73
Get the look
41
IDEAS AND INSPIRATION FOR A SPARKLING SEASON!
26
28
36
Over 30
18
Photography: www.giselagraham.co.uk
54
CONTENTS
CONTENTS 8 HOLIDAYS ARE COMING! A month-by-month countdown
53 SWEET TREATS
Be inspired by nature
16 MOONLIGHT MAGIC
20 FEELING FROSTY
Celebrate winter with snow and ice
FOOD
CRAFT
gifts
Be inspired by the latest décor themes for the season, plus ideas for decorating with flowers, a guide to buying your Christmas tree and the best family days out.
Plan festive feasts with these tasty recipes! You’ll find dinners, sweet treats, canapés, drinks and more, giving you everything that you need to cook the perfect Christmas.
Gather your supplies and enjoy some Christmas crafternoons with our simple and fun craft projects, from cute candle holders to a funky macramé star.
Whoever’s on your list we’ve got them covered, with gift guides for him, her, children, gardeners, crafters, bakers and pet lovers – not forgetting the stocking fillers!
4
Gorgeous gifts to make them smile
Delicious desserts, perfect puddings and creative cakes, including recipes by Tom Kerridge and Kim-Joy
86 ADULT STOCKING FILLERS Grown-up gifts for under £10
89 FOR GARDENERS
60 YOUR COVER GIFT
Blooming marvellous presents
Use your luxury cookie cutters to bake a showstopper gingerbread house
90 FOR CRAFTERS
Makers will love these treats
64 PARTY
24 CHRISTMAS COMPANION
CRAFT YOUR CELEBRATIONS
26 A SEASONAL TREE-TORIAL
TRENDS
84 FOR HER
Entertain guests in style with suggestions for cheese, canapés and cocktails
Why the robin adorns our cards
81
Thoughtful presents he’s sure to love
22 RETRO STYLE
Inspired by vintage treasures
69
82 FOR HIM
14 GOING GREEN
Marvellous metallic décor
69
THE ULTIMATE GIFTS
46 DINNER
TRENDS & TRADITIONS
18 SHINE BRIGHT
45
FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD BBC Good Food’s ultimate Christmas menu, plus ideas from James Martin
Go for the opulent look
13
DELICIOUS RECIPES TO TRY IN OUR FOOD PAGES
70 THE GIFT OF CALLIGRAPHY
Real or fake? Top tips to help you choose
Three ideas for gift wrap and décor using beautiful penmanship
28 DECORATE WITH FLOWERS
72 FELT WREATH
Bring flowers and foliage inside this season
32 A FESTIVE SHOWCASE
Behind the scenes at Dobbies garden centres
34 REDUCE WASTE THIS CHRISTMAS
10 ways to have a more sustainable celebration
36 LET IN THE LIGHT
Blenheim Palace’s celebrations, plus days out
41 A FEAST OF FAMILY FILMS
Radio Times’ top ten movies to enjoy together
91 FOR FOODIES
Great buys for the cooks in your life
93 FOR PET LOVERS Totally paw-some ideas!
94 FOR KIDS
Toys, clothes and treats they’ll adore
96 KIDS STOCKING FILLERS
Delights for Christmas morning
Ideal for dressing your dining table
98 IT’S TIME TO EMBRACE CHRISTMAS PRESENT
73 MACRAMÉ STAR
An on-trend make with yarn
After a tricky year, we look at ways to make your celebrations really count
74 FIMO WALL HANGING Get out your modelling clay!
77 CANDLE HOLDERS
Win a Lakeland hamper set on page 10
Repurpose old toys to make stylish ornaments
78 ORIGAMI STARS
Simple but beautiful paper decorations 6
Style it up Feeling bold? Give your furniture a makeover in deep blue – or take it all the way with a feature wall. We love this Aubusson shade from Annie Sloan.
