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>

🎄🎄🎄🎄

Thank you 😊

Thank you! This is perfect- love Ina Garden (Also love that you could play a drinking game and get very drunk if you took a sip every time she adds butter, cream or kosher salt- its a wonder Jeffrey doesn't need to be rolled onto the set.).

Ooh how amazing. I spent Christmas in the Blue Mountains in Australia with Swedish pals one year. They did their traditional Swedish Christmas eve dinner, and I did my traditional Christmas day dinner. One of my best Christmases ever!

Don't forget the good olive oil! 😁

I might try her recipe this year too; I love her.

she's got a new book out in October - its on pre-order at the mo.

I love all the tv programmes with all her mates in pastel cashmere sweaters. So posh! So Hamptons!

Ah Ina Garten. Legend. I reckon Jeffrey is now made of 90% roast chicken.

Just watched a YouTube tutorial on how to make froebel stars, I'll definitely be giving them a go.

Oh my, it's only the 13th and I'm aleeady 133 posts behind!

Hoping to do some crafting (mostly origami stars) for Christmas, but due to family issues, I'll probably have very little time for that. I hope that I have some more time for lots of tidying etc., so we have more space to show my existing decorations. I have made several jars of red currant and white currant jam (with elderberry flower liqueur!), so I can use that in a dessert or victoria sponge over Christmas.

Oh, and I got some craft kits from Sostrene Grene, so maybe I can do those with my DS and DSIL one afternoon.

Looking forward to seeing all your plans and projects!

They are lovely, and I've made hundreds of them. ❤️

Still not feeling very poncy due to the ongoing hot weather. I've spent most of the weekend so far in the garden. I'm debating planting a few potatoes so we can have home grown roasties for Christmas which seems quite poncetastic now I think about it.

I've started my vintage brooch collection for my wreath. It's going to be our main Christmas decoration expense this year so I'm not (too) concerned at how it's totting up. Amongst various pretties I have also selected a butterfly, a bee and a dragonfly. I am having rather too much fun combing Etsy and Ebay. I did have a look at Charity shops online but they are similarly priced and there's not much choice so it'll have to be the big guns. I have dusky pink hessian ribbon on the way along with some very lovely lace for the top layer. I love it when a plan comes together (but I do have to make a felt birthday crown for my great nephew before I can start this so must exert some self discipline)

I always keep a bag of Jersey royals in the fridge when they are still around (late June usually) then chit them and plant them out in late July or August. They are usually ready to harvest by November time, but keep quite happily in the ground (I use a large pot) for a little longer. My little ritual is harvesting them at sunset on Christmas eve, to prep ready for the following day 😊

I'm not sure why I've never done it with maris pipers for my roasties.

Yay! So happy to see this thread - I'm in the middle of finishing something off right now so will be back to join properly later on or tomorrow 🎅

Pleased to see this thread already, it makes me feel slightly less mad!

I'm hungover after a big family wedding yesterday, but scraped myself out of bed to go and buy gin (don't laugh!) to make sloe and damson gin for Christmas.

I had a rummage through some charity shops looking for some old kilner jars to turn into sweetie jars for my son's stocking. He is Harry Potter mad and I have some vinyl decals reading 'Muggle Sweets' and 'Dumbledore's Sherbet Lemons' in Harry Potter font.

I have been trying to get my 8yo to get more into cooking, something he has resisted until today, when he decided he wants to be the next Willy Wonka. We made some surprisingly successful Oreo truffles, and have frozen some of the centres which will still be good in September.

I have now committed to learning to temper chocolate properly this autumn, and some chocolate frog moulds have found their way into my Amazon basket waiting for pay day (and I'm telling myself they will be good for Halloween too).

I have just made those apple bars @RainbowZebraWarrior they were delicious.

I don't seem to have much time for crafting at the moment, but have booked on to a fused glass workshop in November which I am very excited about, and we are doing a chocolate workshop as our family Christmas treat this year

@snowgirl1 I have a recipe for a non traditional Christmas cake that has pineapple and mace, my mum used to make it for my Grampy. I wonder if I can remember where the recipe is?

@loubielou31 that sounds a really interesting recipe. Could you share it if you find it please?

I am on holiday so am not poncing atm, although I have secured my Christmas meat hamper from the butcher this week - had to get on it as his delivery slots go in hours!

Have also bought a beautiful St Cuthberts Cross Christmas decoration from a local stained glass artist where we are on holiday.

