Innholdsfortegnelse for Complete Guide to Christmas 2017 i Ideal Home

With so much to organise – food, gifts, cards, decorations, trees and flowers – the run-up to Christmas can be so crazy that you find little time to pause and enjoy the moment. Well, that’s where this year’s Ideal Home’s Complete Guide to Christmas comes in. Packed with ideas, including how to bring festive style to every room, ways to keep kids entertained and the perfect Christmas lunch menu, there’s no better way to start preparing than taking time out with us! From the have-I-got-everything-ready butterflies in my tummy to knowing I’ve bought or made a gift the recipent will love, I never want the magic to end. So make the most of this time and celebrate what makes Christmas special for you… PS. Need more inspiration? Pop along to…

MAKE ME FULL HOUSE Paint the outside and some inner sections blue. Once dry, paint the front edges of the house with metallic bronze paint. Cut wallpaper to fit onto the backs of the other sections and glue in place. Stick gold numbers to each section, then pop wrapped gifts inside Wooden advent house, £5; numbers, £2 for 90; mini trees, £3 each; all Hobbycraft. Hicks Blue emulsion, £4.50 for 60ml, Little Greene. Artiste Metallic Bronze acrylic paint, £1.99 for 59ml, The Range. Wallpaper samples, Harlequin HANG TOUGH Fill mini envelopes, number them, seal with wax and twine, then hang from a greenery branch Envelopes, £5.50 for 30; twine, £5 for three balls; number stamps, £4.50; all Hobbycraft. Sealing wax gun, £16.95; wax sticks, £7.50; seal, from a selection; all…

SILVER SHINE Buy bunches of foliage and some supermarket flowers, then use to decorate a florist’s foam wreath Decorate Your Home shimmer foliage, £3 per bunch, Marks & Spencer GO FAUX If you invest in fake foliage, you can bring it out to use each year Blue Spruce wreath, £23.99; Frosted fir half wreath, £24.99; Finland moss wreath, £23.99; Mistletoe wreath, £19.99; all Lights4fun NATURAL VIBE Pick pine cones and faux mistletoe for a look that’s fresh from an enchanted forest Pine cone heart wreath, £15; Mistletoe wreath; matching garland, both £25 each; all Matalan Use LED battery-operated fairy lights to add extra sparkle to a shop-bought wreath TRADITIONAL TOUCHES Mix cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices and pine cones for a classic, natural look Spicy chocolate orange wreath, £25, Wyevale…

LINE UP Snip foliage from the base of your Christmas tree or your garden, then add a few single flower stems for a simple display For similar glass vases, try Ikea MAKE ME SOCK IT Pad socks with tissue paper, then peg them together onto a ribbon loop. Pop in foliage, then tuck in fairy lights before adding a few gifts Fair Isle socks, £20, Catherine Tough. 20 LED copper micro fairy lights, £6.99, Lights4fun. Ribbons and giftwrap, from a selection, Hobbycraft TABLE POT Stick two glittery bracelets around the base of a tumbler, then tuck in offcuts from your tree. Add a candle and paper star Christmas paper pack, £6, Hobbycraft IN FULL BLOOM Fill your home with seasonal plants and bulbs in magical wintry whites Snowflake pot, £7;…

HIGHLAND FLING Bold colours and classic tartan make for a welcoming, traditional Christmas table Tartan dinnerware, £20 for a 12-piece set; red dinnerware; blue dinnerware; both £10 for a 12-piece set; reindeer with bow, £5; wooden tree, £8; baubles, from £1 each; candles, £4.50 for two; throw, £30; all George Home SIMPLY SCANDI Lay a rustic table with pale grey crockery and use a berry garland as a centrepiece Stone dinnerware, from £8, Grey & Willow range; Star decoration, £8; Luxury Hotel Collection 44-piece cutlery set, £130, Linea range; red berry and pine garland, £32; all House of Fraser Give existing plain white crockery a style boost with copper chargers beneath FANCY PILE Use organza ribbon to tie a place setting together with a bauble for guests to keep Plates…

SALTED PEANUT MILLIONAIRE’S SHORTBREAD TAKES 40MIN, PLUS 30MIN IN THE OVEN AND COOLING TIME MAKES 12-16 SQUARES FOR THE BASE 250g plain flour 75g light soft brown sugar 175g unsalted butter, melted FOR THE CARAMEL 100g golden syrup 125g butter, chopped into pieces 794g tinned condensed milk 100g salted peanuts FOR THE TOPPING 300g milk chocolate (at least 35 per cent cocoa content) ¼tsp sunflower oil 1 Preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 150ºC fan/Gas 3 and line a 30cm x 20cm roasting tin with foil. Mix the flour and sugar together, pour in the butter and stir to combine. Press into the tin and bake for 20-30min, until golden. Leave to cool while you make the caramel. 2 Place all the ingredients except the peanuts in a heavy-bottomed pan, then…

