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'm thinking of making a lampshade out of Christmas fabric. I'm in the visualisation stage at the moment.

Oh I wasn't sure when I made the thread, if this was a traditional opening or each new thread had its own opening.

I tried to edit it, to add that on, but it won't let me. Maybe MNHQ will, if you know how to tag them?

Was wondering how long poncetastic had been going on, so that's answered that!

I'm so excited! Thanks for starting the thread @welikebeingcosy . I've just named changed in its honour 😁

I was very happy with my level of ponceage last year. I made fabric crackers, an mdf light up village and some huge glizty gold stars to hang on the wall.

This year I'm wanting to up my decorating game in the kitchen and I want to make a wreath or a huge swag for the front door. I've already browsed dunelm and the range's christmas sections and have a shopping list 🙃 And I might have bought a few bits and bobs in charity shops in the summer 🙊

@Trumpton what is your sun room theme this year? @Queenage I'm very excited to see your massive garlands! Please let us know how you fix it to the wall. It's something I'd love to do too.

We're hosting my parents again this year. DH is fully in charge of the food situation with the exception of rum truffles, lemon posset and amaretto trifle which belong squarely to me! This year DD is very excited about our advent activities (one christmasy thing to do everyday) and has already been asking if we can do a few particular things - painting candles, making santa popcorn and a family bake off.

I love the idea of the Christmas activity advent calendar! I might do one for myself also!

Ooh- we are starting a little early this year. How lovely! I haven't got around to a festive name change yet, but I've been looking forward to the poncetasic thread.

I have only just begun to plan. Last year we had 13 for christmas dinner. This year the children are suggesting we have it just us. No doubt whatever happens on the day we will be hosting at various points.

I might drag the children for the last of the brambles tomorrow for some flavoured gin. I have vanilla extract already underway.

If you are in M and S check the baking aisle. They are making space for christmas but lots of what is reduced is great for christmas baking. White chocolate chips (21p), almond extract (40p), mixed fruit (20p ish I think- was sold out in out store), marzipan for pennies too though also sold out.

Anyway hoping on board... I look forward to everyone's ideas

Ooh, I'm looking forward to poncing along with you all!

@Christingly This year I am planning a Scandi Dala horse theme, red and white. One wall will be plank effect wallpaper maybe hung horizontally the other walls white with stencilled Dala horses. Bunting made from the reverse of a very cheap super king sized duvet cover. Table runner and napkins from front of duvet cover. Cutlery holders poss Danish woven hearts. Red charger plates under my late MIL’s beautiful Royal Doulton Melissa crockery.
I need to buy the ingredients for Christmas cake next week and also start the blackberry brandy and flavoured gins.
I do love a bit ( a lot) of poncery!

Yes it's been Fellatio's traditional opening since 2010 and the original start date is usually the 25th Sept (12 weeks before Christmas) We did have a 'holding' thread last year, but the main thing is it's here and thanks again for starting it. You could ask MN to edit, but tbh, I'd just leave it and you could always use the original opener when we get to thread 2 😊

Anyway, it's never too ealy to ponce! 🌲

@Trumptonthat looks amazing, would you share where the duvet cover came from please?

Love your incredible ideas as always @Trumpton and can't wait to see your progress. I had one of those exact king size duvets that I bought for Christmas a few years ago, and I put it in a charity bag last week in a mad fit of tidying. What was I thinking? <wrings hands and mourns many lost crafting opportunities>

On a happier note, I came across the lovely brushed cotton tartan duvet I bought for DD last year. That is going to be purposed as a table covering for our craft stall this Saturday <panics slightly as still has 30 more candles to make>

@Zeusrules
I got it from it Dunelm and the wallpaper.

https://www.dunelm.com/product/catherine-lansfield-let-it-snow-cotton-rich-red-duvet-cover-and-pillowcase-set-1000156831?defaultSkuId=30673068

There are so many lovely ideas on this thread.

thank you so much for starting this thread, I enjoyed it every year, this is the first year that I’m actually going to contribute. I would like to start making mincemeat, I like to make it vegetarian as a lot of people are these days. The only problem is that using butter means that it looks a bit cloudy in the jar!

@YuleBeBack
you can use veggie suet for mincemeat. Dd does and it’s fine.

Could you use the vegetarian suet @YuleBeBack ? It's palm oil which isn't great for other reasons but I allow myself to use it and Trex at Christmas

Yay! Happy Poncetastic Christmas Day, everyone!

Oooh, that sounds lovely. Please report back in due course …..

Thank you guys maybe I will do that!

Ooh I'm checking in to the thread. I was on last year but said we were in the last stages of the adoption process and finally got LO home at the start of November so I got no poncing done at all.

This year I'm trying not to get ahead of myself as life is busy (I've just gone back to work).

My plans are cross stitch cards for my parents (1 complete, 1 in progress), homemade pickled onions and some sort of foraged mix of leaves and berries in various vases around the house.
If there's time I'll also pick my Christmas crochet blanket back up but I doubt it

@Trumpton I don't think we've ever spoken before but I love your redecorated, themed sun room every year and may steal the idea of turning cheap bedding into a tablecloth and bunting.

@skeletonbones as someone else with a cold conservatory, may I suggest an electric fire to warm it up and a long string of lights around the room, where the windows meet the roof. They reflect off the windows and roof (assuming glass roof) and makes the whole room feel cosy.

@Trumpton thank you so much for the link, duvet covers being collected at the weekend, sewing machine out of the loft...

We are in the process of moving house so I feel like I can't properly start planning until it's all in the bag. But I am daydreaming, mostly about floristry - the new house has a beautiful bay window perfect for a Christmas tree and a lovely big hallway with a staircase that I am very excited about decorating as our current staircase is teeny. I need to locate my wreath base to make sure that doesn't get left in the garden shed

Ah my people!

I have a 2 year old now so I can’t wait for all the excitement this year (he remembers and loves Santa!) Hoping to up my ponceing for maximum excitement and to save some money on family gifts. We have a new member of the household (18yo!) so I need to get new things made.. stocking, mugs etc..

Adding a new them into the mix and decorating the entrance way in pink and red so I’m particularly on the lookout for any crafts/bargains for that!

Who is the person who cleverly bakes individual Christmas cakes in tin cans? Can you please tell me what sort of can I need to be saving up? I normally do loaf size but have some singles and dieting relatives to bake for this year.

I have not decided on crafts yet, going to make a hot chocolate and peruse my knitting magazines in a bit.

@lucysmam did you get to finish your crochet village last year? I think the awkward-gauge church is as much a Poncetastic tradition as the opening post and @Trumpton ’s conservatory.

I do but can't take all the credit as I got the idea from these threads. I use the half-sized bean cans, not the tiny ones, lined with baking parchment. Use a 20cm cake mix.

I keep finding leftover ones in the freezer from last year, they thaw in no time and make a lovely treat.