Whether you're cooking or enjoying a festive feast, Christmas day will be a hectic day in the kitchen. As you prepare your home for the season, why not refresh your kitchen with some easy decor and seasonal craft projects?
“If you use your kitchen as a hosting space or simply want to inspire your cook, there are lots of easy ways to brighten up the heart of your home with a festive feel,” says Lizzy Beasley, head of design at Magnet. “For a more subtle Christmas feel, you could incorporate popular Scandinavian decor or go the other way and opt for a more maximalist decorating approach.”
Check out these perfect kitchen ideas for your Christmas celebrations…
1. Christmas wreath
A voluminous Christmas wreath can instantly transform the entrance of your home, but in homes, wreaths are often placed around the kitchen.
The most common places to hang a kitchen wreath are on a cabinet door, a window, or on the unit above the stove or oven, but no matter where you place the wreath, it's important to make sure it's safe and not a fire hazard.
We love the placement of this John Lewis wreath placed proudly above the kitchen cabinets.
2. Leaf Garland
As well as wreaths, many people are decorating their windows with foliage garlands and on tables this Christmas. Whether artificial or real, garlands decorated with fairy lights, pine cones, berries and eucalyptus leaves are a great way to bring the outdoors inside. If you don't have a suitable window, try attaching a garland to a wall cabinet or above a doorway for a similar effect.
Jess Martin, party decoration expert at Ginger Ray, says: “Drop a single garland down the centre of the table, or use table clamps to hang leaves and ornaments from above the table – this is a great way to create a striking centrepiece without distracting from conversation.”
3. Decorative Christmas Jars
Get to work on creating a snowy decorated jar this Christmas. It's a lot easier than you might think. If you don't know how to do it, just add a layer of white sugar to the bottom of the jar (to look like snow on the ground). Then fill it with your favorite things, like miniature gingerbread men or candy canes. Add a little tree or a tiny house to complete the look.
4. Christmas Candles
Scented Christmas candles fill the air with beautiful scents, perfect for that warm and cosy winter atmosphere – they can even mask cooking smells, whether that's cinnamon, pine or beautiful berry scents, depending on your preference.
If you prefer unscented candles, the Rose & Grey Mini Christmas Tree Candles pictured above would be perfect for your table.
5. Festive chair decorations
Add some sparkle to your dining room chairs this Christmas by adding some simple embellishments to the spindles, such as leaves, fashionable ornaments, ribbons or miniature wreaths. Festive chair decorations are a great choice if you want to create a sophisticated and stylish look without taking up too much table space.
We love this cluster of decorative beads held together with ribbon, which is easy to recreate and a great craft project for little ones.
6. Decorate your sideboard or island
If you have a kitchen island or sideboard, adding a DIY Christmas centrepiece or vignette can really liven up your kitchen.
“You can reuse a tiered tray stand by adding small festive items like pine cones, candles, and ivy,” suggests the Magnet design team. “Choose colors that complement your kitchen color scheme or classic Christmas colors like red and green.”
Tom Howley, design director for the kitchen brand of the same name, says: “If you're looking to add a bit of festive cheer to your kitchen island, a tall vase of seasonal branches or Christmas garland would look lovely. Liven it up with some colourful ornaments or keep it simple with twinkly LED wire lights.”
7. Gingerbread house or Christmas cake
A delicious gingerbread house may not last very long, but it makes a great temporary decoration until Christmas. Whether big or small, it's great to have it on display for everyone to enjoy. The only problem is that people might eat a bit of it every time they pass by…
8. Decorated Drink Cart
Decorating a drinks trolley is a great way to free up valuable space on your kitchen table and you can really decorate your drinks trolley however you like – we love the idea of adding presents, ornaments, leaves and festive glasses and jugs to your drinks trolley.
“Pour your festive libations into colorful jugs or drink stands,” says Jess. “Not only does it look better than just bottles on the table, it's also a great excuse to incorporate more color and pattern.”
9. Christmas tableware
Freshen up your table for the season with Christmas mugs, plates and beautiful festive placemats.
“Mismatched tableware is a great way to create a vibrant and fun Christmas table setting,” says Jess. “Mix vintage and second-hand pieces with new favourites to create the ideal mix of shapes and styles. Opt for gorgeous jewel tones for your glasses and table linens, and add candelabra holders with bright candles for a multi-coloured maximalist look.”
10. Festive winter bowl
Candles are one of the best ways to make your home smell like Christmas, but making your own dried potpourri is a great, inexpensive alternative.
Simply choose your favourite ingredients to dry – cinnamon sticks, essential oils, herbs, vanilla beans or orange slices. To dry your oranges, place them on baking paper in the oven for 3 hours. Start at 120°C and increase the temperature every 30 minutes until browned. To cool, place the oranges on a metal cooling rack. Your kitchen will smell like Christmas in no time.
11. Tea towels and oven mitts
The dish tidying up has been upgraded to Christmas style. Not only should you replace the dishes, but you should also replace your everyday kitchen items such as tea towels and oven mitts with Christmas style items. It's an easy way to celebrate the festive season.
12. Christmas Scenery by the Window
“If you've got a window frame in your kitchen, you can create your own winter village scene this Christmas – an increasingly popular trend,” explains the team at Magnet. “By assembling your model house amongst a fake Christmas tree and on a cotton bed, you can create your own winter wonderland. Not only will it look great from inside your home, but your neighbours will be able to see it too, spreading the festive spirit!”
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