NOUGAT CHEESECAKE TAKES 35MIN, PLUS SETTING TIME SERVES 12-15 FOR THE BASE 100g butter 225g digestive biscuits, crushed 4 gelatine leaves 400g cream cheese 1kg mascarpone 150g icing sugar, sifted 125g mixed toasted nuts, chopped 75g nougat pieces, chopped 1tsp vanilla extract FOR THE DECORATION Shards of nut brittle Handful of pistachios, finely chopped Nougat cubes Edible white glitter Reindeer cupcake toppers Mini sparklers 1 For the base, melt the butter, add the crushed biscuits and mix well. Press into the base of a 20cm-round, nonstick, loose-bottom cake tin and chill to firm up. 2 For the filling, soften the gelatine in cold water, then dissolve it in 50ml water in a pan over a very gentle heat. Set aside to cool. 3 In a bowl, beat the cream cheese,…

Known for its quality, great style and value for money, Matalan has been Britain’s go-to store for family fashion and homeware for more than 30 years. Now, you can get even more ideas online at Matalan The Show – a talk show hosted by Denise van Outen, with experts discussing autumn/ winter and Christmas trends. Ideal Home’s Complete Guide to Christmas is offering the exclusive chance to win £250 to spend at Matalan. Great for Christmas shopping or for spoiling yourself! HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win this great prize, go to comps.idealhome.co.uk/competition/atMatalan_ idealhome and answer the following question: Q: Which female presenter hosts Matalan The Show? a) Denise van Outen b) Sara Cox c) Holly Willoughby The closing date for this competition is 7 January 2018 TERMS AND…

GET CRAFTY Go on a sewing course to make this stylish must-have (who can be adorned with a few extra baubles come Christmas time) at The Makery, Bath, Somerset (on Friday 3 November and Saturday 2 December). The Sew a Fabric Stag Head three-hour course costs £40, including all materials. Find out more about this and other courses at themakery.co.uk. If you book the December date, enjoy the Christmas Market which is also on then (bathchristmas market.co.uk). SING-ALONG-A CAROL It wouldn’t be Christmas without singing your favourite carol, and where better to do it than at London’s Royal Albert Hall? Leading you through his most-loved carols and Christmas hits, showman Jonathan Cohen will be joined by special guest, actress and singer Louise Dearman. There are singalongs at 12:20pm and 4:15pm…

INTO THE WOODS Forest-themed decorations suit a real Christmas tree beautifully – go for a few white decs to keep it modern Nordmann fir tree (H4-8ft), from £29.99; decorations, from £1.49 each; firwood stars, £44.99 for three; all Dobbies Garden Centres Short of space? Try a skinny design or go for a tabletop one with mini decs HALF MEASURE Perfect for a hallway, dining room or anywhere floor space is tight, this nifty half-tree backs onto the wall (and you only need half the amount of decorations and lights needed for a full tree!) Half tree (H6ft), £25, Wilko CONTEMPORARY COOL Fancy a modern look? This pre-lit tree looks fabulous when trimmed sparingly with baubles – you can put it outside, too Frosted pine indoor/outdoor light-up tree (H2.1m), £250, Cox…

MAKE ME WRAP STAR Make a loop of ribbon behind a section of wire star, pass the ribbon reel through from the front and pull. Repeat to cover. Tie on foliage Wire star, £2; Sage 7mm ribbon, from a selection; both Hobbycraft WINTER MAGIC Simple with twinkles Star wreath with lights £35, Waitrose ROSES ARE RED For something really special, go for your favourite fresh flowers Designed to order star wreath, £240, Interflora SEEING STARS Hot-glue stars onto wire, then wrap around the wreath Silver stars, £1 for 25; rattan wreath, £3; both Hobbycraft…

STAG PARTY Add wow to a painted wall with this illuminated spun stag, which gives out a warm white glow Stag head silhouette Christmas light, £54.99, Lights4fun STARRY NIGHTS Dress a branch with decorative star and pine-cone lights, adding extra sparkle with an illuminated vase Star lights, £5; pine-cone lights, £10; wooden house scene, £3; vase, from a selection; pearl garland lights, £8; dome light, £3; all George Home Stock up on batteries for your strings of micro-LED fairy lights – most sets take 3AA batteries GET THE GLOW Fill a vintage crate with pine cones, logs and fir branches, then twist in a set of fairy lights 20 warm white LED micro battery lights, £6.99, Lights4fun PEG IT UP String peg lights across a window and clip on your…

