Christmas guide: decorations, wrapping and giving back

The festive feeling only really kicks in once your home looks the part. If your Christmas decorations and tree aren’t up yet, this guide will make your DIY Christmas easier.

Home decorating trends come and go, and while this rule still applies for Christmas decorations, it doesn’t mean that you have to stick to the outdated, but classic green, red and silver.

The decorating trend for this Christmas is mint green and classic pinks, according to Cleanipedia.

Your easy Christmas guide

Fake or a real Christmas tree?

In South Africa, this isn’t much of an option because a real tree can be really hard to find.

But if you do find one, the upkeep can be challenging. An easy tip to keep your real Christmas tree for a few weeks is to not place your tree in direct sunlight or near radiators.

These factors can cause a tree to dry out prematurely. A normal, room-temperature environment will give it the best chances of surviving throughout the holiday season.

ALSO READ: Festive gift ideas for him – Christmas gifts for the men in your life

If you are looking for an eco-friendly option, a potted tree is a good choice. They may not be as grand and large in size but with proper care, they can be replanted to be re-used year after year.

They are sold online, at Marko, for R769.

Artificial Christmas trees can still be a smart option. As they contain their own lights, you can reduce the number of decorations and lights you need to buy and avoid the dreaded fairy lights untangling each year.

Get your guests to pitch in when it comes to food

If you are hosting Christmas lunch or other gatherings at your home over the festive season, avoid taking all the responsibilities.

Christmas food is some people’s most favourite meal of the year and it is all about sharing – even the cooking responsibilites.

Ask your guests to prepre one or two of their favourite dishes to bring along to the function. This can help lesses the workload for you.

Eco-friendly wrapping for your presents

Unfortunately bright and shiny wrapping paper may look pretty but most of them are not recyclable.

Get creative with these DIY wrappings. Experiment using old maps, pages from catalogues, magazines and newspapers, or even parchment paper to wrap your gifts. For awkwardly shaped presents, you could use an old shoebox and decorate it yourself.

If you want to get even craftier, you could also try to make your own gift bags from craft materials and print photos to create Christmas cards or personalised tags.

Give back

The Christmas holidays aren’t just about family time and eating, it also gives people the opportunity to give back to others who don’t have access to this.

When making your meal plan for Christmas, include dishes that can be donated to homeless shelters or extra food you can give to food banks. Also give away unwanted clothes, books and toys to charity.

Santa Shoebox Project collects and distributes personalised gifts to unprivileged children throughout the country.

Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele