With the Christmas holidays nearly upon us, how ready do you feel? Most of your gift shopping will be finished and wrapped (hopefully!), so it's time to turn to other matters, the home. When it comes to preparing for Christmas, now is the perfect time to get an organised home and have a sort out, ready for guests and to make room for the lovely new gifts you may receive. Take a look at what you can do now to make your home merry and bright all year long.
Organise the children's bedroom
Clothes are a popular gift choice for children, so as part of your preparing for Christmas routine, get organised and have a sort out of their wardrobe or even upgrade to a bigger solid wood wardrobe if you need more storage. Go through old jumpers, jeans and t-shirts to donate or recycle to make way for new clothes. For younger children, it's highly likely they will receive a stash of new toys too - it's worth making time to sort through their wooden toy box to make room for the new favourites. According to expert organiser, Vicky Silverthorn of You Need a Vicky, this is best done when younger children aren't around. Create three piles of 'definitely', 'maybe' and 'keepers!'. If you have a children's dressing table in the bedroom or a reclaimed wood desk then sort through the drawers and have a declutter. Give any unwanted toys to charity or school raffles - your child may have outgrown their cars or dolls, but there will be plenty of children who would love to give them a new home.
Plan your dining room
The dining room is a place that tends to accumulate items when you're preparing for Christmas - packs of paper serviettes with a few left in them, serving plates and bowls that you no longer use, you may have even been using it as a wrapping station for your Christmas gifts. Now is the time to sort through and check what you have for the dining room and what you need to buy or replace. Maybe treat yourself to some new linen napkins or a festive table runner, perfect for styling a rustic dining table? Or how about some new Christmas serving platters? If you have a wooden sideboard, re-organise and declutter to make sure there is enough room for everything you need for a seamless Christmas lunch - the rustic top also provides the ideal surface to create a wonderful festive scene to continue the Christmas theme.
Preparing for Christmas - hallway decor
The hallway is the place you and your guests see first, so you want it to look its festive best. If you have a hallway storage bench then chances are it contains a few things that aren't supposed to be in it! Get rid of old scarves, hats and odd gloves. Donate any shoes you no longer wear to a local charity and stash away any summer shoes and flip flops - your guests will need space to leave their shoes when they visit.
- Related: read our blog on how to bring character to your hallway, not clutter for more entrance hall ideas.
Decorate the hallway to give a cheery warm welcome with some fairy lights around a hallway mirror and of course, a sprig of mistletoe for a stolen festive kiss. If you have a wooden console table a real or faux small tree adds to the Christmas mood, especially with a few carefully placed scented candles and other Christmas decorations.
In the modern living room
Just as you have in other rooms in the home, take the opportunity of preparing for Christmas to declutter and have a clear-out in your living room. Go through the drawers of your coffee table and make room for items you want close at hand over the holidays - chocolates, drinks coasters, remote controls, games etc. You may also want to move your rustic furniture around to make sure there is enough room and seating for everyone. Seating or having enough seating can be a problem at Christmas - see our guide on the best seating solutions to ensure you have enough room for everyone to be comfortable.
But remember, the most important part of preparing for Christmas is to enjoy it and everything else will fall into place. If you're looking for some festive home inspiration, check out our blog for ideas on how to create an insta-worthy home this Christmas.
