Classic ways to deck the halls this Christmas

These garlands look wonderful draped around the Christmas tree or hung on the walls, and best of all, they’re fun to make. Surprisingly, even tech-savvy kids will appreciate the opportunity to use a needle and thread to build something with their own hands. For this craft, you’ll need is some thread or embroidery floss, a needle, fresh cranberries, and popped popcorn (but avoid the buttery microwaved stuff). Thread the needle, tying a knot at the end of the thread, then pull popcorn and cranberries along the thread in whatever order you wish, until the thread is fully covered.

Christmas decorations should ignite all the senses. This craft will satiate your spice cravings with the warm-sweet, citrusy scent of the holiday. This is another simple decoration that will contribute a lot to your home’s atmosphere. Buy dried cloves, then use the cloves to puncture the peel of a juicy clementine. The clementine’s skin will release a lively citrus scent that will mingle with the heavier spice of the cloves, making your home an olfactory paradise. Put as many cloves as you like into your clementine, creating patterns or decorations as you please.

The song tells us to deck the halls with boughs of holly, but we prefer a wide variety of boughs: pine, spruce, or even flowers. The first step is to build a round form or frame to which you can affix your branches. You can make one out of wire , or else save time and buy one at your local craft store. Next, start placing your greenery on your frame, using flexible wire to attach it firmly. If you want, you can add special touches such as sprigs of berries, pine cones, baubles, or even metallic spray-paint. Finally, put it on your door to welcome carollers, visitors, and bearded men in big red suits.

Ditch the out-of-the-box gingerbread bungalow this year and make a customized gingerbread palace. Draw up schematics, bake the bread, and get to work assembling your own architectural masterpiece. The flavor of homemade gingerbread is next-level compared to the packaged stuff, and baking is a great family activity. And then comes the best part: choosing the candy! Kids will love covering every available surface with various forms of sugar, and they’ll love eating it even more. For instructions on baking your own gingerbread, try this recipe from the BBC.

A coat of paint does wonders for your walls, and surprisingly, it does the same for your Christmas tree. If you have an artificial tree, this dusting of “snow” adds another dimension to your yearly Christmas centrepiece. To create this effect, just grab some leftover white (or whitish) paint, and dab it on sparsely with a brush. For that extra snowy sparkle, put glitter on the paint before it dries. The result is a winter wonderland in your living room—without the sub-zero temperatures.