Christmas Decorations for
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Comptetive streamer making was a big deal when I was at school - Christmas Matters hopes it still holds some kind of schools record. A simple link chain is fun to make. You can cut the strips & use glue to link them together yourself (this would be a fantastic use for last year's saved wrapping paper), or (and this is probably the best option with younger kids) you can buy strips that have been already cut & are gummed ready for licking. You can make a really speedy streamer by folding together two long different coloured strips of crepe paper. Glue the ends to make them secure.

Everyone loves to make cut out snow flakes.  Here are some instructions for making a beautiful 12 point version.  They look great stuck on the window with a touch of blu-tak, or you can thread them on to cord to put on the tree, or use them as card toppers.  Obviously they look even better with glitter, or some lovely spray paint...  If you make loads then they can look incredibly effective stuck to the wall in a huge snowflake storm.

Pine cones are a Christmas favourite because they look great & smell great - they are also pretty versatile. You could heap a pile in a large dish or basket, place them artistically around the place or make garlands with them by threading them onto ribbon or lengths of cord.  We like to go for a walk to find pine cones as part of our build up to Christmas. Once you have a good supply you need to give them a good clean up to get rid of dirt & insects, then bake them for about 20 mins (Gas 6/200C) which will release their sap, make them look very pretty and will also open any closed cones. You can then decorate them how you like using glitter, spray paint - whatever takes your fancy. This is a fun job for little ones.

We also collect holly & ivy on our pre-Christmas walk so that we can use it all over the house. Why not have a bash at making a wreath for your door or a centrepiece for your dining table?  All you need is some strong wire (we've used a re-shaped wire coathanger in the past), lots of greenery & some other decorative bits & bobs, a pair of gloves & some secateurs. Or if you don't want things to get that complicated, then a huge bunch of holly, tied with a great big bow, can look brilliant too.

Dressing up the Christmas dinner table is one of the important rituals of Christmas Day. It's good to use the best that you have to celebrate this wonderful day. You can add to the splendour in all kinds of ways. Things like place cards, homemade crackers, christmas ribbons used to tie up napkins, candles, even more greenery can all look very effective. If you are expecting lots of people to for the Christmas meal why not adapt these instructions for a felt stocking for the Christmas Tree to make place cards. You could place a tiny gift in each stocking too. If you don't fancy all that sewing then you can make the more traditional place cards & decorate them however you please.