmas Eve by children but are appreciated at any age when they come from Gran too.

So, grab your fabric stash and sewing machine or needles and yarn and start crafting an authentic stocking with festive embellishment to fill with small treats.  

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Crochet Christmas tree ornaments

Take yourself back to those days sitting on your nanny's knee as she patiently taught you simple crochet stitches.

They say crocheting is like riding a bike, once you get going again how to do those half double and moss stitches will come flooding back. Then, put your rekindled craft to use my knitting up delightful woolen ornaments to decorate the Christmas tree every year.

Embroider tableware

Attention to detail makes such a delightful difference. Don't spend a fortune on expensive Christmas napkins and tablecloths that might go out of fashion.

Instead, give plain linen a personal touch with a sprig of embroidered holly and the user's initial in the corner. Or, go a little further with a beautiful table runner that could become a family heirloom. 

Transform pillowcases

Back in the day, not everyone was fortunate enough to own a Christmas stocking and so pillowcases were hung out on Christmas Eve for Santa to fill instead.

On the plus side, a standard Oxford pillowcase is approximately 50cm (20 inches) x 75cm (30 inches) so much bigger than a stocking. With this in mind, why not add a vintage twist to the mantel this year with a pretty pillowcase-style sack to fill to the brim?

Learn napkin art

How's this for impressive? Add a little napkin art to your Christmas table to make diners smile.

Upcycle last year's Christmas cards

Here's a frugal idea to make use of last year's Christmas cards.

Pack them away with the decorations and use them as this year's gift tags. Use decorative scissors and a hole punch to tie on colored ribbons or string. 

Customise a Christmas Eve box

Break up the anticipation of Christmas Day by creating and crafting a Christmas Eve box for little ones.

This might be a relatively new trend in the UK but children across Europe have been opening gifts on Christmas Eve for centuries. So, start the magic early!

Set up a Secret Santa group

Add a little fun to Christmas Day with an extra round of budget-friendly presents, which Grandma is sure to approve of. Set a small price cap, and pull names from a hat.

Then have fun finding or making unique offerings that suit your recipient. 

Go back to wrapping basics

Use basic brown paper and baker's twine to give your gifts a delightfully simple vintage vibe. This eco choice can be embellished and dressed with real foliage or festive sweets.

Or why not have fun with festive potato printing if you want to add a little color?

Always be prepared for extra guests

Grandma's motto is "always be prepared." So, have an extra couple of gifts wrapped under the tree should unexpected visitors arrive. Choose generic gifts that everyone would appreciate such as confectionary or scented bubble bath.

An extra box of mince pies and perhaps saving a little extra room at the Christmas table is sensible too. 

Make snow globes

Gran loves seeing nothing go to waste. And here's a great reason to save jam, Mason or Kilner jars to use them to make DIY snow globes. Hot glue a small decoration or figurine to the inside of the jar lid.

Tip a mix of glitter, decorative snow, glycerine and water into the jar, screw on the lid and turn the jar upside down. To finish, decorate with ribbon or festive twine.

DIY real wreaths

Forget shop-bought. Hang real wreaths full of color and scent, handmade by you. All you will need to create a classic wreath is a wired ring, floristry wire, secateurs, real conifer foliage to act as your base, faux foliage and wired lights.

Start by creating small bundles using your fresh conifer foliage and then attach these to your wired ring using additional wire. Keep repeating this process until you have an even base. Using wire to attach to your base, layer in your faux stems of eucalyptus until you are happy with the overall shape and definition of your wreath. Lastly, add wired lights to highlight all the gorgeous foliage.

Fill up terrariums

Bring the biophilic trend into your Christmas décor with a woodland terrarium display; these charming displays have actually been round since the 19th century.

You will need a glass terrarium or a glass vase, compost, sand, decorative stones, succulents and novelty items. Start with the compost and sand, then add in your succulents to create depth within your terrarium. A toy reindeer adds an extra color element.

Make paper chains

Here's another simple Christmas decorating idea that Gran will have grown up with. Paper chains are an easy craft project for any celebration and look especially pretty at Christmas when made with festive colors or last year's wrapping paper.

Cut out strips of paper the same size, loop one through the other and secure with glue. Keep the chain going for as long as you require. 

Craft paper stars

If you are looking for more of an origami challenge than paper chains why not make some paper star decorations to hang from frames, windows and the Christmas tree?

