Interior design

Make your new house a home this Christmas

- 25 Nov 16

Hosting your first Christmas in your new home is a wonderful way to create some special, lifelong memories with loved ones. Whether you've been in your new Bovis Home for several months or a matter of weeks, taking the time to deck the halls and making your house feel festive will certainly get the family into the Christmas spirit.

If you're considering organising a festive drinks party for your new neighbours or if you're planning to host this year's Christmas Day celebration for friends and family, here are some of our favourite homemade Christmas décor ideas designed to help you celebrate in style.

Create a rustic winter wonderland

Pine cones, holly and mistletoe offer an inexpensive way to get creative and provide some timeless, natural décor for your home.

Mistletoe grows wild in the branches of willow, apple and oak trees, or can be picked up from the majority of florists during the Christmas period. Simply tie some ribbon around a bunch and hang in doorways or from light fixtures to spread some cheer and Christmas spirit.

By gathering fir branches and springs of berries and pushing them into an oasis foam wreath ring soaked in water, you can create a simple, stylish wreath for your front door. Use wire to attach pine cones, dried oranges and cinnamon sticks, and add some festive ribbon to complete the look.

For many, the Christmas season truly kicks off when it's time to decorate the tree. But why not get the kids involved this year and create some rustic Christmas tree ornaments? Simply use a wooden lolly stick for the stem, and glue twigs across horizontally, gradually increasing in length to form a triangular tree shape. Decorate with sequins and add a loop of thread at the top to finish.

Add festive light and sparkle to your home

Not only do fairy lights add a touch of sparkle to your home, but tea lights and candles can also make living spaces feel warm and cosy on cold winter nights.

Dressing up empty fireplaces with a few chunky, church candles is a great way to create a warm, calming atmosphere, while Christmassy scented candles are bound to make friends and family feel a little more festive around the fire.

Filling hurricane vases or decorative glass bowls with pine cones and a large candle is also a great way to dress up coffee tables and mantelpieces. Add a dusting of metallic paint or glitter, or tie a ribbon around your vase for a quick and easy way to add some extra glamour to your home.

Adding white lights to trees and bushes is the perfect way to decorate your garden. But for a more modern look indoors, fill vases, jars, lanterns or terrariums with battery-powered fairy lights, or string fairy lights across walls and hallways and use this to display your Christmas cards using mini pegs. This clean, minimalistic look is great for homes with a neutral décor, and for those who just want to add a subtle touch of festive sparkle to their home this Christmas.

Dress up your dining table and wow your guests

From runners and napkins to centrepieces and place cards, it's easy to create an enticing and inspiring dinner table which is trimmed to perfection.

Impress your guests by creating your own place card holders this Christmas. Sprinkling pine cones with a little glitter before placing your cards on the top will add some glitz and charm to the dining table. You can also display place cards with some festive rosemary sprig wreaths, which are made by bending a sprig of rosemary into a circle before securing in place with some twine or thin ribbon.

Cinnamon sticks, candy canes and berries or twigs from fir trees also look really effective when tied together with napkins using ribbon or rustic twine, and can be coordinated to match place mats, table runners and centrepieces.

It's easy to create stylish centrepieces using driftwood, pine cones and fir tree garlands, but for a real showstopper, try creating a floating candle display. Fill a shallow vase or decorative bowl with water and holly leaves and berries before finishing with a few floating candles. The result is a simple, elegant centrepiece which is guaranteed to turn heads.

Your countdown to Christmas checklist

So that's the décor taken care of, but there's plenty more to consider this holiday season if you want to make your first Christmas one to remember. Use our countdown to Christmas checklist to make sure you've got everything covered when it comes to preparing your new home for the holidays.

1. Declutter and clean your home

2. Write and send Christmas cards

3. Mail Christmas lists to the North Pole!

4. Buy, wrap (and hide!) gifts

5. Compile your festive music playlist

6. Stock up on logs for the fire

7. Prepare rooms for overnight guests

8. Stock up on food and drink in advance where possible

9. Hang stockings by the fire

10. Remember to leave a carrot and mince pie out for Santa and his reindeer!