MENU To start… Mini Salt Beef Bagels Pea & Paneer Fritters Something sweet… Meringue Snowmen Snow Scene Cookies Mini Christmas Cakes Prosecco Pink Jellies And to drink… Christmas Teas MINI SALT BEEF BAGELS TAKES 10MIN MAKES 12 3 mini bagels, cut into quarters and sliced in half 2tbsp mayonnaise 1tbsp Dijon mustard 2tsp chopped chives 3-4 gherkins, thinly sliced 6 slices of salt beef, cut in half 1 Place the bagel pieces cut-side up on a baking tray and lightly toast them under the grill. 2 Mix together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and chopped chives with a little bit of salt and pepper. 2 Arrange the bagel bottoms on a serving plate and spread them with a little of the mayonnaise mix, then add a slice of gherkin and a…

TASTE OF INDIA CURRIED CHICKEN DIPPERS TAKES 20MIN SERVES 8 8 mini chicken breast fillets 1tbsp sunflower oil 2tbsp Rogan josh curry paste 1 small red onion, finely diced Juice of ½ lemon Sprigs of dill, chopped 200g Greek yoghurt 1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºCfan/Gas 6. Soak eight skewers in water for 20min. Fry the chicken in the oil for 2min on each side. Cover in the paste, leave to cool for a few min, then skewer each one. 2 Line a baking sheet with nonstick baking paper, put the chicken skewers on it and cook in the oven for 12-15min until cooked through. 3 Mix the onion and juice with 1/2 tsp salt, then set aside for 1min. Rinse and dry on kitchen paper. 4 Mix in the…

GLAZED HAM WITH BOURBON & MAPLE TAKES 25MIN, PLUS 4HR 10MIN IN THE OVEN AND RESTING TIME SERVES AROUND 20 WITH LEFTOVERS 5kg off-the-bone ham 300ml dry cider Cloves 57g English mustard powder 4tbsp maple syrup 3tbsp bourbon 1 Preheat the oven to 170ºC/150ºCfan/Gas 3. Put a double layer of wide foil in a roasting tin large enough to fit the ham, hanging plenty over the sides as you’ll be making a tent of foil. Place another double piece across the other side. 2 Put the ham into the roasting tin, then make a tent with the foil, scrunching it up so that there’s plenty of air to circulate. Bake for 3hr. Add the cider and 4 cloves inside the foil parcel, then return to the oven for 1hr 10min…

A  Also Home 0844 870 0165; alsohome.com Amara 0800 587 7645; amara.com Amaroni Home 01205 260384; amaroni.com Amazon amazon.co.uk Annabel James 0845 548 0210; annabeljames.co.uk Argos 0345 640 3030; argos.co.uk Asda 0800 952 0101; asda.com B  B&Q 0333 014 3098; diy.com Berisfords 01260 274011; berisfords-ribbons.co.uk Berry Red 0845 450 3937; berryred.co.uk Bettys 0800 456 1919; bettys.co.uk Biscuiteers 0870 458 8358; biscuiteers.com Black By Design 01889 502716; black-by-design.co.uk Bloomon 020 3322 1989; bloomon.co.uk Bolsius 0800 169 5126; bolsius.com Botanical Candle Company (The) thebotanical candleco.co.uk Brissi 01225 319058; brissi.com British Blanket Company (The) 0845 474 1747; thebritishblanketcompany.com Bundle Beds 020 8610 9969; bundlebeds.com Burleigh 01773 740740; burleigh.co.uk C  Cake Decorating Company (The) 0115 969 9800; thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk Candle & Cake 01508 489361; candleandcake.co.uk Carluccio’s 020 7580 3050; carluccios.com Catherine Tough 020 7729 2291; catherinetough.co.uk Celtic & Co 0844 557 8877; celticandco.com Chalkboards UK chalkboardsuk.co.uk Christmas Tree World 01257 754795; christmas treeworld.co.uk Cloud Craft cloud craft.co.uk Contemporary Home (The) 0845…

