Ho… Ho… Ho… memade Christmas (sorry!)

Have yourself a homespun little Christmas with Country Homes & Interiors. Another year, another batch of beautiful Christmas decorating ideas from those country-style gurus, and these schemes are no exception. Can I…? fall in…? …love with a room?

Cover a big-and-bold Christmas tree with fabric doves, hearts and stars finished in fabric stitching. Add rustic charm with handmade cushions to match.

Country Christmas craft ideas for a happy holiday

Hang a natural garland trimmed with mini stockings above a guest bed and top with a fun wood-cut reindeer. Layer the bed with cherry red woollens!

Give your Christmas bedroom a touch of homespun style

Lampshades covered in a hand silk screened wallpaper make a stunning focal point above the Christmas table.

Enjoy Christmas lunch the country craft way

Don’t limit a Christmas wreath to the outside of the house – they look so pretty on internal doors, too!

How to create a cosy Christmas look in the hallway

Make berry-red felt curtains with folk art white felt hearts hand cut using a homemade stencil.

Create a magical festive seating area in the hallway with Christmas

Festive Fetish: Winter Wonderland

Bring the beauty of a wintry landscape (ignore the muddy slush) into your home this Christmas with these beautiful seasonal style ideas from Ideal Home.

Here’s how to get this Christmas living room look:

1) Keep the backdrop plain, here they’ve used a subtle twig-pattern wallpaper in two tonal colourways.

2) Add texture with chunky knitted throws and cushions.

3) Complete with woodland-inspired or folksy accessories, such as birdhouses, log candleholders and pine cone decorations.

Create a winter wonderland with woodland-inspired Christmas decorations

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

I must emphasise I’m talking about these cute snow-inspired Christmas decorating schemes, not the actual ‘it was fun at first’ snow that seems to prevent anyone getting anywhere without at least flailing on ice embarrassingly… and unattractively!

Narnia gets a modern update!

Decorate your Christmas living room in Narnia-esque snow!

Group Mexican votives and Christmas trimmings in bauble shapes using White Tack to create a blend of modern folk and 2010 favourite – multifaceted metallics!

Modern metallics give this Christmas hallway a calming twist

Can I come in? Modern country Christmas home

Happy Christmas week everyone! I’m going to devote the next couple of days (oh let’s face it, the next FIVE DAYS) to squeezing in as many inspiring Christmas ideas as humanly possible. I’ve seen so many beautiful ideas in the magazines this month and it seems a shame not to share them – especially if you, like me, have been too busy rushing around the shops to calmly browse through the latest issues.

Take a tour around Livingetc‘s Christmas house of the month, a chic farmhouse with a modern twist – it’s stunning!

Traditional furniture pieces get a modern update with vibrant red accents and oversized decorations.

Find modern country Christmas living room decorating inspiration

Cosy and atmospheric, this dining room is the perfect place for a Christmas feast.

Update a traditional dining room with eye-catching Christmas decorations

This bedroom is gorgeous all year round – I love how the stocking matches the rest of the scheme!

Add shimmer and sparkle to your bedroom this Christmas

Last-minute Christmas gift and decorating ideas

Anyone else panicking about getting Christmas gifts last minute, or perfecting their Christmas decorating looks in time for their annual ‘Mother Inspection’? FEAR NOT! Housetohome is hosting a Last-minute Christmas gift and decorating ideas webchat tomorrow, Friday 17th December at 1pm.

Homeshoppingspy style guru (and Ideal Home’s Deputy Editor, I might add) Ellie Tennant will be on hand to answer all our niggling (and possibly panicked) questions on everything from finding the perfect last-minute Christmas gift for Dad, to how to deal with unexpected guests!

Your last minute Christmas gift, party and decorating questions, solved!

Easy Christmas updates for every style

Don’t worry if you haven’t finished decorating your home for Christmas, you’ve still got that all important ‘last weekend before Christmas’ to get everything done. (Failing that, you could always just decorate the hallway and usher guests to a nearby grotto as soon as they come round!)

Anyway, here are some quick and easy Christmas ideas for modern, country and traditional decorators – you can squeeze into an afternoon… even after the last round of Christmas shopping.

Modern Christmas – see more ideas…

Not sure if my still-muddy festival wellies would have the same effect…

No time to make a Christmas stocking? No problem!

Country Christmas – see more ideas…

Give your living room a rustic, cosy Christmas feel

Traditional Christmas – see more ideas…

Introduce subtle festive touches to your hallway for traditional elegance

Christmas craft idea: make a Christmas stocking

I’m not about to pretend that I’m going to spend the last weekend before Christmas glacially settling down to some wholesome crafting, but I AM going to spend the Friday night doing it… that way, I don’t have the all to familiar ‘you should be buying more ribbon’ floating around in my head.

Here’s a another gorgeous country Christmas craft ideas for the more organised among us – How to make a Christmas stocking. (Click the link for Housetohome‘s easy step-by-step guide!

How to make a Christmas stocking - inject some homespun style over the holidays

Christmas trees – the good, the bad, the UGLY!

Anyone walking past my desk this afternoon would have thought I was having a webchat with a clown and a murderer at the same time! You see, I’ve been searching the web for Christmas tree decorating ideas, and while some of them filled me with festive joy, other so-called ‘best designs’ were enough to make a grown woman/decorating addict weep!

The good Christmas tree

Although I’d like a fuller tree (this one looks like it’s going to get frost-bite!), I adore the cute vintage decorations and homespun style. You can pick up everything for this look at John Lewis.

roomenvy - nostalgic Christmas tree

The bad Christmas tree

Although I’m a fan of all things ‘weird and wonderful’ I’m just not convinced by this alternative Christmas tree. I’m with Casa Sugar on this one, it’s just not … well … Christmassy?

roomenvy - alternative Christmas tree

The ugly Christmas tree

Oh my! This is what happens when bad Christmas decorations happen to good trees. I’m sure it works for some people, but do those people have a Lion, a Witch and also a Wardrobe??

roomenvy - scary Christmas tree

p.s Is that actually a STONE HEAD in the middle of this tree? (or am I seeing a ghost?)

Christmas craft ideas: how to make your own crackers

I’m sure you might have guessed that I’m a MASSIVE fan of Christmas, and to add extra bauble to the point I might [fairly shamefully] admit that I had my first faux Christmas lunch of the THREE I’m planning before Christmas day itself (January gym membership, methinks).

Anyway, I’ve discovered this festive craft idea in time for lunch number two. Create your own Christmas crackers and wow your guests with this step-by-step video.

Traditional Christmas tree decorating ideas

It’s almost time to start decorating your Christmas tree… that is, if you haven’t already rushed to a Christmas tree farm at 6am on December 1st. If you’re looking for tips to get you started check out this video.

Watch on for fab tips on everything from making an artificial Christmas tree look authentic to making your own homespun Christmas tree decorations.