I have used some down time on holiday to plan what to make ahead and freeze so my Christmas prep is more spread out as I have just started a brand new job and it's a bit full on atm. I love the whole run up to Christmas so I am in my element right now.

We were at a food festival recently and Gotham coffee were there. We bought 4 different types of coffee and two different flavours of hot chocolate and so far everything is amazing so I will be doing a Christmas order from them for us and for hampers. I always do DB and DSIL a hamper of goodies and I am planning one for DD's partner this year too so recommendations for hamper loveliness welcomed!

I’m very happy to see this thread, thank you all. I followed last year and it was such a light in dark times as beloved stepdad went through quite brutal cancer treatment. He died this summer and I have been feeling that Christmas is cancelled here but you are all making me feel maybe we can do a little.

So I am going to pick sloes next week, I have often made sloe gin and give a few mini bottles as presents. And I usually make cards of some kind. Last year I made fancy lavender bags from lots of scraps and sold a few to colleagues, I don’t think I can get to that level but we’ll see.

Also other family stuff means for the first time since she was 6 DD (17 and an ace cook) is with me full time and she’s asked to make Christmas cake so we’ll be doing that for the first time. Maybe Nigel’s recipe or should I go with Delia?

@Zurbaran Go with Darina https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/food-drink/darina-allen-christmas-cake-recipe

Hello all!

Just quickly popping in before reading the thread, to share my current poncing plans! We moved house at the beginning of the year, so I'm now working room by room to finish off downstairs before Christmas - hopefully before Halloween half term!

We had a nip out to The Range at the weekend & dd2 asked if we could have a blue & silver tree this year since the living room is now silver/grey/blue. We earmarked some decorations to go back for, and I photographed a couple of felt garlands I may attempt to recreate in dd's chosen colours, time depending. I want to find some old fashioned ceiling decs, and fancy tinsel too, this year!

I have my crochet village to block and assemble (I actually think I still need to finish assembling the church that took four years of confusion to get right - I think I needed to order more yarn to finish putting it together!). And, I bought a Bucilla felt decoration kit with last year's Christmas money from my dad, but haven't got to it yet. That'll be nice for relaxing with on an evening, even if they don't go up this year.

I want to make ribbon paper chains for the kitchen, and find a small garland type affair for over the window (not sure how this goes up yet!).

Food wise - I actually have no idea. Maybe I ought to start thinking. Dd1 will probably stay in London longer 😥 so I imagine I'll bake more with dd2. But, who knows.

Anyway, looking forward to poncing with you all 🎅...I'm off to start at page 1, then maybe look for the Christmas Chronicles/Nigel Slater thread. Love this little corner of MN at this time of year 😊.

Hello lovely! Ah the Christmas crochet village. It wouldn't be Poncetastic without it. I'll be starting the CC thread next month, and will link here. We do have the general chat thread going all year which is here.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5567386-the-year-round-nigel-slater-discussion-thread-part-6?page=1

I have many plans. How much of those will come to fruition, who knows, but this is my weekend reading;

🤣 @RainbowZebraWarrior it might be next year...if I actually finish it this year! Then I need to think about whether to store it, or dis-assemble each year to try and avoid yellowing. Although some pieces have a slight pink tinge still 🤔. Anyway, thread to be ordered later, when I'm home. It's new bed day tomorrow, so I'm off for new bedding!

Your weekend reading looks fun, I may pop in somewhere to browse their selection!

I've been thinking about my fabric stash with an idea of sewing some poncetastic things for gifts (and myself)

I have a huge amount of sari fabric my parents brought back from holiday years ago for no reason other than it was pretty! It's red with gold embroidery, looks a bit weddingy maybe. Never known what to do with it. I think I might make a maxi skirt for a posh christmas day outfit. Wondering what else I could make with it, it's very christmasy looking

I also kept a cashmere jumper with a few moth holes. I froze it and kept it as fabric to use. I think I might have a go at making some fingerless gloves like the turtle doves ones. There's enough good fabric to make a couple of pairs. Maybe three pairs. Not sure if I need to felt it first or not. I need to find a pattern and instructions

I'm very invested in the crochet church @lucysmam

Not fabric based, but I'm also thinking about making a massive wreath. Like using a hula hoop for the base. I have lots of garland and picks for it, and spare fairy lights. I don't really know what to do with it though. I'd thought about hanging it in the kitchen window, because I want something there, but I don't know if it'll be too much! Maybe a kid's size hula hoop... This is my problem, I have ideas to make things and then I need to find somewhere for them to go