Poncetastic Christmas 2025

[welikebeingcosy]

Added by MNHQ upon request:
OK, first of all, I know it's still September but 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. A bit like the war in Afghanistan, only with nicer food and sparkly shoes.

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 jobsworth 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 canapes 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 Bessies' on the packet, this is not the thread for you.The days are getting shorter, the leaves are starting to brown, that can only mean one thing- it's time to ignore the waves of Halloween decor all over your local The Range and head to the woods to start picking your own holly for that perfect Kirsty inspired wreath.

We want homemade stuffing recipes perfected by November, the handmade crackers draped in the most delicate of embroidered ribbon, mantle pieces draped in the most Scandinavian of wooden carvings, specialised stamps for the personalised wrapping paper ordered by next week and the word craft to be your official middle name by new year.

Happy ponceing and may Nigel and Nigella's fairy lights guide you on your way to getting the last box of rosemary and sea salt crackers in your own personal Bethlehem.

I am away at the moment so will send a photo when I get back but the stuff I used wasn't actually interfacing, it is something they use to make pelmets so it holds it's shape. I got it from eBay. It is called buckram.

I love the star tree topper, I’m just trying to work out how expensive it’s going to be to make one 😆

I ended up making my own metallic felt as couldn't find any in France. Overall it wasn't excessively expensive.

Ahhh I made the partridge and pear from there a few years ago - hadn’t twigged. This is going to get expensive

Would love to show photos but don’t want to be too outing and things.

anyway went to a Christmas flower arranging demonstration this evening. It’s the end of October because next month is the wreath making workshop

the arrangements were absolutely beautiful

I literally changed my whole account (email and everything) last year just so I could post photos on here 😂

That’s dedication to the cause 😂

Well, my poncing seems to be a none starter this year! I have done nothing of note. No cakes over half term, no crochet, no recipes bookmarked. Nada. I just haven't had time. & I planned to bring my crochet for my train to King's Cross today...forgotten. Along with my book, and my list of stocking fillers to order online. <sigh>.

Must block out an afternoon after work to sort the fillable Advent calendars!!

I did however, purchase a cute jar in the shape of a gingerbread house, from Sostrene Greenes, while in Leeds with dd2 on Monday.

#winningatChristmas not

Hello!

I have recently realised I am lacking creativity in my life and I really need to put my phone down more, so am channelling this into some Christmas poncing.

Firstly I have tried my hand at baking. Choc chip cookies big success. Mini cheesecakes less so. With the benefit of hindsight, the recipe was lacking in detail, for instance how many portions it was supposed to make!

This week I shall be getting some chalk pens ready to draw Christmas scenes on my windows. I'm not especially artistic, so will do some practice or print some stencils I think. Maybe I will do the back windows no one can see first!

Loving everyone's photos and recipe sharing for the inspiration!

I've been thinking about painting on my classroom windows too, not sure which paint to use though.

Oh, that’s just brought back a very vivid memory of my primary school - The teacher would paint black outlines and then we would add the colour
So from the outside it looked reasonably neat

I’m pretty sure we must have just used the washable poster paint?

For windows poster paint or acrylic is fine, definitely print some stencils it will be much more satisfying!

Thank you, I've got plenty of kids' paint so I'll give that a go.

Acrylic paint pens are brilliant for windows and clean off easily. Posca are the best ones. I did this last year on my back door.

I love that window @Taurielwasntinthebook

@lucysmam I've done nowt either. Been meaning to reply to your message since the weekend. I'm thinking to myself that there's a difference between finding time to do lovely crafts, and actually feeling stressed about the whole thing.

I did a craft hair at the weekend (I sell honey and candles in case anyone didn't know) My answer was to buy these from the lovely lady with the stall next to me (£1 each) Job's a good un!

I’ve been playing around with Christmas card designs. They are very rubbish, I might have to go for straight watercolour and not the folk art designs 😆😆

Has anyone frozen homemade cranberry sauce? I'm thinking of using this BBC Food recipe that says it can be frozen but I just want some first hand experience. I intend to freeze it in an ice cube tray and then just defrost what I need - only a couple of people like it and if I buy a jar it sits unloved in the fridge until I dispose of it around Easter 😬

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/cranberry_sauce_77431

My usual cranberry sauce recipe is:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/really-simple-cranberry-sauce
I make it well in advance and freeze
It's very well behaved!

Hello everyone and Happy Poncing!🎄🎄🎄

I'm going to follow along as usual even though I really ought to relinquish my membership - it's going to be less poncey at ours than ever...

We bought a small Christmas hamper which includes a Christmas cake and a pudding, so we're not making those this year. We've also decided it's going to be shop-bought mince pies. I'm not sure I'll actually make anything at all from scratch apart from Christmas dinner!

@Trumpton I love your scandi/dala horse theme! Will you use a traditional advent candle arrangement as part of the theme? The swedes mostly do theirs in a row, we Danes tend to do ours in wreath form. I mix it up from year to year according to mood.

Yes @TheWoollybacksWife it freezes well. I make cranberry sauce and braised cabbage early on in the season, then it's out of the way.

Just popping in to say hi and how much I love this thread each year. Will come back later to read through and get some inspiration!

Hello all. This is my favourite Mumsnet thread. I dwell in the Litter tray too but that sometimes makes me cry, which poncing never does.
I am a very keen crafter/baker/candlestick maker but often find my eyes are too big for my tum (hence ending up with multiple projects lovingly planned but not executed)
This year I am hoping to make felt advent ornaments which are winging their way to me from Toronto. I shall post photos if they come to fruition- I may just pat them, as I am prone to do.Telling you all about it might prove to be the necessary incentive to get on with them.
Baking this year has been handed over to Bettys, which is sufficiently poncy I think. For various reasons it's just the two of us nowadays (sadly we didn't have children) but we are Mr & Mrs Christmas here and make the time very special for us and our pusscats-which means no tree but I do have a Christmas dresser which I'll photo and post when it's adorned in December. I am also going to stencil the windows with a Gingerbread Amsterdamlike scene, prompted by a PP.
Such larks.

After perusing this thread I googled Sostrene Greene as I had never heard of it. When googling I discovered that we have one that has just opened in Exeter! I went today in my lunch break. Oh my gosh the loveliness! It is actually the nicest shop in the entire world.

Re cranberry sauce - I always make Mary Berry’s Scarlet Confit. I could eat it out of the bowl.

Oh it’s just the best 😍 We stayed in Cheltenham for a night away recently… DH has no idea that I booked it almost purely because I wanted to go to SG… though I believe it was apparent later… 🤣

Sostrene Grene must be having a big push in the UK, we’ve got a new one near us and one opened in out other nearest big town last year. It is such a soothing, relaxing place to mooch round.