THE LOOK OF LUXE
CREATURE COMFORT
FEATHER YOUR NEST
The spectacular Danoa giant bauble is just the thing to make an eye-catching style statement this Christmas. From £18.95, www.nkuku.com
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a liberal dose of reindeer decorations, and you won’t find one more glamorous than this! £14.99, www.tch.net
Take your cracker game to the next level with these peacock beauties – a dazzling finishing touch for any festive table. £19.99 (box of 6), www.giselagraham.co.uk
Moonlight
MAGIC
STAR BRIGHT
DECS APPEAL Contemporary design meets classic chic in these geometric baubles. The midnight blue glass catches the light beautifully. £50 (set of 12), www.coxandcox.co.uk
Photography: www.anniesloan.com
Hang this stylish Helsinki star anywhere in your home and let its warm glow fill you with instant Christmas cheer. £16, www.nordicnest.com
Dark, moody shades and shimmering gold accents are the perfect way to give your home a luxurious festive look this year
PUT A RING ON IT
INTO THE BLUE
SHAPING UP
We can’t get enough of these glamorous decorations – the peacocks will look at home among the branches of your tree. £14.99 each, www.giselagraham.co.uk
It’s hard to resist the wonderfully cosy and atmospheric glow from the light of this gorgeous glass candle holder. £14, www.wilko.com
If you’re seeking ornaments to stand the test of time, the elegant shapes of these Tigari hangings have an enduring appeal. From £14.95 (set of 3), www.nkuku.com
16
1
10 WAYS
TO REDUCE WASTE THIS CHRISTMAS For a guilt-free start to the New Year, we’ve compiled a list of easy tips to help you cut back on unnecessary waste, without scrimping on style...
10 WAYS TO DISPLAY
Rather than investing in new, choose to enhance your existing collection of baubles and decorations with foraged foliage and natural items. Cinnamon sticks and clove-studded oranges look beautiful – and all of these natural extras will be compostable and give your home a delicious, festive aroma. Add re-usable decorations like these paper chandeliers and garlands from www.merimeri.co.uk – they look stunning and pack away for next year.
1
reenandgorge
A flicker of light Flowers and candles go hand in hand at Christmas. Make a centrepiece by placing a large pillar candle in a glass column vase or antique pot and surround it with a wreath of roses, greenery and pine cones. Don’t be
Bring nature inside You don’t need petals for a pop of colour. Instead, weave foraged finds, such as lengths of foliage, rosehips, hawthorn berries and holly branches or dried flowers such as white sea lavender around wreath rings or an embroidery hoop. For a woodland feel, add acorns and feathers. Sprigs of berries or simple greenery arranged in vintage bottles create a charming display, ideal in more rustic interiors.
28
thus wreath, @g
2
2
Make wreaths for both inside and ou t
onium/misc an
W
too precious about placement – a wild and natural arrangement can often be more pleasing to the eye than a formal, staged display. As shown above.
ousflowers
Take inspiration and decorate your home with festive displays of woodland flora, traditional arrangements and verdant foliage
Photo: Dried lim
Words: Holly Johnson. Main photo: Nordic wreath by The Real Flower Company, £90
FLOWERS AT CHRISTMAS hile it might be dark, cold and gloomy outside, decorating your home with flowers and fauna is a beautiful way to bring the outdoors inside and spread some floral joy. Whether you shop for seasonal flowers or forage them from local woodlands and hedgerows, you’re sure to find styling inspiration from nature’s abundant colour palette.
Photography: Meri Meri
1
DECORATE THE NATURAL WAY
34
FO CL E CO R U VE VE SIN R ID R G EA GI YO S FT U * R
FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD
GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Delicious ways to eat, drink and be merry with your loved ones this season
Use your free gift to make your own 3D gingerbread house as a fabulous centrepiece for the party table this year
* Cutter set only available with print edition
Gingerbread houses are a family favourite at Christmas and are hugely enjoyable to make. Choose from our fun sweetie house or the stylish chocolate design!
