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Create a cheery welcome
Greet guests at your front door with a fab festive wreath – made by you! Use secateurs to harvest a selection of flexible branches from your yard, then bind the branches together in a wreath shape using natural-coloured jute rope. To add the finishing touches, tie on a duo of small metal buckets filled with plants covered in red blooms, weave a little fresh-cut ivy into the wreath and press in a few small pieces of green moss (real or faux).
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Set the scene
Buy one or more brilliant red potted poinsettias from your local Bunnings garden centre and you’re already half way to creating a gorgeous seasonal scene. Just slip them into a woven basket (place them on saucers to catch any excess water) and display your haul beside candle-lit lanterns.
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Colour your home
There’s no doubt that Santa suit red injects a certain festive feeling into your home. And what better way to carry the colour than with vivid poinsettia? Just place a few cuttings in water-filled glass jars or vases and use them to decorate your sideboard, Christmas table or anywhere that needs a splash of something jolly.
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Have fun with finishing touches
Just when you thought your home was well and truly ready for Christmas – along came this cute idea. Measure, mark and cut a piece of plywood to fit in front of your fireplace. Apply primer, let dry, then coat in black chalkboard paint. Once dry, rest the panel in front of your open fireplace and get the kids to draw a traditional fireplace scene using chalk. Then you can hang your stockings and put a treat out for Santa and his reindeer, too!
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Prepare for the big day!
If you’re planning an outdoor Christmas brekkie, brunch, lunch or dinner this year, take inspiration from this carefree table setting idea. Arrange your tables in a long line, cover them in a fabric cloth then bring out a mix and match of chairs and benches. Echo the mismatched vibe with your place settings. Oh, and don’t forget to string up a series of party lights for when the daytime celebrations kick on into the night! Psst… Add a trestle table or two to the shopping list for this year’s buffet and bar.
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‘Tis the season for terrariums
Not just a lovely decorating idea for your Christmassy home, these quick-to-create terrariums are also divine gifts for your guests to take with them after the big day. To make: track down some large glass vases then slip a potted poinsettia and kalanchoe, or any other terrarium-loving plants, into the centre of each. Position moss around the base of the pots and add a few cuttings of vines to fill the space above the plants and finish the look. Maker’s tip: try adding artificial berries into the scene to inject even more eye-catching colour.
