Poncetastic Christmas 2024

[StiffyByngsDogBartholomew]

@vivajen hasn't posted on MN for a year so I've taken the bull by the horns. I can't wait any longer !
Wherever you are, Fellatio, here's to you. I hope you're brining a turkey and had crafting authentic organic woven tinsel somewhere.
"OK, first of all, I know it's still September by we need to start this thread now because as you all know, having a truly Poncetastic Christmas involves precision planning, strategy, bravery, heroics, and frequently martyrdom.
So, if you, like me, actually want to make the next twelve weeks of your life a misery by hand-crafting your cards, finding a huge bucket for Nigella's turkey in brine, pickling pears, shrivelling oranges in a low oven for those rustic au naturel decorations, dragging half a holly bush back from the woods, and just generally being a smug annoying jobs worth ponce, join me on this thread.
Feel free to post photos of previous tree-trimming, cake icing or table centrepiece triumphs, discuss this year's bauble colour themes, debate the merits of Delia versus Gordon, road-test a selection of canapés and cocktails, (all in the line of duty) and link to lovely inspirational photos/craft ideas for a truly Poncetastic Christmas.
Warning: If your idea of a good Christmas involves Pizza, ITV, gravy granules or anything with 'Aunt Bessie’s' on the packet, this is not the thread for you".

🎄🎄🎄🎄

@herecomesthesunyes Yes, the alcohol burns off in the cooking.

Jumping in on the thread as I love it (and am in awe) every year!

My usual poncing is based on crafting however, I'm preparing for a very pared down Christmas this year as we're almost at the end of the adoption process and will hopefully be welcoming our dc home in the next few weeks

I have vague plans to crochet them a blanket to be added to their bed/buggy/sofa time by December and I'm working on some crochet fingerless gloves and my cross stitch cards which should be done before dc arrives but that's about it this year.

Aside from that I'm gearing my Christmas plans more towards adding child handprints to Christmas cards, buying dc Christmas bedding, possibly seeing Santa and rethinking my decorations as I won't be using anything delicate

I have a stash of old Christmas magazines so will be using them to research easy craft things to do with a toddler but happy to take any hints/tips/recommendations!

@Lucysmam would you recommend the Merry Midwinter book?

@BelievingIsSeeing that all sounds so lovely. Very best wishes for the final stages of the adoption process falling into place.

I also have the Merry Midwinter book, and despite owning it for a few years now, I've only ever dipped in and out. I've just popped it on my bedside table to read properly. The author also has a blog here:

https://www.gillianmonks.com/blog/

Hello, novice poncer here, first time joining the thread! Have read it all so far and now feel very inspired. Thanks for letting me join.

So far I have;

-soaked my fruit ready to make my first ever christmas cake tomorrow (Mary Berry's recipe!). I've always wanted to make my own

-ordered cross stitch cards

-started working on some diamond art cards for the kids in my family

-bought a copy of Nigel's 'christmas chronicles' and will join the thread when it starts (although will most likely listen to it on Spotify on dog walks!)

-bought 'merry midwinter' and will flick through that of an evening

I need to;

-find a crochet pattern for a garland or two, I have so far only mastered blankets but feel ready to take the leap and make some decorations

-book onto a wreath workshop (I've recently moved across country so need to get on the local Facebook page and ask for a local recommendation)

-as above, but find a christmas tree farm, we've never really had a real tree but now in the new house have space for one

-buy a christmas magazine, never had one before so would like to buy 1 or 2

@BelievingIsSeeing how exciting, hope it goes smoothly for you and you get your new DC in your arms soon.

@BelievingIsSeeing how exciting! Congratulations. A pared down Christmas (obviously fully poncetastic) sounds perfect.

@BelievingIsSeeing fantastic, fingers crossed for you.
Favourite toddler activities from last year included fillable baubles, filled with Christmas sequins, off cuts of ribbon etc. Will empty and repeat them this year.
Also decorating biscuits with writing icing tubes. Homemade gingerbread or a humble digestive, didn’t matter, happy as Larry.

Hurrah! It's back!

I'm currently abroad but I'll be back mid-October and will crack on with my Christmas cake.

I have guests this year too so I'm thinking of ways to pimp the guest bedroom.

Why have I never thought of this before???

@BelievingIsSeeing how exciting! Hope it all goes smoothly. You must be so excited!

@BelievingIsSeeing how exciting! There are so many fun crafty things to do with a toddler 😊 . I used to enjoy baking & decorating biscuits with mine, finger/hand print cards, let them loose with glittery sequins (and find them forevermore!).

I enjoyed Merry Midwinter - had not really thought about much of the history behind certain traditions that she delves into & totally agree with Monks about making a celebration out of many things - it keeps life fun!

