Innholdsfortegnelse for Your Home Christmas Made Easy i Your Home Christmas Made Easy

After a difficult year, we’re determined to help you make this your best Christmas ever. So we’ve crammed this issue of Christmas Made Easy with everything you need to make your festive celebrations really special. We’ve got craft projects galore to help you give your gifts, cards and decorations a unique homemade touch. You’ll also find this year’s must-have decorating trends along with lots of easy styling ideas to make your home look stunning. We’ve also got plenty of practical advice to help you steer smoothly through the season, from our expert guide to buying a Christmas tree, to our top tips to help you cut the cost of your Christmas dinner, presents and parties. And of course, you’ll find plenty of delicious recipe ideas, from our ultimate festive feast,…

What attracted you to the art of brush lettering? I was actually working as a greetings card designer back in 2014 when brush lettering started to become popular (mainly in the States at that time), so my boss asked if I could try and learn how to do it. After watching lots of YouTube videos and experimenting I found I really enjoyed the process of brush lettering and realised just how calming it can be. What essential tools do you need to buy to begin brush lettering? The most important thing is your pen and paper. That’s why it is such a great craft because there aren’t loads of essential tools to get out and pack away each time. Once you get started though, buying pens becomes addictive, I have…

We’ve used seasonal foliage to decorate our homes at this time of year since Pagan times and there’s nothing lovelier in the barren midwinter than an abundance of glossy greenery throughout the house. Whether you’re a fan of opulent swags and garlands, or prefer a few simple sprigs displayed in vintage glass bottles, read on for our handy tips, tricks and decorating ideas for using the best that Mother Nature has to offer this December… GO INTO THE GARDEN You may be lucky enough to have holly or ivy growing in your back garden or in the nearby countryside. Head outside in the late afternoon, before the light goes, so the plants have had all day to absorb natural nutrients. Cut the stems as long as you can as you’ll…

Oh, Christmas tree These easy-sew trees can be decorated with goodies from your haberdashery stash YOU WILL NEED Paper Pencil Scissors Pins Green felt Wadding or stuffing to fill Needle and thread Ribbon to hang, 12-15cm for each tree Small haberdashery items to decorate 1 Begin by making a Christmas tree template on a sheet of paper (the tree we made is approximately 10cm high). Cut it out with scissors. 2 Pin the template onto two layers of green felt and cut around the outside. Unpin and remove the paper template. 3 Lay the two tree shapes down in front of you. Place a small amount of wadding or stuffing at the centre of one of the tree shapes and then put the second tree shape down on top so…

you will need Thin card or watercolour paper Patterned or wrapping paper Tracing paper and pencil Thin card for template Small craft scissors Glue stick Black fine liner pen Black and white baker’s twine Pink embroidery thread Sticky tape or washi tape Hole punch Template Adorn your tree with these gorgeous little birds this Christmas! We’ve shown you how to make the partridge (the most complicated of the three), but you can find templates for all three birds – partridge, dove and robin – and their wings and tails on page 135. We’ve made our birds look modern by going monochrome with a hint of colour. But you could use multi-coloured, gold, or silver papers, or opt for more realistic colours for your own birds. 1 Trace the partridge body…

WISH UPON A STAR Decorate your home with a row of rustic standing stars. First, make each base by cutting a 4-5cm-diameter dry branch into 5cm tall slices. Sand away any rough edges and make smooth with glass paper. Next, gather several straight dry sticks for the stands. Cut them to 20-30cm lengths. Drill a hole centrally in each base to fit a stick (the size of the drill holes will depend on the diameter of your sticks). Drop a small amount of glue into the hole and stand the stick upright. Leave it to dry. To decorate the top of each star, first draw or print out a star-shaped template, you can make the stars different sizes. We made our stars from bark, twigs and hessian using the star…

HOORAY FOR Hollywood Glitz and glamour are the inspirations behind this show-stopping, Hollywood-style table décor HOLLYWOOD BACKDROP For the perfect finishing touch, create a shimmering background to dress up a wall or use as a garland. Cut 100 circles from different coloured metallic card – you can do this by hand or use a circular punch. Use a sticky glue dot to stick the middle of one circle onto a length of gold twine or string, then top it with a second circle, lining up the two shapes’ edges, to form a double-sided circle. Continue adding circles at equally spaced out intervals along the twine. To make a wall hanging, trim the twine to equal lengths and suspend them from a piece of string. You can make the decoration as…

