Poncetastic thread

[WaitingForEgg]

Is there a poncetastic thread this year? I am itching to ponce!

Wow hapshawl fused glass is the very height of poncery! I am very impressed and jealous!

I have just bought some Sanctuary Spa crackers (box of 4, in their 3 for 2 Christmas gifts) which I will be attaching to Christmas cards for my girlfriends. I've always stuck a mini cracker on to the cards, but this year they've got something really nice in each one

Happy sigh. I lurked on this thread laSt year as I had no time to ponce. It will be my first year and I will start slowly and build up!

This year is mainly buying outdoor decorations

I have never done any crochet. Am I doomed to fail as a Christmas poncer?!

I have now started a Christmas poncery pinterest folder and I'm looking at felt work. This has disaster written all over it...

I've given in and got the Pinterest app again.

I love this thread so much I almost wish I hadn't read it so I see it new all again!

I have tried so hard to crochet but can't do it. Stupid knot system that makes no sense .

Just read this from start to finish and never has a thread made me so happy! I usually just lurk on MN but feel like I've found my home here as an aspiring Christmas Ponce.

I will be going on maternity leave in a few weeks and will potentially have a 6 week old PFB on Christmas Day, so I intend to start well in advance to make the most of it this year! Come the day itself I'll probably be a teary exhausted mess.

I'll be making Nigella's Chilli Jam and Apple Chutney again, and might also give her Choc Fruit Cake a go. Really fancy trying to make Blackberry Vodka too. My parents are coming to stay with me and DP this year so I'm really looking forward to decorating the entire flat and making all the rooms extra cosy. What do you reckon is the easiest decoration to DIY - a wreath? I'm pretty useless at crafts...

Wreaths are pretty easy- I cheated and used a poundshop twig wreath after removing the horrid Xmas teddy bear decorations. To this I added chopped off bits of Christmas tree, pine cones, mini candy canes and baubles using garden wire. It was quite easy!

Otherwise, paperchains? Potato printing holly or similar on brown paper for gift wrap?

Trumpton, so glad someone got to enjoy the archbishop decorations! I love mine on the tree- it adds a nice and slightly odd effect

Sloe tip- you can gather now and freeze in freezer rather than waiting for the frost to sweeten them (and it needs three months to brew if possible so if you want to drink at Xmas best start now!)

Buffy the ribbon wreath was easiest thing ever - a big hoop (I used a cheap embroidery hoop) with ribbons of whatever size and colour you like tied in bows around the hoop. I did use some glue to keep them in place at the beginning. You need quite a bit of ribbon to get the generous abundant look, but that was quite cheap online

Wow I'm away for two days and the thread has really filled up! Good work ladies!
I am interested in doing cinnamon rolls this year for breakfast. Does anyone have a good recipe? Pref one that can be frozen ahead of time?

I use this recipe and it's really good!

Please, popurri help? Can I just slice up an orange and bake it for a bit, then add cinnamon sticks and cloves and I'm done?

I'm all about the gingerbread houses, every year. I'm thinking tiny ones this year that can sit on the edges of mugs, but only if there's room for the little boiled sweet window still. Last year I couldn't do it, but the year before I made palm sized ones for all the children I know.

I dried orange slices in my poncetastic Aga , then strung them on fishing wire and hung them in the windows , looked and smelt good !

Started buying Christmas crockery ( the Spode Christmas tree ) from tk maxx , have 4 plates and 4 tall glasses so far and hope to pick some more up this year

Wilkinsons have kilner jars , and usually good ribbons and decorations ( I know Wilkinsons isn't poncetastic , but you could go in wearing a disguise ? )

Need to do paper whites and hyacinths in bowls again , as they worked a treat last year

Not sure about Christmas cake , have half of last years in the freezer still ...

Frugal poncery is even better. You can smugly drop into conversation how your 'sourced' your ingredients from the hedgerows and found inspiration in nature and stuff. No need to mention the Wilkos trip.

As long as you have time to make paper chains and stick cloves into oranges all will be well.

I have ponced in Home Bargains and plan to rekkie in B&M during the next week or so

Doilook I bought a bargainous Spode Christmas Tree footed sweet dish during the summer which will ponce up my artisan sweets Cadbury Heroes nicely.

The fruit for my cakes will go into soak tomorrow. I've gone for Amaretto - mainly swayed by DD1 who likes Amaretto with cranberry juice - so no worries about left over booze in the back of my cupboard. I usually leave it soaking for a few days so I'll probably bake them at the weekend, possibly even leave them until the following weekend.

It is gearing up to be poncetastic here in commuterville. DH is

Plotting sloe picking (not recommended - lethal thorns!) and have been invited to an evening of food bloggers showing people how to do (presumably poncey) festivities.

Is buying crochet items from a craft fair allowed? and then lying and saying you made it yourself Because frankly, I struggle to tie a shoelace.

Saw Kilner jars and bottles in Sainsburys yesterday, as well as their own brand for about half the price. Definitely worth a look, especially for presents.

I have made the Nigella Christmas Puddini Bonbons and I can attest (and I selflessly made a whole batch and ate them) that they are bloody delicious. Very easy as well. Essentially you mix melted chocolate with a cheap supermarket Christmas pudding and a bit of alcohol and shape them into little balls.

Shamelessly marking my place whilst I read through the entire thread. I knew insomnia was good for something!

doilooklikeatourist I have to master the poncery of cooking my Christmas cake in the Rayburn for the first time ever. Am a little nervous.

Currently my kitchen is a building site and out of action. It's almost torture reading this thread and not being able to ponce with fruity alcohol and trry out recipes.

I have a plan for pom pom garlands this year. And have triangles all cut from last year's failed attempt at bunting. The bunting WILL be made this year.

I'm all about the frugal poncing, although I have decided to mostly buy presents this year, as it works out cheaper than making them.

But for decorations, I do foraged greenery and cones/seed pods etc, dried fruit, salt dough/actual biscuits and ribbon tied in bows on the tree with a few cheap red and gold baubles and a few nice ones that I've picked up at craft fairs. And a tiny Archbishop of York. I will be getting the Archbishop of York next week once I have money again.

And I wrap mostly in brown paper with things drawn on it, and newspaper with ribbon.

And if we have managed to put a fireplace in the sitting room (some people came round yesterday for a quote) and repaint it and put the new floor down by Christmas, then I might sew some bunting to hand from the mantelpiece. It will say YULE, because we are a bit pagan and it has fewer letters to appliqué than Merry Christmas.

Can someone please explain the Archbishop of York thing to me please? Is it a Xmas decoration?