Its that time of year again, where we catch up with our loved ones from all over the country and for some the globe. Boy, do us Aussie’s love a good reason to party and it would seem there is no better excuse then our annual Christmas break, to relax and throw a snag or two on the bbq, while kicking back with a cold beverage of choice.

For those of you braving the Christmas hosting duties for your family and friends this year, we salute you! Never an easy task, especially hard for those that may be first timers in the hosting arena.

At the Enchanted Office there is an even split of those that have the home cooked traditional hot Christmas meal and those that have the Ham and Prawn with a mix of cool and in season salads. So for our awesome first time hosties that may be looking to us for some styling assistance for their Christmas break, we will cover off both styles, those that go the traditional hot (sauna) lunch and those that travel the cool roads of salad bliss.

Your first hurdle is to decide if you even wish to dress up your home, after all its just lunch/dinner right? WRONG!! Its Christmas, it only visits once a year and at any age represents many different things to many different people. It comes down to you as a hostess to fill in the blanks and create a festive atmosphere that will ensure your day is one of magic and not “just another family meal”.

As children we all loved the Christmas tree packed with decorations, we enjoyed the time together as a family lovingly wrapping tinsel around and around along with the jovial sibling rivalry to be the one to get the boost from your father to place the star or angel atop of the tree. What if you could extend this fun by decorating your entire home…come on don’t deny it, your inner stylist is just screaming to have a go.

So lets get started, with a friendly Christmas budget in mind, lets face it; it can be expensive enough at this time of year. We will look at some doable styles that anyone can accomplish, that will have your family wondering why you have never put your hand up to be the Christmas host before.

The Traditional Lunch

Held indoors or out this style is one of elegance and tradition. Often represented in movies direct from the cooler states of the USA.

It is not so much about suspended decorations here; it is more so about decorating from the ground up, with a huge focus on the dinner table, as this is where you will be doing most of your entertaining. Linen and crockery is important here and can certainly make or break your setting.

• A white tablecloth is a great base, it screams crisp, clean and formal.
• A runner in your chosen festive colour to add a pop
• For a more modern take on the traditional candelabra, try a large (30cm) hurricane vase with a festive coloured candle in side
• If your table is large enough add some smaller frosted votives up the length of the table
• For a fresher feel and if candles are not your thing, visit your local flower market a day or two before Christmas and pick up some beautiful festive flowers, add them to different height & length vases and make a beautiful centrepiece of them. You could even place table mirrors under the vases to add extra depth and freshness to your centrepiece. These are easy to find and can be bought or hired from your local party hire place.
• If you have bland chairs and wish to dress them up for Christmas, try hiring some sashes from your local hire shop, if tied in a way that suits your space, it could really add visual appeal and style.
• The best way to make any table look great is to ensure your crockery matches. If not and your budget permits then all white is best, bought from Kmart for around $20 for a set of 4, the effect is one of coordinated perfection. Don’t let your tired plates and bowls let you down.
• Linen napkins are the way to go in the traditional genre. If you have a sewing machine visit your local fabric store and by a metre or two and whiz up some unique napkins measuring around 50cmx50cm.
• If you have a larger family with a few new additions you may even wish to print out some cute place cards for your table
• Add a Christmas cracker in gold or silver and you have yourself a beautifully styled and traditional table.
• If there is a way that you can suspend decorations from your ceiling then Christmas balls of different sizes can be suspended from the ceiling at different lengths. This is really effective in a traditional setting if your room permits.

The Summer Lunch

Mostly held outdoors to take advantage of the great Aussie summer, this style is best keeping the table minimal or literally free for the sauce, coolers and copious amount of paper plates and plastic utensils.

This genre is best decorated from above and the areas surrounding the less formal eating and lounging area. If your pool is going to be a huge part of your Christmas day, ensure you do not forget it when styling your event.

• Suspend paper lanterns in festive colours from the patio and trees surrounding the venue
• Suspend red or deep red acrylic crystal garlands if you are going for a more bling Christmas or light reflective
• Paper Pom Poms are easy to make in festive colours, try doing layers to add depth and include white paper doilies for a cute festive touch
• If you are having one big long conversation worthy table ensure you add a bright runner and some chunky square or rectangle vases filled with blooms
• If you have an outdoor lounge area be sure to change over your cushion covers with something more festive, avoid patterns and stick with block colours to ensure the area does not look dated
• Coloured glassware is always a cheap and effective way to bring colour to your outdoor events

Don’t Forget The Entry

This is where your guest’s walk into you home, this is the most important space and is one that is often overlooked. The decorations in this space are what set the scene and the vibe for your guests. Ensure you place decorative items in your chosen colour palette. There is no need to over do it, less is more, but it is important that this space not be kept bland or everyday.

Anyway, avid DIY friends out there, we wish you well on your styling journey. Keep us posted and we hope you have a lovely style worthy Christmas!

Enchanted Empire x

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