Mince pies with shortbread pastry PREP AND COOKING TIME 1 HOUR + CHILLING MAKES 12 Ingredients 500g jar mincemeat1 eating apple, cored, peeled and chopped3 tbsp stem ginger from a jar, 1 chopped orange, zested2 tbsp ginger wine (optional)1 egg, beatenIcing sugar to dust For the pastry: 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting100g golden caster sugar220g unsalted butter, cubed1 egg Method ✶ Put all the ingredients for the pastry into a food processor and pulse until they come together in a clump. If the dough seems too dry, add a splash of milk. Tip the dough onto a floured worksurface or rolling mat – it’ll be very soft – and bring it together into a sausage shape. Cut off ⅓, wrap and chill. ✶ Divide the remaining pastry into…

Festive date & pecan pudding PREP TIME 30 MINS COOKING TIME 1 HR 25 MINS SERVES 8 This light-textured yet fruity pud is cooked in the oven rather than steamed for hours. Ingredients 250g block dried, stoned dates, chopped125g butter, at room temperature85g light muscovado sugar140g self-raising flour1 tsp bicarbonate of soda1 tsp ground mixed spice2 large eggs50g raisins50g chopped candied peel85g pecans, chopped2 pieces stem ginger, cut into thin shreds For the brandy syrup: 85g light muscovado sugar150ml brandy To serve: 25g toasted pecans, chopped1 holly sprigicing sugar, for dusting Method ⁕ Heat oven to 180°C/165°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Pour 300ml boiling water over the dates and set aside (pic A). Butter a 1.4-litre pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base. Put the butter,…

October Get crafting If you’re hoping to ‘wow’ friends and family with some homemade gifts and cards this year, now is the time to get stuck in, before things get too hectic. As always, we have plenty of inspiration – check out pages 80-85 for our home-made gift ideas and pages 18-21 for cards. We’ve also discovered this super-cute hamper kit, £9.99 from Ginger Ray, which includes a hamper, 60cm of gold glitter ribbon, shred for packing, a Christmas tree tag and two metres of acetate film. INTO THE WOODS Plenty of fresh air is vital for our well-being and this is just as important during the winter months. The whole family will enjoy a visit to the local woods, whatever the weather. Children in particular will love hunting for…

Share a SPECIAL STORY Treat your little ones to a new Christmas-themed book (and maybe some new pyjamas too) and read it together each night in the run-up to Christmas. Make a note of the year you gave it to your children inside the cover so you can keep it and look back on it in years to come once the kids have grown up. FORAGE IN THE FOREST Wrap up warm and head out to your local woodland or hedgerow and hunt for some festive foliage, such as holly, ivy, mistletoe and pinecones, which you can turn into homemade decorations. Just remember to only cut a few sprigs and leave plenty of berries for the birds. Have a garland competition Keep the kids amused on a cold winter’s afternoon…

If you’re expecting lots of guests to visit over the festive season, there’s no better excuse to go to town on decorating your front door and hallway. MAKE A GRAND ENTRANCE Start the festive fun before your guests have even crossed the threshold by decorating your front door. A wreath is a must to ring in the season. Real foliage always looks stunning, but if you’re worried about it keeping its good looks throughout the season, buy a faux one instead and add a few sprigs of fresh foliage or flowers to jazz it up. You can even add extra baubles, cinnamon sticks or ribbons to really make it your own. If you have room for potted trees outside your front door, maybe a lollipop olive or a conical bay,…

Christmas cabins Make a few of these cute chalets for an Alpine village effect YOU WILL NEED Card, thin enough to go through a photocopier or printer Scissors or craft knife and ruler Glue stick Snowflake sequins (optional) 10cm ribbon to hang 1 Begin by downloading and printing the Christmas Cabin Template from yourhomestyle.uk. You can make the finished cabin any size you wish by simply enlarging or reducing the pattern on a photocopier. Our finished house measured 10cm tall from the base to the top of the roof. Cut round the solid outer lines with scissors or use a craft knife and ruler. 2 Next cut out the windows and then lightly score the hashed fold lines. Fold the cabin, gluing the tabs together as you work. Start with…

Fantasy BRIGHTS From jewel-coloured baubles to striking fantasy and character pieces, anything goes with this vibrant look, which can be as classic or kitsch as you desire Style IT RIGHT ⋆ Don’t hold back with this look, as more is definitely more! ⋆ Have fun with the latest vibrant fantasy creatures and novelty pieces. ⋆ As long as the palette is rich and bright, you can mix as many colours as you like. ⋆ Try setting against a darker backdrop to make colourful, jewel colours really pop. Festive FOLKLORE If you’re looking for a welcoming, family-friendly scheme, with homespun vibes, check out Scandinavian-inspired motifs, for tradition with a modern twist Style IT RIGHT ⋆ Stick to a pared-back palette of red and white for true Scandi styling. ⋆ Opt for…

