All of these lovely ideas have made me feel incredibly nostalgic!
There are so many suggestions I’ve read here that my parents used to do for me, as well as others that are new to me - you’ve definitely inspired me.
One thing that I don’t think I saw mentioned, is that my Dad would lay down under our decorated Christmas tree and ask me to lie down next to him. He would then tell me that Christmas is magical, and that there are fairies who live in every Christmas tree. He would say that if we’re quiet enough we may hear them, and that if we look carefully enough, we may even see one. I used to look forward to that every Christmas, and you can do it as often as you like throughout Christmas, depending on how well your children engage with the idea.
My Mum used to buy some inexpensive little boxes, and sometimes she’d re-use existing boxes. We would then decorate these (cover with Christmas paper, and often add a pine cone we’d collected, and a homemade name tag). You can kind of wrap the box, or do a découpage or collage type technique, which is easier to be neater, and easier for younger ones to be able to do more of it themselves. We’d leave these for about a day to dry out, then we’d add some tissue paper inside, then make some chocolate truffles or little shortbread biscuits and put these in the boxes and give as gifts.
The things I remember most fondly about Christmas, are being with my family. The smells of Christmas food, and all the colours and lights will also always be magical to me.
Your decorations will be loved by your children, regardless of what you think of them. I used to adore my Nan and Grandad’s multicoloured lantern lights and decorations from the 50’s and 60’s in the 80’s and 90’s! And my other Nan’s white Christmas tree with her equally vintage decorations.
You could easily update some of your decorations with the help of your children, as other posters have suggested, if you feel able to. Collect pine cones and add glitter if you like, then tie to the tree with a ribbon. You could also look at ways to add a new lease of life to your baubles (maybe spray paint with a different colour, add some glitter, or add a vibrant colour ribbon to attach to the tree).
Have a magical Christmas 🎄