Decorating & Design
20+ Things To Do In December To Get Your Home Ready For The Holidays
Updated on December 13, 2024
The month of December can be overwhelming: there’s stockings to stuff, urns to decorate, presents to wrap and menus to plan. Throw in a few workplace parties, holiday concerts and neighborhood get-togethers and the season can feel overwhelming.
Here are some tips from H&H’s Deputy Editor Emma Reddington to help prep your home for holiday celebrations.
Start With Your Exterior
Get the outside of your house ready. Exterior greenery can last up to a month so it is one of the first things you can check off your list. Wreaths, urns and garlands create a beautiful welcoming statement at this house belonging to designer Philip Mitchell in Chester, Nova Scotia.
Bake and Freeze
Everyone loves a homemade cookie or treat over the holidays. Now is the time to start storing them away in the freezer. Think about how the cookies will look when placed on a tray all together: aim for different shapes, colors, textures and flavor profiles. Here’s the recipe for Rosie Daykin’s Chocolate Shortbread.
Put Your Cards On Display
Figure out a spot to display this year’s cards from friends and family. A decorative vase filled with twigs is an easy way to have them all displayed in one place. Add twigs as you need!
Learn how to make our Holiday Card Tree & Hanukkah Candle Gift Bags.
Prep Your Powder Room
Prep your powder room with extra fresh linens and a mini display of winter greens. It’s the small details that make a big difference.
Bring Holiday Cheer To Your Kitchen
We know everybody ends up in the kitchen so don’t neglect it when you are putting up your decorations. At the same time, this room is going to be command central for you, so keep the holiday cheer in places where it won’t get in your way. “Growing up, my family home was all about Christmas: cedar boughs on the stairs, so much cooking in the kitchen, my mom and dad baking cookies and delivering them to family and friends,” says Kimberly Jones (pictured).
Start Wrapping
It’s never too early to start wrapping presents. Chip away at your pile on a daily basis rather than leaving it all to the night before. Running low on wrapping paper? These presents were made by using up the remnants of different rolls. The result is a fun mix of patterns and a one-of-a-kind look.
Set A Mood
To create the perfect mood, candlelight always does the trick. Pick up boxes of tapers and maybe an extra box of matches the next time you are out so you have them on hand when you want to create a little ambience.
Put On A Holiday Playlist
Nothing sets the mood like hearing a favorite holiday tunes (often the sound track for baking or trimming the tree), so pull out your old school holiday albums. If playlists are more your thing, update them with some new tunes, or create different lists to suit a range of parties and activities.
Create A DIY Advent Calendar
The beginning of the month always sneaks up faster than expected. If you’re a fan of advent calendars, here is a rustic DIY Advent Calendar you can make and customize with small treats to make the countdown more fun.
Take Stock Of Your Lighting
Take stock of your outdoor and indoor string lights and make sure all the bulbs are in working order. Replace any broken bulbs or buy new strings if necessary. Having all your lights sorted and ready to go makes decorating so much easier.
Consider Foot Traffic
A busy holiday season might have you swapping out your usual hallway runner for something more forgiving to lots of foot traffic. A neutral, low pile rug will stand up to muddy boots and lots of shoes. A joyful red ribbon turns a hat hook into a great conversation starter.
Fill Your House With Holiday Scents
Nothing gets your guests into the holiday mode faster than walking into a house that smells like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Pour simmering water over the spices and let the warm fumes fill your house (citrus peels and fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme are also nice additions). Make extra spice infusions for your guests to take home in glass storage jars.
Stock The Bar
Calgary designer, Ali Velji likes to get his bar set up ahead of time. Start by clearing away year-round items like books and vases and replace them with a mix of vintage glassware, gold-hued accessories and long-lasting greenery.
Set Out Snacks For Guests
A bowl of hard nuts like walnuts, almonds and pecans can be set out on a coffee table at the beginning of the season, ensuring your guests always have something to nibble on. Clementine or mandarin oranges also work well.
Stock Up On Firewood
Stock up on firewood and kindling for fireplaces before December begins. This messy job is best done before you’ve started decorating and cleaning your house for winter visitors.
Create A Signature Holiday Cocktail
A signature holiday cocktail is a great way to impress your guests, but it also allows you to prep stemware, garnishing and mixers in advance. Pull out family heirlooms if you really want to make a statement!
Design Festive Centrepieces
Create festive centrepieces with long-lasting materials that can stay out the whole season. This one features an odd number of candles with whole pomegranates, winter thistle and evergreen branches on a round tray.
Get Your Holiday Table Ready In Advance
Pull out all the things you will need to set your holiday table a couple of weeks before the big event. Polish the silver, iron the napkins, and plan any special additions like Christmas crackers or small gifts. If you can, store it all together in one room so it’s ready to go.
Bring Out Extra Blankets
Having some throws at the ready is always a good idea in the winter. You never know when someone might want to wrap themselves in a bit of warmth.
Decorate Your Guest Room For Unexpected Guests
A pretty guest room is smart planning in the month of December. Whether it’s for expected guests or someone who needs to sleep off the amazing party you just threw, you’ll be happy to have this room prepped and primed.
Set Up A Hot Chocolate Bar
For something a little different, a hot chocolate bar with all the fixings for both adults and kids allows guests to serve themselves. Plus, it gives you some free time to do other things.