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A LOG PILE WITH A TWIST To make this simple table centrepiece, arrange three log slices in a stack with the largest at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Take a pencil and draw a series of designs round the outer edge of each log slice. We drew stars, trees and snowflakes, a different design on each log slice. Unstack the logs and use a pyrography tool to burn the designs onto the surface of each log slice using the pencil lines as your guide. To make the floral element, place a block of Oasis florist’s foam in a bowl of water for an hour or until it’s fully soaked. Remove, drain away any excess water and then cut it to fit inside a vintage tureen or bowl.…

MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION It’s the first thing guests see when they arrive at your door, so set the tone for their stay by spending a few hours sprucing up your entrance. Add festive touches, such as softly glowing lanterns and lighting, plus a welcoming wreath. INCLUDE HOME COMFORTS Guests will feel right at home thanks to a few thoughtful bedside basics, such as slippers, magazines, books and a bedside light. If the guest room tends to be a little on the chilly side, you may also want to shop for a hot water bottle and, don’t forget, they’ll also need a plentiful stack of fresh towels – a bath, hand and face towel for each guest. KEEP IT COSY Cosy things up with plenty of tactile cushions and…

For sweet-petite feet Stitch a pair of cute felt bootees for baby’s first Christmas YOU WILL NEED: Red felt Pins Scissors Small scrap of gingham fabric Needle and matching red thread White embroidery floss 2 Velcro ‘touch and close’ spots 1 Trace the bootee template from the instructions section on p.135 onto paper. Cut out the paper pattern shapes. Pin the pieces onto red felt and cut around the outside. Unpin. 2 Lay the two soles down flat. Place the centre-front of each bootee directly on top of the centre-front of each sole. Loosely tack stitch the outer edges of the sole and the top of each bootee together with a contrasting colour thread, this will pull each bootee into shape. Leave the back seam of each bootee open for…

PURE AND SIMPLE Roll up a napkin and tie it loosely with string, leaving the ends quite long so they trail and curl. Trim a small piece of foliage and slide it under the string. Top with frosted red berries to add some colour. We used blue ribbon to tie on a small tag with a stamped name on for each diner. We teamed our decorated napkins with simple glass baubles and vintage glasses. TREE WITH A TWIST Fill a large flowerpot with a piece of Oasis foam. Use a small saw to cut a straight branch to 60cm in length. Lightly cut a shallow cross across the top of the branch, this will keep the string in place when the wreath is hung. Push the branch firmly into the…

During the lockdown when we couldn’t go out to our favourite bars, many of us discovered the joys of creating cocktails at home. Now the festive season is upon us, there’s no better time to stock up on the essentials to create your very own home cocktail bar so you can whip up a festive tipple for friends and family. SPIRITS You can’t make great cocktails if you don’t have the right ingredients. Be selective and choose the spirits that you’ll need for your favourite tipples – there’s no point buying an expensive bottle of whisky if you don’t like whisky cocktails. Start your spirit collection with a few basics and then add others as you need to. If you want to sample a whole load of spirits without spending…

Spicy chocolate Basler Brunsli cookies from Switzerland MAKES ABOUT 60-70 Ingredients 350g ground almonds50g plain flour1 tsp cocoa powderA pinch of ground cinnamonA pinch of ground cloves150g caster sugar, plus a little extra4 egg whitesa pinch of salt120g dark chocolate1½ tbsp kirsch, to tastebrown sugar, for sprinkling Method ⁕ Mix the ground almonds, flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves and sugar together. ⁕ In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff, and stir the mixture into the dry ingredients. ⁕ Melt the chocolate using a bain-marie, stir in the kirsch, then add to the mixture and knead into a loose dough with your hands. ⁕ Thoroughly sprinkle the work surface with sugar and roll out the dough to a thickness of about 5mm with a rolling…