What material you choose is part of the fun: wrapping paper, pages from old books or complementary sets of colors will look striking. Look online for follow-along folding tutorials. 

Forage for pine cones

Remember foraging in the woods when you were young for autumn leaves and pine cones? Well, savvy grans used them to create money-saving Christmas decorations with a homely and rustic twist.

Sprinkled with glitter or painted festive colors, they make superb table place holders next to handmade crackers, wreath embellishments or woodland garlands. 

Stick with old traditions

Don't forget the familiar rituals that we repeat and adore each year. Popping mistletoe around doors and headboards, caroling by the fire, winter walks and cozying up in amongst the Christmas lights with hot chocolate are all simple pleasures that make the holidays special.

Be wise like Grandma and swap real mistletoe for faux if you have small children and pets as the berries are poisonous. 

Cut out snowflakes

Paper-cut snowflakes look simple yet festive displayed on windows. It's a fun project to do with the grandchildren too. Start with lightweight pieces of square paper. Fold in half and then half again.

Fold two sides into each other to create a cone. Cut off the excess at the widest end and snip one side to make the jagged edges. 

Thread popcorn garlands

Thread a train of popcorn with a needle through cotton, fishing or floral wire for a retro Christmas tree garland that costs pennies to make. 

Add a pop of color with dried or fresh cranberries. These also look great hung on trees outside and offer birds and wildlife a Christmas treat. 

Hang cookie decorations

Baking with Gran is a tradition that will never go stale so cook up decorations to hang on the Christmas tree. Bake and decorate familiar festive shapes.

Just be sure to make a hole in the dough big enough to thread ribbon and string through for hanging. Salt dough can make a colorful alternative too. 

Present a poinsettia centrepiece

Grandma knows the impact of a good centerpiece, and real festive flowers can be used to create a stunning one.

Poinsettias are a top choice that Granny is sure to be familiar with as the warm, red-petalled plants are traditional winter flowers that last. Arguably the plant's flowers are thought to be a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem. Keep them out of reach of pets as they are mildly toxic if ingested.

Display novelty cookware

Gran's Christmas table just wouldn't be the same without a Mr and Mrs Christmas salt and pepper shaker or Santa's sleigh-shaped gravy boat.

Start the tradition yourself, with familiar Christmas characters to make the family smile each year. 

Have a stack of games ready

Just like the larder, the games cupboard is always well-stocked at Grandma's house. Make sure you have plenty of games from traditional playing cards, family favorite board games to more up-to-date quizzes.

A good tip is to have something that appeals to all ages; a child would choose to pin the nose on Rudolf over Trivial Pursuit, whereas Granddad will probably prefer the latter. 

Get jam making

We know nans can never have enough jam jars. They are collected, sterilized and stored throughout the year and then re-used wisely to make jams, gifts and candle votives at Christmas.

Here's another reason to. Gran's homemade jams are the best! From strawberry to spiced apple, they are sure to delight on Christmas morning. Prefer pickles? From red cabbage, beetroot and gherkins, homemade pickles will go down a treat with cold turkey and Boxing Day bubble and squeak. 

Give jolly jars as gifts

Here's yet another use for all those jam and Mason jars. They are such a great way to package up homemade gifts with a personal touch. Fill the inside with treats and decorate the jars to match.

Thrifty and practical too – we can't get enough of them. Filling ideas can be as simple as sweets and candy to more lavish perfectly measured ingredients with a recipe card and festive cookie cutter attached. 

Stock up on food and drink

If you were to open your Grandma's kitchen cupboards we bet they would be full of long-lasting tins and packets packed neatly for 'an emergency.'

Take inspiration from her stocks by shopping for long-life food and drink early and stock up the pantry. Remember to make note of what you have gathered. 

Light some candles

Get your homemade Christmas décor glowing with Christmas candle displays to light up every room.

Whether it's a shelf display of votives, tall candlesticks at the dinner table or an arrangement of tealight lit lanterns in a window, Granny is sure to have a stash in the cupboard to spark the imagination. 

Infuse the house with scent

Grandma knew that oranges decorated with cloves will make the house smell amazing and inviting for the holidays.

Otherwise known as pomander balls, they can be hung with ribbons on Christmas trees or set as a colorful display in the hallway. ​

Decorate with real foliage

Bring the outside in by adding real foliage to your Christmas decorating scheme. On your next trip out to a wood or park pick up a fallen branch to hang decorations from or lay some fragrant fir branches on a windowsill.