NORDIC charm Classic Scandi style gets a fresh look with accents of duck egg and teal blue GOLD deco Adorn your tree in gold this year for a look that’s full-on luxe BAZAAR brights Bring colour and fun designs from further afield home with this trend Deer and other woodland friends get a sprinkle of glitter this year ICE crystal Step into a winter wonderland with this shimmering woodland look Mix the inky blues with copper to give the look extra sophistication MIDNIGHT skies For a very grown-up, dramatic effect, choose deep shades of purple and blue HAPPY holidays Fun with a retro feel, you’ll love this look for its cute charm and fun accessories…

1 PLAN YOUR PRESENT OPENING Create the perfect spot by arranging floor cushions, pouffes or stools around the tree or near a wood burner or fire. Stack big presents in piles for each recipient, or mix them up to prolong the excitement. And make sure your phone or camera is charged, ready to capture precious moments For a similar pouffe, try the knitted, £59, Ideal Home range, Very 2 GET READY TO WRAP Make life easier this year and stick to just one wrapping paper and ribbon. A double-sided design will still give you choice, but you won’t have to juggle different rolls Gold Star/Gold paper; ribbon; both £12.50 each, Cox & Cox 3 ADD TWINKLE TO DISPLAYS Glitter-frosted foliage and a string of battery-operated fairy lights are all you…

SHOW OFF Create a lovely display by hanging your favourite baubles or ones matching a theme – like vintage style – in a divided frame or display box painted in a chic shade of grey Glass baubles, from £8 each, Sophie Allport MAKE ME 1 METALLIC DIP Dip the bottom half of a plain bauble into metallic paint, then hang up over a tub to dry. 2 COOL CUBE Paint the outside of a cubed decoration dark green. Once it is dry, stamp on the letters XOXO in gold ink, then leave to dry again. 3 TOADSTOOLS Paint the outside of an open-front bauble with PVA glue. Coat in copper glitter, then shake off any excess. Once dry, spray with hairspray to fix the glitter. Glue faux moss and a…

CREATION STATION Being organised with your wrapping will save time and stress – set it up by 1 December and you can wrap gifts easily as and when you buy them Vassad unit, £95; Stala LED lamp, £18; Santa Claus, £19; giftwrap and ribbons, from a selection; all Ikea MAKE ME 1 COOL CAROLS Stencil carols onto the paper and leave to dry. Make a small pompom. Wrap the gift, then tie the pompom in place. 2 STARS & RAFFIA Cut out red paper stars with a craft punch and glue onto the wrapped gift. Tie with raffia. 3 PEN WREATH Draw a circle onto a wrapped gift with a black pen, then add leaf shapes to create a ‘wreath’. Write a greeting inside it. 4 SNOWY TREES Cut out…

BEE’S BAKERY CHRISTMAS CAKE TAKES 40MIN, PLUS SOAKING TIME AND 2HR 30MIN IN THE OVEN SERVES 12-14 FOR SOAKING 8-10tbsp liquid made up of the juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon, plus some orange and cranberry juices, black Earl Grey tea and brandy 900g mixed dried fruits, chopped into smallish pieces 500g dried vine fruits Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon FOR THE CAKE 350g butter, softened 300g soft brown sugar 5 large eggs 100g ground almonds 350g plain flour 1tsp baking powder 150g roughly chopped pecans, hazelnuts or almonds FOR THE DECORATION Icing sugar 1 kg marzipan 1 The day before you want to bake the cake, warm your liquid in a pan. Put the dried fruit and zest in a bowl, and pour in the…

TIP To work out how much fizz you’ll need to buy for your drinks party, allow half a bottle per guest for each hour ‘Choose your own take on woodland, either rich and warm or enchanted and magical’ Nicola Dean, buyer, Matalan CENTREPIECE IDEAS Cluster baubles on a cake stand, then pop a cloche over the top. Lay a wreath flat on your table, put a plate in the middle and sit a pillar candle on it. Run fairy lights along the length of the table, taping the battery pack underneath. Add in some foliage, pine cones and candles. Wrap small boxes and place on a cake stand – each one could have a small gift for diners, rather than a traditional cracker. Place a pair of mini faux Christmas…

Let the excitement commence with the gift giving and present opening. Start with a small stocking left by Father Christmas at the foot of their beds, followed by larger presents downstairs under the tree. Whether you choose to stay in PJs or get everyone dressed in their party clothes, make sure hair is brushed, faces are clean of chocolate and the tree lights are on and sparkling. Merry Christmas! Personalised marble toy sack, £35, Lisa Angel range, Notonthehighstreet.com. Tulle Princess dress, £89, Rachel Riley. Hoppie Rabbit; Bingo Monkey; both from £14.90 each, Steiff TIP A personalised sack makes a great gift and can be used for years to come – it's especially useful for large boxes!…