Persian pilaf loaves and roasted pomegranate roots PREP TIME 40 MINS COOKING TIME 2 HRS 5 MINS SERVES 8 Ingredients 200g carrots, peeled and diced into1-2cm chunks200g sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-2cm chunks200g parsnips, peeled and diced into1-2cm chunks3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for the tin1 red onion, finely chopped225g paella rice550-600ml vegetable stockPinch of saffron1 tsp each ground cinnamon, cumin and coriander2 tsp cumin seeds100g dried apricots, diced150g shelled pistachios2 large eggs, beaten400g can chickpeas, drained (optional)Handful coriander leaves500g tub Greek yogurt, to serveCouscous and green salad, to serve For the sauce: 400g can chopped tomatoes500g passata2 tbsp honey2 tbsp red wine vinegar2 tbsp pomegranate molasses1 tbsp harissa paste For the pomegranate roots: 500g Chantenay carrots, scrubbed500g baby beetroots250-300g small shallots, peeled and halved2 tbsp olive…

SEND A LITTLE LOVE PAGE 18 Penguin pals GIRL PENGUIN This cute little penguin greetings card is so simple to make. YOU WILL NEED: ◼ Penguin template ◼ Coloured cardstock ◼ Festive papers ◼ Oval, heart and circle dies ◼ Snowflake embellishment ◼ Adhesive gems ◼ Buttons and pompom ◼ Beading wire and ribbon ◼ Craft knife or scissors ◼ Pencil and ruler ◼ Glue pen ◼ Foam pads 1 Take a 14cm square card blank. Line up the template with the fold and cut around it to create your shaped base. Cut the template again from black and white patterned paper, then glue it to the card front. 2 Die cut the heart-shaped body from white card. Die cut three small circles of black, white and blue card, then…

1 Head outdoors. A breath of fresh air, no matter what the weather, will help to clear your head and give you a chance to get away from a houseful of demanding guests. A long country walk is always a joy at this time of year. Stop for a moment, now and again, to listen to the birdsong, breathe in the smell of damp leaves and look at the bark of the trees now that they’ve lost their leaves. 2 Let it go – as they say in the Christmas movie Frozen. An event which might seem disastrous at the time – burning the roast potatoes, or the dog knocking over the Christmas tree – is sure to raise a smile when you look back at it next year. Don’t…

DON’T GET IN A TANGLE Once Twelfth Night has passed, it’s time to pack away those decorations. To avoid facing a tangled mess of fairy lights next December, take the time to lay them out in straight lines after you take them down. Then wrap them carefully around a thick rectangle of cardboard, keeping the ends in place with a strip of masking tape. TAKE NOTE Before taking your cards to be recycled, make a note of any new addresses or changes of family details that the sender may have written inside. It’ll save you having to rummage around for contact details when you write next year’s cards. If you have time and feel super-efficient, you could even pop all the names and addresses of the senders on a simple…

This Scandi-style Advent calendar is stunning in its simplicity and can be reused year after year. Pack it away carefully and, the following Christmas, you can just replace the treats inside the envelopes with something different so it’ll last forever. It also doubles up as a wonderful festive wall hanging; just add pretty baubles and extra decorations. Designer Becki Clark show us how to create it… Materials • Large branch• Twine• Mini envelopes• Treats to fill your calendar’s envelopes with• Pencil• Brush lettering pen• Foliage• Hole punch• Scissors Becki’s tips Make sure your branch is wide enough to fit 24 tags on. You don’t want them to get tangled up. If you’re short of time, you can replace the words with numbers. String fairy lights through the branch to make…

SHOPPING LIST Penguin template Coloured cardstock Festive papers Oval, heart and circle dies (optional) Snowflake embellishment Adhesive gems Buttons and pompom Beading wire and ribbon Craft knife or scissors Pencil and ruler Glue pen Foam pads Penguin pals This snowy pair of feathered friends are so simple to make using just some basic nesting dies and festive papers. If you don’t have a die cutter, just use scissors to cut out the shapes for your penguins. TO MAKE THE BOY PENGUIN… 1 Take a 14cm square card blank. Line up the template with the fold and cut out. Cut the template from black and white lattice card. Glue to the front of the card. 2 Cut the heart-shaped body centre from white card. Create the eyes from small nesting circle…

Foraged foliage Take a stroll on a crisp winter’s day to collect a selection of rich green foliage and bright red berries, then use them to craft an eco-friendly compostable wreath. For the base, willow, hazel and beech branches all work well as they’re nice and flexible and will easily bend into a circle. You could even add in some dried flowers, stems or foliage that you’ve kept from summer to add a pretty floral twist. Turn to page 135 for instructions Boxing Clever Make a stunning gift box wreath that you can use year after year from festive papers or leftover Christmas gift wrap. Turn to page 135 for instructions Soft touch Give guests a cheery welcome with a pretty fabric wreath. Stick to a few shades and keep…

