Poncetastic Christmas Thread 2026

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

Thought I would start this year's thread as there are plenty of folk starting to chat about Christmas makes, bakes and crafts on the Christmas boards.

Wherever you are, Fellatio, here's to you. I hope you're brining a turkey and had crafting authentic organic woven tinsel somewhere!

Here is Fellatio's traditional thread opening:

"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"

Welcome, all, and let the Poncing commence!

<cuts metaphorical christmas ribbon>

🎄🎄🎄🎄

I'm not automatically averse to E numbers though.

Oh Hannah- I love your trifle bowl. So redolent of Christmasses gone by. Mum's sweetie bowl referred to above also did service as the trifle bowl.
I am a trifle fan- no jelly though - shudders. St Delia does a very good orange version. https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/easy-entertaining/caramelised-orange-trifle
I hunted down orange curd for this because I am not a fan of marmalade and noted not to put the caramel in the custard because it makes it too, too sweet. I've done the chocolate version too - it's very popular and easy but it's too chocolatey for me (joins Rainbow in the fussy line- I am particular, not fussy I cry)

Here purely in an aspirational way... but I am going on a glass fusing workshop in November to make glass Christmas tree tea light holders so I figure that gets me in the gang!

This is fantastic - and thanks for the tip. I am willing to eat all of those 🤣

I am going to nick my Mum's quinces to do this.

There's a few folk mentioned doing fused glass. It sounds really interesting. I must have a look at what's on offer in my neck of the woods.

Also someone mentiomed on the first page about having some fabric and not having decided what to do with it. I bought some gorgeous Christmas fabric two Poncetastic thread ago which is still sitting there. The intention was to make a quilted table runner. I have now looked up slow stitch projects and wonder about doing a couple of table mats instead.

I went down a bit of a rabbit hole of slow stitching. Has anyone else done it?

https://createwhimsy.com/projects/what-is-slow-stitching-mindful-stitch-project-ideas/

My children share your aversion to "using up stale bread" food. The only one I can get past them is French toast - and I think that is only because of the colossal amounts of icing sugar that goes on it (at least in our house). We go through phases of having epic amounts of breadcrumbs (I make a mean schnitzel) and wasting a lot of bread (poncetastically, I make all our bread.The length of time that supermarket bread lasts scares me).

It’s divine. Enjoy the doing and enjoy the end product.

Ahhh eggy bread. Now thats yummy!

DD was just remarking to me this morning how long her white plastic warburtons toastie was lasting now that the weather isn't warm any more. I said yeah cos it's full of preservatives!

DH (and I) went vegan recently so finding alternative recipes for our Christmas staples is going to be a challenge. Butter is easy to sub but egg is trickier, I've tried to convince him to get chickens so we can have happy eggs but he's having none of it (also pur garden is way too small but that's just a detail).

Where do you get quinces from? I never been able to get some

I’ve just discovered this thread and going to pick up some ideas. I’m Jo good at craft things but so make chutneys and booze at Christmas for presents.

Last year I made mustard fruits, pickled limes, mince pie chutney and cranberry limoncello (pics attached)

This year I’m making sweet and sour cranberry sauce, spiced red onion chutney and mulled gin. I usually make two different sets of booze but have cut it down to one now. I need to get on with making the cranberry sauce as we’re away for Christmas

Well, I’m in Australia so I don’t think I can help but @MichaelmasDaisiesAndAutumSunset’s mum has some.

I typed into google and they’re around.

Quince Queen of Pudding with quince syrup.

try Waitrose - or ask people you know, I am normally leaving boxes out by the gate for people to help themselves as there's only so much quince you can do stuff with every year.

will be adding candied to my rota this year!

Yes general aversion to soggy bread things here too, I'm not even keen on French toast unless it is really well done and no icing sugar, I prefer my bread products savoury (I never have sweet toppings on crumpets, croissants etc either). So no to trifle, tiramisu, bread and butter pudding from me.

Apart from my own fussy eating my main issue with poncetastic food is scale. I love making Christmas pudding, jams, chutneys etc but there are only the four of us at Christmas, the others are fussy too (DCs won't eat pudding) and I don't have other people to give them to either. That makes me sound lonely and we're not but we have big families and groups of friends rather than close individuals so don't exchange gifts with adults other than our parents who are either fussy or allergic or in a nursing home. If I make mincemeat for example I only need one jar a year if that so I have to scale right down. But I do love the processes.

Want to join in this year, as this is always my favourite thread.
bit different for me, as I live abroad, so no frost or snow and a very odd and random selection of Christmassy items.

visiting uk next week, so am very pleased to hear that Christmas stuff is in the shops already. Will get the biggest suitcase out.

Hello @RainbowZebraWarrior and all poncers new and old! 🎄🎄🎄

I'm the resident Dane 🇩🇰 who pops up every year and has aspirations of serious poncing but truthfully I tend to buy most of it in. However I love being in this group and seeing all of your wonderful creations. Looking forward to finding out Trumpton's theme this year!

🤣

Hello!!! I have been hoping you would turn up at some point soon. Lovely to 'see' you as always 😊

Also, hopefully @Trumpton will turn up soon too. The thread usually starts around the 24th, so I am a bit early. I also can't wait to see what her theme is!

Ways to use up mincemeat glut. Not that you asked 😆

I like apple and mincemeat crumble and this easy bake from Delia

Mary Berry also has a recipe for using mincemeat to make a last minute Christmas cake but Ive not tried it but might.

theordinarycook.co.uk/2012/11/14/mincemeat-bars/

It would work in the aforementioned ice-cream too...

Yes but I'm not sure any of my family would eat any of them, they barely touch mince pies.

However last time I had some leftover I used it instead of cinnamon/sugar in cinnamon buns and took them to work where they disappeared very rapidly.

I might have to try this - sounds amazing!