Using nature to decorate your home at Christmas is an authentic tradition that has been tried and tested for generations. 

Dress to impress

Even when money was tight Grandma kept a clean and tidy home ready to welcome visitors and hosting was second nature.

Make sure your home is as inviting with a table scheme that does not have to cost the earth. Coordinated napkins, a well-ironed tablecloth and foraged décor will make sure your table is dressed to impress.

Always wear an apron

Although they may have gone out of fashion with the notion that a woman's place is in the kitchen, it's a simple fact that an apron is a practical garment for homemaking.

So, whether it's a pinny, tabard or even last year's Christmas T-shirt, keep your Christmas outfit spotless with a touch of festive protection. It can be whipped off at a moment's notice when guests arrive.   

Impress with a showstopper

Impress guests just like Grandma used to do with a special showstopper.

From a layered trifle to a lovingly handmade Christmas cake Grandma knew how to make the perfect centerpiece. Get planning early for a statement piece that'll wow guests.

Bake with novelty trays

Turn your tiny cakes Christmassy every year by using a reusable festive tray bake tin.

Choose a snowflake design and invite children to have fun decorating the tiny bakes with sparkly icing or sugar dusting. 

Buy in easy extras

While it’s easy to look back with rose-tinted glasses at family dinners and imagine that everything on the table was made from scratch, it’s an almost impossible scenario when catering for a large group.

Grandmas know that a jar of cranberry sauce can be spruced up with the addition of fresh cranberries and a squeeze of orange juice and that part-baked rolls are the work of minutes. Consider outsourcing dishes that are messy to make at home. Style up shop-bought deli items to make your cheese board shine. Or, if you like to have more than one dessert on offer, make your signature dish from scratch and buy the others from a really good bakery or store. 

Use baking parchment to save on washing up

No one likes scrubbing a well-used baking tray so slash the cleaning time by lining trays with compostable baking parchment.

You’ll be thankful when the honey-glazed carrots start to caramelize!

Pre-cook the turkey

Ever wondered how Gran managed to get Christmas dinner on the table all at the same time without stress? The possibilities are she is either a culinary goddess or there is a chance she may have cooked the turkey on Christmas Eve. Yes, it is possible.

The method is to roast until the interior temperature is 170°F in the thigh and rest it for 30 mins. Separate the juices and drippings. Carve. Refrigerate in the drippings or broth. Then, reheat the next day for 45-50 minutes. Simple!

Make everything easy to clean

From wipeable placemats to machine-washable napkins and tablecloths, make life easy for yourself by choosing practical items you don’t need to worry about using.

If there are going to be pets and young children, consider protecting any finely upholstered furniture with slipcovers or throws so everyone can relax and enjoy themselves without worrying about stains and sticky finger marks.

Keep food warm

Grandmas know that the secret to keeping the dinner running smoothly on the big day is by getting the prep done beforehand, and – if your grandmother was anything like ours – that includes cooking certain elements way ahead of time and keeping them warm.

From multiple pot slow cookers to buffet trays and insulated serving dishes, Grandma knew the value of a dish that lets you cook in stages. 

Delight grandchildren with treats

Gingerbread houses date back to tales from Brothers Grimm when Hansel and Gretel stumbled upon the witch's house made from candy. Nowadays they make a fun Christmas countdown activity to do with children.

If kept safe from nibblers it will make an impressive addition to the dessert table on Christmas Day, too.

Make clearing up easy

Clearing the Christmas table, with its side plates, multiple wine and water glasses and heaps of sharing dishes – not forgetting the detritus from the crackers – can make resetting for each course a bit of a lengthy process.

Take a tip from restaurants and use a large tray or, even better, one of these bus caddies. It’s a very quick way to get all the unwanted plates in one trip so you can move on to the next delicious stage of your festive meal.

Reuse turkey bones

Having probably lived through hard times at some stage, grandparents have learned how to make do and mend and to stretch food a lot further than you and I.

So, use your turkey's giblets to make delicious gravy and save the bones of the turkey to boil up a delicious post-Christmas detox broth. 

Bake Boxing Day bubble and squeak

Boxing Day bubble and squeak is a delicious medley of leftover Christmas vegetables that's super heartwarming to enjoy on Boxing Day. Grandma's favorite root vegetable dish is so easy to make and can be embellished with cheese or even a fried egg.

Mash together Brussels sprouts, potatoes, carrots and any other vegetable leftover. Fry up on the hob with bacon and bake in the oven. Delicious!

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