A Rainy Day and the Start of Our Simple Christmas Crafting

The wet weather meant that it was perfect weather for a little Christmas crafting. It was made extra special with my youngest daughter coming over to join in.

Making Do and Mending: Creating Handmade Christmas Decorations

In keeping with my inspired “make do and mend” simple Christmas, we set to crafting some lovely Christmas decorations. We used foraged pine cones, scraps of ribbon collected over the years, and oranges and cloves from the kitchen.

Foraged Pinecones and Simple Tree Decorations

A bit of hessian and ribbon to adorn our pinecones makes for simple, yet pretty, decorations for our tree. I love the simplicity of these decorations. I have plenty of the store-bought glass and plastic mass-produced decorations. However, nothing is quite as lovely as handmade, in my opinion.

Why a Simple, Handmade Christmas Matters Most

The best thing about crafting a simple Christmas is the time that you spend together. It’s not really about having the most stylish tree or home. Rather, it is the time we spent crafting together, which I will be reminded of each time I look at these little cones.

Spiced Orange Pomanders: A Traditional Christmas Craft

We made some spiced orange pomander balls for a little coffee table display. Adding a few lights and ribbons elevates this simple Christmas craft into something special. 

Scent, Memory, and the Moments that Shape us

The house smelled so Christmassy as we studded the oranges with cloves. So many memories from years past came flooding back, brought on by the aroma.

Like the time a friend in South Africa put clove oil on her son’s sore tooth, which promptly made him sick.

Or when I used clove oil years ago in my floor mopping water because of its strong antibacterial properties.

Memories of comfort and joy, of precious friends, of time, spent making memories all stirred up by the scents given up by poking cloves into oranges – precious!

That’s what life is about, isn’t it? It’s about people, love, friendship. It’s about time. Time spent with people is what matters.

Time with Loved Ones is the Truest Gift

Sadly, my husband and I both lost our fathers in car accidents about 5 years apart. You never know when time with your loved ones is up. We need to cherish those we love, spend time with them while we can, so that we can create precious memories. These memories will most certainly pop up at the most unexpected moments, bringing joy to your heart.

That is something I want to be mindful of during this season…not just this season, always. I want to be more connected with people than with stuff.

Drying Oranges the Traditional Way

Continuing with my mission to add simple festive touches to our home, I sliced up some oranges and popped them into the Rayburn to dry out overnight. I love dried orange slices; they look like stained glass when you place delicate lights behind them!

Last year I tried to dry out orange slices in my modern convection oven and it did not go well. They were looking great one minute and then burnt and shriveled the next!

With my old fashioned Rayburn, I left them to dehydrate overnight. They were just right when I checked on them in the morning.

The long, slow, traditional way of drying orange slices seems to be better!

Bringing the Garden Indoors for a Simple Christmas Display

My husband and I gathered boughs of greenery from the garden to bring indoors. We adorned them with my dried orange slices and delicate lights. It all looks, and smells, beautiful!

With the rain still lingering outside and the soft twinkle of lights reflecting off dried oranges and evergreen leaves, our home feels wrapped in a gentle kind of magic. Not the kind found in shop windows or glossy catalogues. But the magic that comes from shared time, from simple traditions, and from hearts turned toward one another. This is the Christmas I wish to hold onto — mindful, meaningful, and rich in the things that truly last.

If you feel drawn to this slower, hand-made way of welcoming the season, I would love to walk it alongside you. Do come and find me over on Instagram, where I share little glimpses of our simple rhythms and seasonal making. If you create any decorations, traditions, or moments inspired by your own quiet Christmas, please do tag me. It would be a joy to see how you are embracing slow and simple where you are.

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To escape the festive crowds and the cold, I nipped into the doorway of a nearby shop…

… on a shelf, packed with woolly festive jumpers, mittens and scarves was a sign that read, “35 Days until Christmas”.

35 Days?! Are we really that close?

Back at home I started making a list and plans for Christmas.

• Get the decorations out
• make a list of things that we ‘need’
• draft a menu
• Plan to visit the christmas tree farm…

As I was listing out my plans I remembered a trip we made to a National Trust property that embraced the theme “Make do and Mend” in their festive decorations.

Embracing Simplicity Strengthens Bonds Through Shared Experiences

I was inspired by the history of this property because the owners from Victorian through to WW2 times, had purposefully observed and lived a self-sufficient and thrifty lifestyle.

This lifestyle was observed because it was either a normal way of life at the time or, as in the case of WW2, one of necessity.

Whatever the motivation, the simplicity and down-to-earth nature of the lives lived in this home appealed to me. 

A Make-Do-And-Mend Attitude

The ‘make-do-and-mend’ history of the house was reflected in the homespun decorations.

Plain paper packages tied up with ribbon, handcrafted decorations, the use of items gathered from the countryside and the garden. Each item carefully chosen, picked or crafted.

The decorations hinted at time spent together around a table, making, talking, laughing together, building memories of preparation to celebrate the ‘WHY’ of the season…the birth of a baby boy who would save and redeem mankind.

Approaching Christmas with Simplicity is a Choice

With simplicity and getting-back-to basics being at the forefront of my mind at the moment, I took great inspiration from this house as well as the attitudes of its ‘yesteryear’ occupants. As I make my lists I decided that rather than throw money at our festivities, I am going to embrace a ‘Sunnycroft’ Christmas and adopt a ‘make-do-and-mend’ approach to the season.

In our home, we have always made a conscious effort to keep things simple. To focus on the true meaning of Christmas and to reject the commercialism that the world offers.

Visiting this house was a really good reminder that simplicity is far more attractive than the gaudiness that is offered in every television advert and every marketing message and ploy that assaults us earlier and earlier each year.

What Influences Your Christmas?

Personally, I find that our culture seems to be more and more influenced to have a staged picture-perfect Christmas.

My own daughters started to slip into this idea of what Christmas should be, it’s a subtle message that is fed to us through perfect Pinterest pins, Instagram staged pics and of course those warm, fuzzy Christmas movies.

The idea that people see Christmas as that one big event that absolutely has to be perfect and deliver a movie-perfect experience makes me really sad and the money that is spent, and the debt acquired to achieve this, is heartbreaking. 

Where is the Line to See Jesus

It is all completely opposite to the very way Jesus arrived in this world, humbly and simply. In fact, these days, most people leave Jesus out of Christmas altogether!

I feel like I have to be purposeful if it the simple things that want to embrace in this life.

I need to actively put away from myself the messages that are drip-fed to us every day. After walking through this house my daughter, turned to me and said,

“I really wish that life was still as simple as it once was, it seemed to have been a more meaningful way to live, to care about each other and about people, to grow your own and embrace the simple things in life”.

As we approach Advent, I just want to encourage you to consider what this festive season will look like for you and your family.

How do you want it to play out?

What can you do to make this a slower, simpler, more meaningful season that offers chances to share the true meaning of Christmas and create memories that will warm the hearts of your family each time they recall them in the years ahead?

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