Posted on November 11, 2022
Image credit: Hillside Farm Flowers
Christmas is just around the corner and it can feel like there’s always a lot to do all at once. Making your home cosy and perfect for the upcoming festive celebrations shouldn’t be stressful but joyous and we’re sharing some tips, ideas and our favourite Cotswolds suppliers who can help you add a personal stamp to your festive decor.
Perfect your festive tablescape
A big part of Christmas is the food! From a roast dinner to party food, setting up the perfect tablescape for the festive season is a really fun way to get your home ready for Christmas. We recommend finding a few pieces that you’ll want to use all year-round but work perfectly for a festive table setting too. That way you don’t feel like you’re splurging on creating an aesthetically pleasing table that you can only appreciate for the next month or so.
SoSouk have the most gorgeous dining collection right now, full of blocked-printed tablecloths in pretty floral or trellis prints. With plenty of sage green and frosty hues on offer and accents of pink across a few, the colours are beautiful for winter! If you’re looking for some very festive specific items, the festive candles, bud vases and table mats are simple, classy and unique.
It make your table most festive without spending on new tablecloths, mats or dining ware, use natural elements like dried flower bunches which will last, poinsettia plants or even foraged cones and small branches of fir to display in pretty vases.
If you’re hosting a party but the idea of cooking and catering isn’t up your street then check out The Cotswolds Platter Company for food that tastes good, will look good in your beautiful tablescape and take out some of the stress of hosting so you can relax and just focus on having fun!
For Christmas they have amazing foodie wreathes but you can also order any of their standard platters or boxes if you’re looking for more food options to serve up.
Warm up your home with beautifully scented candles
Winter is candle season, and Christmas is the perfect time to pick up all the woodsy, spicy scents!
Find pretty candlesticks at SoSouk and Domestic Science for decoration but for scented candles, definitely check out Cotswold Candle Company. We love those woody, aromatic and citrus aromas, and inspired by the Cotswold countryside, their hand crafted wood wick candles bring nature indoors. For Christmas, check out the fragrances Christmas tree, cinnamon, orange and clove or frankincense and myrrh.
Bring in some natural elements
Christmas is synonymous with fir trees, snowy landscapes and cosy fires. While in The Cotswolds, some of that’s easy to come by, bringing a little into your home can help bring home that sense of peace and warmth you get from nature. Forage for wintery elements such as pine cones or fallen fir branches to create pretty garlands, or go to your local garden centre or market for bunches of holly and mistletoe to hang. But one of the classic ways to add in these elements is with a Christmas wreath.
You could try making your own or attending a class with Hillside Farm Flowers. The DIY Christmas wreath kit comes full of seasonal foliage, festive fruits and fragrant flowers to get creative with, plus instructions on how to make the wreath! If you’re based in or near The Cotswolds, wreath-making classes paired with fizz and mince pies are available all throughout the rest of November and December. Making your own decorations is such a therapeutic and creative way to add a personal touch to your home decor.
If you'd like a wreath that will last for more than one season, then check out Bramble & Velvet. Inspired by nature, these luxury faux, dried and seasonal wreaths are handmade by Belinda in her Cotswolds’ home and beautifully finished with her signature velvet bows.
Decorate with pieces you only love
When decorating for Christmas, each year it can often feel like you’re buying new decorations to replace older ones, or replacing a particular theme you focussed on in previous years. While the festive season only comes for a small window of the year, it’s worth curating decorations you really love so that each year, the reunion with your festive decor is really joyous.
To help with that, we love finding pieces which feel unique and love supporting our local interiors small businesses. Domestic Science have a gorgeous collection of ornaments and garlands in their collection this year, from vintage-style baubles to more minimal, natural options.
Of course, we cannot mention supporting local businesses this season without including The Christmas shop in Lechlade. The home of Christmas in The Cotswolds, find traditional handcrafted wooden ornaments, personalised baubles and decor to match your particular style, whether that’s nordic, traditional, opulent or frosty winter-inspired.
For the minimalists out there, Garden Trading is the place to go for chic, pretty and quality decor. Plus, their outdoor Christmas lights are excellent quality and will last for years to come.
And, if all this decorating for Christmas gets too much and you need to take a couple of hours out, we’d recommend heading to The Nook in Cheltenham, the very first roof top restaurant which has just opened this week. Make sure to take time out and really treat yourself this festive season.