20 Christmas hacks to make your season easier

Decorations & Christmas home hacks

1. Use a timer plug for your Christmas tree and lights

A timer plug is inexpensive and is a no-brainer for any Christmas lights around your home. Simply set the times you want them to come on – we like setting them to come on between 6 am and midday to brighten up the dark mornings, then again from around 4 pm to midnight for a festive evening glow.

This way, you don’t have to worry about constantly remembering to turn your lights on and off. You can grab one for your outdoor Christmas lights, too – just make sure it’s weatherproof if you’re using an outdoor plug.

2. Wrap fairy lights around cardboard

We know that taking down your Christmas decorations isn’t the most fun experience, but you can make future-you even happier by neatly wrapping your string lights around a piece of cardboard (or wrapping paper tube) so they’re tidy and knot-free for next year. Think of it as a Christmas gift to yourself next year.

3. Use adhesive hooks for hanging decorations

Adhesive tack leaves grease stains on your walls which are very difficult to get rid of, while hammering nails will leave holes. Hang your decorations in an easy and stain-free way with adhesive hooks such as Command Hooks. They come in a range of sizes and weights, and are really easy to remove once the season is over – with no marks left behind!

4. Use garden wire to secure your tree ornaments

If your ornaments are prone to being removed by inquisitive kids or chaotic cats, using some lightweight garden wire to attach your baubles will make sure they stay where they’re supposed to.

5. Use a tree skirt

A tree skirt isn’t just there to look pretty – if you have a real Christmas tree, it’ll make it much easier to clear up the inevitable needles after the big day.

Don’t have a tree skirt? Upcycle a tablecloth instead!

6. Use a lint roller for glitter

We love a bit of glitter, and it’s a popular part of Christmas decorations – but it gets everywhere. Within a few minutes of decorating, you’ll find it on your clothes, in your hair, all over the carpets and furniture… even on the dog.

Simply use a lint roller to clean it off your soft furnishings and clothing. If you don’t have one, use some sticky tape.

If you’re looking for more ways to save on your Christmas decorations, our blog on DIY decorations is here to help.

Gift wrapping hacks

7. Turn last year’s Christmas cards into gift tags

It always seems a shame to throw away all those Christmas cards. If there’s a design you particularly like, cut it out, punch a hole in it, and thread some twine through. Hey presto: imaginative upcycled gift tags for next year!

8. Brown paper & string never fails

If you want to save on wrapping paper costs, there’s something beautiful about recyclable brown paper and string. You can buy it in bulk, saving you money on many Christmases to come, and you can always decorate them with bows, stickers, or even drawings!

9. Keep all your gift wrapping equipment in one place

If you’re guilty of keeping wrapping paper in one cupboard, scissors in the kitchen, and tape… where is the tape? You need a gift-wrapping box! We’d recommend keeping a tape dispenser in there, a small pair of scissors, as well as gift tags, envelopes and stamps. This is useful all year round, not just for Christmas.

10. Use fabric to wrap family gifts or odd-shaped gifts

If you’ve ever despaired while trying to wrap a football, this hack is for you. Using a fancy festive fabric to wrap awkwardly shaped gifts makes things much easier – they also look fantastic and can be used again year after year!

You can use twine, pipe cleaners, or tinsel to tie the ends of your fabric.

11. Use a different wrap or colour for each family member

So, you’ve started wrapping presents for your partner, kids, mum and dad, cousins, friends, your cousin’s friends… and suddenly, you can’t remember which present belongs to who. It’s a Christmas nightmare!

An easy way to keep things organised is to use a different design for each person you’re wrapping gifts for. If you’re using brown wrapping paper, use a different colour tinsel or ribbon to decorate. That’s better!

For more ideas like these, our guide to gift wrapping should be next on your reading list.

Christmas kitchen hacks

12. Freeze cookie dough ahead of time

Christmas is a busy time for your kitchen, so anything you can do to get ahead is really helpful. Cookie dough can easily be made weeks in advance, wrapped in cling film and stored in the freezer. We’d recommend defrosting it in the fridge before rolling it out and using it – which may take a couple of days depending on how much dough you’ve made.

13. Get your veggies ready and store in bags

Another thing you can prep in advance is your Christmas day veggies. Boil or steam your veg for a couple of minutes until they’re part cooked. Shock them in ice water to stop the cooking, then store them in the fridge in bags or containers.

When you’re ready to cook, pop some butter and a small splash of water into a pan on a medium-high heat. Throw the veggies in, pop the lid on, and heat them through for a couple of minutes.

The butter adds a lovely flavour, while the splash of water steams them and cooks them through without boiling the daylights out of them. It’s a great way of cooking veg which retains the goodness and flavour.

14. Use your slow cooker for hot chocolate or mulled wine

Make your Christmas parties and movie nights legendary by effortlessly cooking a big batch of your chosen festive tipple in the slow cooker. Pop it on low and you’ll always have a hot and inviting drink for people to help themselves to.

If you’re after more tips to make your kitchen run more efficiently, we’ve got a whole blog on kitchen hacks to help you cook like a pro.

Organisational hacks

15. Keep a calendar on your fridge

Everyone needs a hand with staying on track at this time of year. A magnetic calendar or organiser on your fridge is the best way of making sure reminders will be seen, whether it’s dinner at the in-laws or a reminder to pick up the turkey.

16. Store your ornaments by colour or theme

This is another festive hack to help yourself out next year. Keep your decorations organised by colour or theme, so you can easily plan your decorations next year and make sure they all work together.

17. Label your string lights

When it comes to lights, more is more at Christmas. If you’ve got one set for the tree, another for the staircase, some for the kids’ room and more, you can’t be expected to remember which ones you used in a year’s time.

Avoid the confusion by labelling your lights before they go away to hibernate until next year.

Budget-friendly hacks

18. Stock up on wrapping paper and decorations in January

We know it feels weird buying Christmas stuff in January, but it’s dirt cheap!

19. Only use LED lights

It’s hard to find anything else these days, but if you’re still hanging on to some old Christmas lights with halogen bulbs, upgrading to LED versions will save you a chunk on the electricity bill. They’ll also last you so much longer, and they don’t get as hot. It really is a win-win.

20. Repurpose old jars for gifts or decorations

You know that assortment of empty jars that you’re not sure what to do with? Now’s your chance to use them! Upcycle old jars into wonderful Christmas decorations by adding string lights, or use them for festive foodie gifts.