6 tips for a Minimalist Inspired Christmas

Over the past year I have done a massive de-clutting when it comes to our Christmas decorations, like most I love Christmas but what I don't like is the all the excess which seems to follow through into every part of the festive season. My main goal this year is to create a homely, warm and festive feel but with small simple touches, loved and hand picked decorations I plan to keep for years not ones that are disposable and will land up in the land full at the end of the year. So I thought I would share a few minimalist inspired tips that embraces getting the home ready but focuses on less is more and quality over quantity

1. Decorating the Tree

I have minimised our tree decorations down by about 80 percent although each year I pick up one or two special glass babbles to add to the collection. Each decoration has been hand picked and I have to say I love each and every one which in comparison to the mountain of plastic ones we had years before is a welcomed change. It's a real event for us to decorate the tree and these simple decorations along with some fairy lights instantly makes the house feel more festive.

2. Make your own bio-degradable decorations

Each year we make orange pomanders for the mantle piece with their lovely spiced scent as well as orange sliced bauble decorations which is the perfect craft for young children. All you need to do is take a large orange, slice it thinly, place on a tea towel to dry, blot them every now and then with kitchen roll to soak up excess moisture and pop them into the oven on the lowest temperature for about four hours. Once dried thread with some fabric and there you go a simple eco friendly decoration. You can see this full instructions for this and two other natural crafts here

3. Opt for a simple tree alternative

In the right setting hanging trees can be very stylish and appealing as either a wall decoration or an alternative to a normal tree. The are both visually appealing, practical and easy to decorate and can be something kids can get involved in as well. I came across some really stylish one at Cox and Cox as seen below, they are one of my favourite interior brands and I love their stuff.

4. Incorporate elements of nature and the outdoors

Holly and Pinecones are free and work perfectly as sustainable Christmas decorations and are easy to work with. You could have a go at making your own simple wreath or string up some pinecones to make pinecone bunting which is very pretty and a nice alternative to tinsel. Small pinecones can also be placed with gift tags on presents for an extra special touch. I came across this great blog post for fun and colourful pinecone decorations do check it out for some inspiration.

5. Focus on family time

The Scandinavians are really good at doing this so why not try and embrace your own Hygge time by making sure you have some screen-free simple family evenings in the run up to Christmas, light some candles, have the fairy lights on the tree and just enjoy the moment without any focus on "stuff". You could also use this time to write Christmas cards, drink some hot chocolate and tell some Christmas stories, together. Why not also embrace some walks outside on the weekends while the shops are packed with feverish shoppers why not enjoy crunching in some leaves and slow down during what can become a very stressful time.

6. Give less, get less

Make your friends and family aware that you are trying to minimise the excess, when it comes to presents go for things that are simple and thoughtful, invest in one quality item that you know is going to be used and last a long time over lots of plastic tat. In a gentle way try and get this message across to your children as well, we do this throughout the year as it's important for kids to have some understanding of sustainable giving.

Christmas is really about slowing down, connecting with friends and family and embracing the moment, yes presents is one of the best part but wether its with decorating, entertaining and giving you really don't need to go over the top to create a lovely festival environment.

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