Search results for: 'christmas dinner'

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and also the busiest time at your dinner table – from hosting thanksgiving dinners and festive gatherings to an all-singing, all-dancing feast on Christmas day, fill your table with personalised pieces that make every bite taste all the more delicious. Struggling on where to begin with it all? Let us assist you with a step by step guide on building the ultimate festive feast. 1. Start with the centrepiece Whether you plan your table scheme around the appetisers or you go for something more decorative – this expertly crafted paddle board will hold your centrepiece in style. An extra long serving board with plenty of room for pretty canapés or candles and decorative pieces alike – with room to personalise with your family name laser cut into its beautifully grained acacia. A lovely, personal touch to get the feast started in style, or perhaps even a brilliant gift when going to a dinner party elsewhere. 2. Raise a glass Keep their glass half full at all times and add a personal touch with a personalised wine glass. Whether red or white be their wine of choice, these elegant crystal glasses can each be personalised in a font of your choice with a guest’s name or even fun nicknames – ideal as a keepsake to remember the dinner party of all dinner parties for many Christmases to come!.  3. Pore over place settings Make a family Christmas meal feel all the more special with personalised napkins that can be used time and time again. From sophisticated sage green designs that can be monogrammed or personalised with a loved one’s name, to natural napkins that carry traditional Christmas red embroidery with flare. You can also opt for a family name personalisation for dinner parties beyond the big day. A much more environmentally friendly and stylish way to add a soft touch to your table. 4. Bring the scheme together Whether you go for a full table cloth look or you’d prefer to keep a beautiful table on show but feel like it needs that little something extra – a table runner is a great way to bring a table scheme together and set the tone for colour scheme and texture. From elegant rosemary green (that looks as good at Christmas as it does midsummer!) to festive neutrals – these table runners can be personalised with your family name for an extra special touch to your festive feast.  5. A little something extra If the thought of getting the scissors and sellotape out to individually wrap dinner guests’ presents is filling you with dread, take a load off with a personalised drawstring gift bag. Easy to fill with little gifts you know they’ll love and feel all the more personal embroidered with their name for much less effort indeed. Choose from a traditional, snowflake or vintage design, tell us their name and we’ll do the rest.  For more ideas for your best Christmas table yet, take a look here. 

You’ve spent all year taking photos - whether that’s baby bump and scan photos, or milestone photos capturing a whole host of firsts. When it comes to DIY baby keepsake ideas, a baby photobook at Christmas is a great way to compile all those special memories, moments and milestones. There is so much to capture in the first year of your baby’s life - from the sleepy snuggly newborn days (and endless nights) to the wonders of weaning (first taste of broccoli is always a great photo). And their first Christmas? Well, that’s simply a magic of its own. Here’s how to make the ultimate Christmas baby scrapbook - a keepsake you and your baby will love and return to for years to come.    Creating a baby photobook at Christmas   A Christmas baby scrapbook is a fun craft project to do with your baby (or not, if little hands are a bit too grabby for the fiddly bits!). If your baby is reaching toddlerhood and crafting is a bit too much, consider it an activity for your baby, instead. It’s a wonderful keepsake for you to look back on as a family, reliving the story of your baby’s first Christmas. It captures the wonder, the laughter, and those tiny moments that feel fleeting in a way that feels immensely personal and heartfelt. Each page becomes a window into a magical time: their very first Christmas gift, the twinkle of lights reflected in your baby’s eyes, the soft personalised sleepsuit they’ll one day outgrow. A Christmas scrapbook or photobook transforms these moments into something tangible; a DIY baby keepsake that can be revisited each Christmas to relive those joyful ‘firsts’ - and can even be added to as the years go by.   A list of what you need to make a Christmas baby scrapbook   Child-safe glue sticks Scissors with rounded tips Thick paper or scrapbook pages Printed photos Festive stickers, washi tape and embellishments Baby milestone cards or Christmas-themed printables A sturdy scrapbook or photo album   Choose a theme or layout   Start by choosing a theme that feels right for your family. Maybe you love classic Christmas colours - reds, golds, silvers and greens are considered traditional festive hues - or perhaps a ‘Winter Wonderland’ palette of silvers, whites and soft blues suits your style. Alternatively, a pared back neutral Christmas theme has gained popularity in recent years; soft oatmeal and caramel hues, soft burnished golds and dark natural greens.   You might want to structure your scrapbook chronologically; perhaps even from pregnancy (why not include scan photos?) right up to baby’s arrival and growth to their first Christmas Day. Alternatively if you want to keep it Christmas-based, you can create themed pages like ‘Your First Christmas Morning’, ‘First Taste of Christmas Dinner’ or ‘First Gift Unwrapped’. The key here is to make it personal to you and your family - whatever your traditions may be, or however the day takes shape, it’s all about capturing the magic in all its perfectly imperfect glory. For inspiration, browse Pinterest or printable template sites for layout ideas.   What to include: photos, prints and precious details   This is where your Christmas baby scrapbook really comes to life. Think of it as a personal storybook, made uniquely theirs: told in pictures, textures and little snippets of memories throughout the day. Some ideas to include:    Milestone moments: First smile, first time sitting, first Christmas outfit or first set of Christmas pyjamas/Christmas sleepsuit  Family and friends: Snaps with grandparents, siblings and even the family pet under the tree Keepsakes: A hospital bracelet, your baby’s first Christmas card, or a tiny cutting of a blanket, sleepsuit or stocking Festive touches: Cut out and stick in gift tags, wrapping paper or a piece of ribbon from a present Baby’s first Christmas: Their reaction to fairy lights, carols, or their first taste of Christmas dinner (depending on their age of course!)   Adding handwritten notes or embellishments is a great way to add a personal touch to your scrapbook or photobook - captions to photographs, a few lines of poetry, or even handwritten messages from loved ones - can really add character, personality and love. These little additions add real emotional depth, turning your scrapbook into a beloved family keepsake.   Caption and message ideas Your words bring everything together. Between photos, add short notes or captions - think of them as little love letters to your baby.   “You loved the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree.” “We laughed when you tried to eat the tinsel.” “You pulled every bauble off that you could reach!” “Your first set of Christmas pyjamas” “Your very first stocking” “Our first Christmas as a family of 3” You could even include your baby’s handprint or footprint in red or gold paint (child-safe, of course) for a beautiful personal stamp on their first Christmas story. Our tip? Make it a double spread page and add handprints across the years to chart how much they’ve grown. And with that in mind…    Make it a family tradition   The best part? This doesn’t have to be a one-time project. Each year, you can add a new page or even start a new scrapbook, if you like. Watching your little one grow from that first Christmas to the next - perhaps in their second year toddling around the tree, or even helping you bake or scribbling first signatures on letters to Santa. At this wonderful early stage, each Christmas will be more magical than the next - and whilst the days are long, the years are short - so capture it while you can.  A baby photo book Christmas series can become a treasured family tradition: a library of joy that grows with your child. You can even make copies for grandparents (who - trust us - will love it even more than you do), so everyone can enjoy that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with something made with love.  A few handy tips Use copies of photos rather than originals (just in case!) Let your baby “help” - maybe a handprint or a sticker or two, depending on their age and ability Store your scrapbook in a cool, dry place and revisit it each Christmas   And finally… Creating a Christmas baby scrapbook is about celebrating love, laughter and connection; the kind of memories that warm your heart long after the decorations come down.  So print those photos, gather your glitter and glue, and start crafting a keepsake that captures the wonder of your baby’s very first Christmas. One day, you’ll turn the pages together and remember exactly how it felt when you made it. And trust us - it’ll feel like only yesterday…