1 BUDGET WISELY Before the chaos of Christmas begins, work out how much you can afford to spend. Take into account everything from gift buying to travel costs. This amount will depend on how much you may have already saved up and how much you can spare in the run up to Christmas. Once you have a budget in mind, think carefully about each element and consider how you can make savings. 2 GIVE A FAVOUR INSTEAD OF A GIFT We all have so much stuff in our lives, why not give your friends and family a homemade IOU voucher to redeem against a favour, such as an evening of baby-sitting, washing the car, serving a home-made cream tea or doing some gardening. That way you can offer your services…

SEASONAL STRING Make some bunting from vintage book pages. Print out individual letters for your wording and the decorative stars onto A4 white paper in a bold font (we used Algerian). Use a scalpel to remove several pages from an old book. Cut them all to a uniform 26 x 18cm size. Photocopy the printed letters centrally onto the book pages, we used a home printer to do this. Use scissors to shape the bottom of each flag and then punch two holes for hanging at the top. Thread each page onto string and then hang them up.…

YOU WILL NEED: Two pieces of fabric measuring 46 x 25.5cm for the outer layer Two pieces of lining fabric measuring 46 x 25.5cm Assorted strips of matching ribbon – lengths of 15.5cm 15.5cm length of pompom trim 10 small red and white pompoms 1 large pompom for the stocking toe A large piece of card to make the template Pencil and ruler Sticky tape 1 Take the card, ruler and pencil and draw two rectangles, one measuring 35.5 x 15.5cm and the other measuring 20.5 x 15.5cm. Cut them out. Mark 2.5cm in from each long edge at the base of the longer rectangle and draw a line from these marks to the top corners; this will taper the leg shape. Cut along these lines. 2 On the smaller…

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Gingerbread flip cocktail PREP TIME: 5 MINS SERVES 2 Ingredients: 2 x 25ml shots spiced rum2 x 25ml shots ginger wine1 tbsp ginger syrup (from a jar of stem ginger in syrup)1 whole eggPinch ground cinnamonIceWhole nutmeg, to garnishGingerbread biscuits, to serve Method: ✶ Pour rum, ginger wine and ginger syrup into a cocktail shaker. ✶ Add the egg and shake for 10 seconds. Add two handfuls of ice and a pinch of cinnamon and shake for a further 20 seconds. ✶ Strain into two small chilled glasses. ✶ Grate over a little fresh nutmeg and serve with gingerbread biscuits. Recipe courtesy of eggrecipes.co.uk Espresso zabaglione PREP TIME: 20 MINS PLUS COOLING TIME SERVES 4-6 Ingredients: For the zabaglione: 4 medium egg yolks2 tbsp caster sugar4 tbsp Marsala2 tsp espresso…

THIS STUNNING CAKE, decorated with Kim-Joy’s signature cute and quirky style, is sure to impress your Christmas dinner guests. She offers the following advice to help you create the perfect bake. ’The key to a light cake is to cream the butter and sugar together until it’s almost white in colour and very fluffy. You can’t overwhisk, so keep going until it’s taken to its limit. A stand mixer really helps, but you can use a handheld electric whisk instead, although you may get bored of waiting. As a bonus, the icing decoration on this bundt is easy to achieve and the snowmen are fun to create. If you’re feeling confident with sugarwork, then try the sugar ‘glass’ dome too, as this transforms the cake into something extra magical.’ SERVES…

Turkey Singapore noodles Turkey curry is a traditional leftovers dish, but using curried noodles brings it bang up to date. Plus, these healthy noodles are high in protein and low in fat. PREP TIME 15 MINS COOKING TIME 20 MINS SERVES 4 Ingredients 200g rice noodles2 tsp sesame oil2 eggs, beaten1 tbsp vegetable oil2 garlic cloves, crushed thumb-sized piece ginger, minced1 red chilli, chopped2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced, plus any leftover Christmas vegetables that work in a stir-fry (shredded carrots, peas, mushrooms, etc)200g beansprouts6 spring onions, finely sliced250g leftover turkey meat, shredded140g leftover ham, diced3 tbsp madras curry powder or paste1 tsp turmeric2 tbsp soy sauce, plus extra to serve2 tsp dry sherryA sprinkling of sugarCoriander and sliced chilli, to serve Method ⁕ Soak the noodles in boiling water…

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