Decorating and how-to Christmas cake decorating ideas: simple designs and toppers
From snowy royal icing peaks to a glazed fruit and nut top, here are Christmas cake designs anyone can manage, with marzipan…
Christmas guides and advice page 6
Gift ideas Christmas gifts for your wife or girlfriend, by stage and budget
How to find a present your wife or girlfriend will remember, with ideas sorted by what makes her feel looked after, by…
Gift ideas Secret Santa gift ideas that people actually want, by budget
Secret Santa ideas that get used rather than stashed in a drawer, sorted by budget and by person, with a wish list…
Traditions and questions Last posting dates for Christmas cards and parcels in the UK
Royal Mail’s latest Christmas posting dates, how many days before Christmas Day each one fell, and safe targets for 2026, when Christmas…
DIY and crafts How to make salt dough decorations: recipe, baking and painting
Three cupboard ingredients make salt dough. Here is the recipe in grams and cups, oven, microwave and air-drying methods, fixes for dough…
Traditions and questions When to take down Christmas decorations: Twelfth Night and the rules
Tradition says Twelfth Night, but which night is that, and does the bad luck story hold up? The dates for January 2027,…
Elf on the Shelf Elf on the Shelf accessories and kits: what is worth buying
The Elf on the Shelf accessories worth buying are the ones that save you time at night. Here is what prop kits,…
Buying guides Solar or battery Christmas lights: do they work in winter?
Solar Christmas lights do work in a British winter, but on a quarter of the summer sunshine. Here is what to expect…
Buying guides LED or incandescent Christmas lights: which should you buy?
Incandescent Christmas lights can still be found online, but LEDs use almost 90% less electricity and run much cooler. Here is how…
Buying guides Best artificial Christmas trees in the UK: what to look for
The best artificial Christmas tree is the one whose numbers fit your room and your plans: height, width, PE share, tip count…
