It’s always incredibly busy in the lead up to Christmas which is why we have you covered when it comes to making it as fun as possible!
Here are some seriously clever hacks for nailing wrapping, festive fashion, organizing and much more.
Muffin tray
Have you ever wondered what else you might do with a muffin tray? Well it can be own special advent calendar!
All you need is some ribbon to hang up the advent calendar, cut some circles the same size as the muffin slots and number them 1 to 24, and 24 small items to fit into the muffin slots.
Christmas Jumper
Nearly all of us have been asked to wear a Christmas jumper at some stage. So why not make your own unique one?
It’s great fun to do either on your own or you could go all out and have a Christmas jumper-making party!
All you need is an old sweater, fabric glue, Christmas decorations and a sense of fun – and Christmas FM on the radio, obviously.
Fireplace
No fireplace? No problem. Try making your own fireplace for Santa to come down this Christmas Eve!
Get together some boxes, cereal boxes are pretty good sizes or 5 very large packing boxes.
Paint the boxes red with white strips to form bricks or cover with brick wallpaper. Stack them up and glue together to make your own fireplace. All ready for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Snow
Did you know that you can use Epsom salts instead of expensive Artificial snow for any Christmas features you are making? It will have the same look and feel.
You can also shred some damp kitchen paper towel in a blender to make fake snow. Why not mix the two!
For other snow ideas check out recipes here and over here.
FESTIVE DECORATIONS
Umbrella light
Ever wondered about other uses for an umbrella? Probably not, but they can make great Christmas decoration lights.
Get an old or broken umbrella and take the material off the frame. You can either spray paint the frame or leave it as it is.
Next just wrap a string of solar or battery lights all around the prongs and frame. You can hang it from the handle or set it on the floor.
Staying on the theme of lights here’s another how to video to make a giant lighted ball
Christmas Art
How about some simple and cheap but classy Christmas Art to brighten up your home? All you need to do is find a really cool Christmas card or Christmas bag.
Get a frame and place your snazzy bag or cool card in the frame. Simply hang and you have ready-made Christmas art.
GIFT HACK
Voucher
If you are stuck for cash, time or energy for Christmas presents, why not create your own Christmas Gift Voucher?
The gift of time is your gift.
It could be anything from free babysitting, walking the dog, making dinner – your imagination is the limit!
Mirrors
If your Christmas Tree needs some extra pizzazz or more lights and you don’t have any, we’ve a great idea for you.
All you need is some glue, Christmas decoration hooks and small mirrors of any shape and size.
Glue the hook to the mirror, let it dry and HANG. It’s absolutely perfect for adding more light to your decorations.
TIDY HACKS
Christmas Lights Hack
If like most of us your Christmas lights come out all tangled and the elves get blamed for the mess, then you need this hack!
Find yourself a hanger with hooks. Simply hook one end of the lights to the hook on the hanger and wrap.
If you really want to make sure they don’t get tangled, wrap some tissue paper around them and put them away, and hey presto, all sorted for next year!
Egg boxes
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdVnsEiFOtn/
Do you wish you had put away your decorations better last year?
Over the next few weeks hang on to all your all egg boxes and clean biscuit tins. They make great storage for your Christmas decorations and baubles.
Remember to wash and dry out the tins. Another idea is to glut disposable cups to strong cardboard and stack them up!
Water bottles
Did you know that empty water or other large plastic bottles have a new use?
They make great storage containers for Christmas beads. Each container holds about 2 strands of beads, so save those bottles!
Garment bag
If you’re like us and your wrapping paper is everywhere apart from where it should be, then we have the hack for you!
Get a see-through garment bag and put all the wrapping paper tubes inside. To complete, use a hanger to hang them up! There ya go, wrapping paper sorted.
WRAPPING HACKS
There are so many Christmas wrapping hacks. We searched loads of videos to find just one that might give you some if the best options.
Picture tags
Print out a person’s picture and tie it onto their Christmas present. No more searching to see who’s present belongs to who! Just don’t forget to sign so they know who its from, or add your picture to the other side.
Simple but Perfect.
Card Hacks
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrQwGV3nhPP/
Keep your old Christmas cards as they make great Christmas tags.
Cut out shapes from the cards and use them as unique gift cards. They are also great for the kids to cut out and make Christmas decorations out of!
Paper towel rolls
On the run up to Christmas hang onto empty toilet paper rolls and kitchen paper towel rolls. They make great gift boxes. Either paint them or cover with gift paper or wind ribbon and add bows to them to make them festive.
Pop your gift inside and to complete the box you just need to bend down the sides. Close using double sided tape.
Boxes
If like me you find it challenging to wrap anything that isn’t a box, then start saving empty boxes.
Any box from the tin foil box, crisp tins to the cereal boxes, can all easily turned into a lovely gift box. Just wrap them up in Christmas paper, or use brown paper and add some cuttings of Christmas tree, or holly to add a festive colour. Add bows to finish the look!
GAME HACKS
Pin the nose on the Reindeer
The aim is to keep the children of all ages entertained this Christmas and many traditional games can be given a twist to be very Christmassy!
So instead of pin the tail on the donkey we have pin the nose on Rudolf or the snowman depending on your preferences.
You need one printout of a reindeer, some red material for the nose and blue tack to stick the nose to the reindeer, a blind fold and some kids!
Musical Christmas Chairs
Lets Play Christmas chairs. You need 3 or more players of any age, Christmas FM and someone to turn the volume up and down and some chairs.
The game host plays the music and everyone else has to run or walk around the chairs, when the music stops, players must try and sit, the person without a seat is out. Take away another chair and keep going until there’s only one person and one chair left. They are the winner.
Paper plates
You need 3 or more players, paper plates, some markers or crayons for this game.
A game master tells everyone what to draw, and the players have to draw with the plates on their heads. To make it a little harder have all the players wear a blindfold with the paper plate on their laps. To make it really hard try blind folded and plates on your head!
The most accurate drawing wins!
Scavenger hunt
Why not make a scavenger hunt – festive?
The idea is to hide some Christmas items like reindeer, Santas, candy canes in the house or garden. Provide each player a list of items to find. You can divide the players into teams or play as individuals.
Whoever find the most items on the list – wins. Happy hunting!
Bauble race
Are you trying to come up with some novel ideas to keep the kids entertained?
There’s lots of traditional games that can be given a Christmas twist. Instead of an egg and spoon race, make it a bauble spoon race.
Just need some kids of all ages, unbreakable baubles and spoons. Bauble race here we come…
Stocking guess
If you’re trying to come up with some novel ideas for young an old at heart – why not play ‘Guess whats in the stocking?’
All you need is a Christmas Stocking and a little imagination! Place one item or several items into the stocking. Everyone gets to make a guess and write it down. The person who makes the most right guesses wins.
Happy guessing!