GINGERBREAD HOUSE BASE 125g butter 100g brown sugar 4 tbsp golden syrup 300g plain flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp ground ginger Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/Gas Mark 6. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan. 2 Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ginger into a large bowl, then stir in the butter mixture to make a stiff dough. If it’s 1
not quite holding together, add a little water. 2 Roll out the dough to the thickness of about two pound coins. Using the straight rectangle cutter, cut two side walls. Place onto a baking tray lined with paper. 3 Roll the dough again to the thickness of a one pound coin. Cut out two of the scalloped roof pieces – trim both by 2cm along the straight edge and one by another 2cm, so that one is shorter than the other. Place onto the tray. 4 Cut two house fronts from the dough using the simple side of the decorative cutter. Remove the heart to leave an aperture. Flip the cutter over and line up
M MORE IDEAS FO FOR YOUR CU CUTTER SET! Fondant decorations Sandwich cutters Playdough or clay fun Bird feeder moulds Stamping with paint Spray pai paint int stencils Paper house template Needle felting stencil Download a printable house template for crafting from bit.ly/simplyxmas20
the heart over the cut piece. Press down firmly to emboss the design into the dough. Place on the tray and bake for 7-9 mins. 5 Remove from the oven. Before they’re cool, trim the edges with a straight knife for a neat and stable finish.
Your Christmas just got a whole lot sweeter with
Tip
this gingerbread house!
Before baking, cut windows into the sides and melt boiled sweets into the apertures for a stained glass effect.
Made by Laura Walker, from www.lauraskitchencakery.co.uk
Photography: BBC Good Food, www.bbcgoodfood.com
C
ooking, baking and sharing festive food and drink is such an important accompaniment to Christmas festivities, and this selection of recipes is sure to get your mouth watering! Whether you opt for traditional turkey with all the trimmings or want to try some new dishes to wow your guests, pore over a plethora of inspiring recipes including some from chefs James Martin, Tom Kerridge and Kim-Joy. The experts at BBC Good Food have also put together a comprehensive Christmas Day menu the whole family will adore. Bon appŽtit!
60 Simply Christmas 2020
CRAFT YOUR CELEBRATIONS
VERY BERRY FELT WREATH
Add some handmade touches to your Christmas with our simple festive projects
Take inspiration from nature and adorn your dinner table with these easy-to-make decorations HOW TO MAKE THE WREATH To make the base, cut 50cm of sturdy floral wire and bend into a circle shape (approx. 15cm across). Twist the ends around each other to join (or create a small loop if you’re planning on hanging the wreath) and wrap around the join with floral tape. Continue wrapping tape around the circle until you have a neat finish. 2 Sketch a slim, olive leaf shape (3cm long) on paper and use this to cut 60 leaves from green wool felt. Gather together 15-20 small felt balls for 1
the berries. Using one strand of the embroidery thread, stitch a little star into each one. 3 Attach the leaves to the base by applying hot glue to the back of each leaf and sticking in place. Use the main image as a guide. Angle the leaves slightly for a more natural look. To finish, add the berries in singles or clusters until you’re happy. Created by Sandeep Pawar for Mollie Makes. See more of her creations at www.planesworkshop.etsy.com.
YOU WILL NEED Olive green wool felt 1cm red wool felt balls Black embroidery thread Embroidery needle Green floral wire & tape Hot glue gun
Photography: Hobbycraft, www.hobbycraft.co.uk
2
3
G
etting creative at Christmas is always one of the loveliest parts of the season, so we’ve put together some festive makes that crafters of all ages can get involved with. You’ll find exquisite origami stars, clever candle holders, fantastic felt wreaths and much more to inspire your Christmas crafting. Pictured here is a stylish idea from Hobbycraft to customise plain baubles with brush lettering – if you like this look of this, turn the page to find our exclusive projects from The Modern Calligraphy Company.
1
Make a larger version of the wreath for your front door!
72
N OU O T W
ONLY £5.99!
Everything you need for your perfect Christmas! From cooking to crafting, decorating to gift buying, Simply Christmas is packed with inspiration to bring you a happy festive season! Available in store today or as a direct order
our own y e ic d n a e Bak house! gingerbread
ORDER YOUR COPY NOW!
Only £5.99 (plus p&p*) CALL 03330 162 138 and quote ‘SIMPLY XMAS 20 PRINT1’ ONLINE www.buysubscriptions.com/SimplyChristmas20 UK calls will cost the same as other standard fixed line numbers (starting 01 or 02) and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances (if offered by your phone tariff). Outside of free call packages call charges from mobile phones will cost between 3p and 55p per minute. Lines are open Mon to Fri 9am-5pm. Overseas please call +44 (0)1604 973 746. *Prices including postage are £6.99 for UK residents, £7.99 for Europe and £8.99 for Rest of World. Please allow up to 28 days for delivery.