How do you decorate your house fro christmas?

[RememberToPlaywiththeKids]

Not counting the christmas tree. I'd like to decorate the house this year and i haven't done it before and mum & dad didn't really do it so I'm not sure how to make it all look christmassy!

All ideas gratefully received!!!!!

For someone who doesn't want Christmas shoved down their throat you seem to spend a lot of time on the Christmas topic nameymcnamechange

Thank you Tippy, that is very sweet.

I've never liked that namey and her negative Christmas thing.

I don't know her personally so cannot comment but I am getting tired of Scroogey Trousers in the Christmas topic and am considering chasing them with my broom

Get Orf My Festivities and ask MNHQ for a Mean Old Grinch topic.

And finally - I have only just read the thread and in conclusion have decided that I am coming to yours, Tippy, for Chrimbo.

Thank you all... this is a lovely thread, made all the nicer by the hilarious leg-pulling.
Hullygully- you're such a wag.
You've all made a bed-ridden old lady smile this morning.
Oh and a bed-ridden young lady too (me)

Do Hully. We will wassail and merrily yule away together in a wholesome way. Bring your suggestions box.

Unless you're going to be all grinchy. Cos I am deadly serious - I love Christmas and am liable to cause actual injury to scroogey types

tippy- how do you dry the citrus fruit? that sounds like something which would be great to do with my slightly older kids (the boys are 11 and 9)

I sliced it thinly cherry and put it in the oven directly on the wire shelves. Put the oven on super-low and left the door off the latch.
You could thread them on wire or bamboo through the natural holes in the middle and hang them in a hot airy place but my house is too cold and damp, it would have to be really quite warm. A sun room might do it?
Same thing with the pomanders (slice into the oranges from top to bottom creating a kind of slash which looks nice with blood oranges) but they are harder to dry and wouldn't keep past a couple of months for me. Not that you'd really need them too!

Or the whole thing would be simple if you are lucky enough to have an aga or rayburn, just stick them in the bottom oven

thanks tippy- i have a 50 degree setting on my cooker so will do it with that, but how long do you leave them in for? leave the door off the latch? not quite sure i understand that. but this is definitely something i want to do this year, and i think the kids would like doing it too

As in don't close the door to the catch but push it to. Close it without clicking it closed. Does that make sense?
I can't remember how long it took, a few hours I should think. You could finish it off in a sunny area or an airing cupboard.
If you know someone with a dehydrator then that would be the easiest thing.

I pin bloody hundreds of silver stars all over my ceiling, it takes ages but looks bloody lovely.

Tippychooks - love the fruit garland idea. How do you "dry" the fruit? I want to give this a go.

Thanks!

Sorry Tippy, just seen your earlier post

It takes loads of fruit to make a garland or wreath unless you use whole fruits too or pine cones. And it's well worth a trip to a local market that sells indian spices in big catering bags as you have a better chance of getting cloves and cinammon for a reasonable price. I also used nutmeg and star anise cos I had them mouldering away.

thanks tippy, i was going to use pinecones and cinnamon too. wondering if you could still dry the fruit effectively if you just cut them into halves or quarters (have bad arthritis in hands and am unable to thinly slice pretty much anything)

Yes cos you can dry them whole with slashes in as pomanders. Can't do links but google home made orange pomanders and have a look. I've never seen quarters but you could start a trend
Pine cones, walnuts etc are a bugger to drill holes in though, you may have to get someone to help you with that. They are really tough!

well tippy, i figured that i dont need to drill holes in the pinecones- i will use twine rather than wire to make the garland, and just wrap it around the pinecone, pulling it tightish do it hides between the bits and then twist. if the garland is pulled tight enough it should hold pretty well, same with cinnamon sticks, wrap twine around couple of times and tie knot to hold.