I got out my village to check over yesterday - need to re-find the thread and have my annual attempt to make the church 🤣 It's the last piece of this set & I could not (still probably cannot) get it to match the others size wise 🙄 Not a clue why either - I'm still using the exact same thread and hook as for the other pieces 🤷‍♀️

Need to find my rust free pins again too and probably re-print the pages to block the pieces on (underneath cling film!).

Who's making their own cards? I only need one particularly nice one. Don't fancy cross stitch, diamond art's ok but not really my thing. I've done stitched ones (as in stitched on the cards), done ones with folded paper to make a pattern 🤔

I've looked everywhere for my part finished cross stitch project and it's not here 😭

Going to start on a little card and try and think where I might've hidden it.

@TheSandgroper thank you so much for the slow cooker tip for christmas pudding, what a revelation!!! I made 3 one pint ones last year from Nigellas Christmas, had one and gave one away but I think the third one will still be good. Its always a faff putting the steamer on and checking constantly but now I know I can reheat in slow cooker it won't be a problem at all.

Genius.

@RudolphsDashing
Some lovely crochet ideas here including garlands. I also like these baubles which are great for using up left over bits of wool.

https://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2010/12/crochet-christmas-decorations.html

Also if you are using slow cooker for reheating pud pop a small jug with brandy in ( with a foil cap) to heat through in the water and your pud will flame beautifully!

@Trumpton you are clever. I never flame my pudding so had no idea. About that.

My lovely neighbour has just delivered some quince - any suggestions or recipes for me?

Joining late but been lurking! Enjoying this thread very much. Elf sunroom is genius @Trumpton.

I'm a sporadic poncer. More craft than cooking / baking. I painted my DD a wooden house advent calendar a couple of years ago and now the challenge is to find small things for each day. Trying to avoid anything plastic and buying from Amazon! Going for a dollshouse theme this year and have found some very cute little bits at Sostrene Grene.

Sostrene Grene also have a lot of crafty bits and a whole inspiration section on their website for DIY activities. Very wholesome.

Planning on making Xmas cards with DD again this year. We normally use festive ink stampers but open to something new this year. She will be 5 if anyone has ideas??

@HannahDefoesTrenchcoat oh that looks lovely, I like her stars too, I'll definitely use her patterns. Thank you!

@Carriemac I have a recipe for the most divine Candied Quince. It’s a bit of faff spread over a week but such a treat at the end. And this is the Poncetastic thread, after all. It almost ends up like Turkish Delight. Enjoy.

1kg quince, peeled, cored, quartered and popped into water with lemon or vinegar.
1kg sugar
500ml water
1g citric acid
Icing/powdered sugar

Bring water, peels and cores to the boil in a pot - not aluminium. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Discard peel and cores. They will have released their pectin which improves the final texture.

Put the quince into the water, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and cool.

Add 500g sugar to the water, and stir until dissolved.

Dice the cooled quince, return to the syrup, bring to the boil, lid on, for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave until tomorrow.

Add 2nd 500g sugar to the quince and syrup, bring to the boil. Once sugar is dissolved, simmer for 5 minutes, lid on, turn off the heat and leave until tomorrow.

Bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes and turn the heat off on days 3 and 4. On day 4, add the citric acid.

On day 5, remove quince dice with a slotted spoon to a plate to drain. Change plates every few hours for days 6 and 7. The quince needs to dry out quite a bit so might need to be pit somewhere warm or in a draught.

Dredge in icing sugar. If the sugar dissolves, the quince needs to dry a bit more. Store in an airtight tin or jar. Serve with good cheese.

went for a bit of a potter about the charity shops after the school run this morning looking for a nice bowl, basket or vase for the paperwhites I'm determined to ponce this winter - walked in to the first one and think I struck gold 😍

I absolutely love Christmas poncing! Last year in honour of our new gerbil pets, I made a gerbil nativity, but this year I've recently got into needle felting so have commenced with a set of advent baubles for my stair garland. I have also ordered biscuit stamps, ordered Christmas day food, booked a Christmas Escape Room and a festive lights trip and started the gift and homemade food list. I'm now trying to work out how to make my lounge, which we don't use a lot as we live in the kitchen mainly, into a surprise grotto for Christmas day...

Lightheard (sort of) For anyone who has a significant other who doesn't understand their poncing. My 'D' H decreed we weren't going to the Xmas tree farm this year. HE was going to go and get one on his own - from the Homebase bargain bin probably. As last year I was 'Treezilla'. RAGING! He just wanted to get the first tree we saw, not realising that looking for just the right tree was part of the experience 😭

Stuff that @AdventNotAmazon just go to the farm by yourself haha!

Made my christmas cake today, hardest part was lining the tin!

Oh that sounds exactly what I'm looking for ! Thanks @TheSandgroper