For us, a huge part of Christmas is the act of making; pop on some Bublé, pour yourself a mulled wine and get creative. Not only does this get you in a thoroughly festive mood, it's also a great way to entertain and save some money along the way.

Whether you're looking for an afternoon of activities for you and the family, or a simple yet effective way to spruce up your dining table, our Christmas Styling Guide helps bring the feel of Frances Loom into your own home.

Garlands

Foraged foliage garlands are our forté - we've made several for our Christmas shoots and always put a lot of love into our own. We tend to go for natural greenery such as evergreen branches, eucalyptus and snowberries, occasionally finishing it off with a string of led lights woven through it. 

Garlands are particularly good if, like me, you have a fireplace but lack space for a tree - they effectively achieve the same thing, without taking up so much room.

Don't forget to finish off your fireplace display with a Frances Loom Stocking for each family member!

Table Decorations

Save a few branches of eucalyptus to dress up your dining table with a really simple yet effective centrepiece. Unlike evergreen, eucalyptus stays pretty much intact so there's no need to worry about plating up a piece of greenery.

We suggest keeping candlesticks to a minimum to avoid any potential accidents. Instead, make an impact by using a statement candlestick holder like the four-armed Heima Candlestick, or ribbed tapers from the Matilda Goad.

According to Nordic mythology Heima means ‘home’ or ‘the world’. We love the uneven surface of this cast iron candlestick, which is said to be a tribute to industrial craftsmanship. What's more, the gently rounded shapes make a traditional object brilliantly modern.

Normann Copenhagen | Heima 4-armed Candlestick - $71 / £50

Matilda Goad | Beeswax candles - £42 for a pack of 6

Ornaments

As I'm sure you all know by now, my business partner Heather is pretty innovative when it comes to all things Interiors! Having struggled to find the ornaments she wanted for quite some time, she took to making her own out of a pre-loved, acrylic drop chandelier. Together, we de-assembled the whole thing, weaving velvet ribbon through the hole of each pendant and tying a simple bow. 

Wrapping

We always opt for plain recycled brown packaging paper,  not only because of its environmental benefits but because it makes the perfect base for personalised present toppers. We love these DIY sleighbell and mistletoe decorations by Honestly WTF and are about to make them ourselves using the leftover velvet ribbon!