Preparing the things your home needs for the holiday season is a great way of avoiding those busy shopping trips in December. That’s when everybody hits the high street and looks for the things they need. Of course, buying them early doesn’t mean putting them up early, you can store them in the loft until the time arrives!

Take Advantage of the Sales

In the week or so after Christmas, most major shops have sales on. This gives you the chance so to stock up on gifts for next Christmas if you’re clever. Why not buy a set of bathroom lotions when they cost next to nothing? The prices tend to be at least 50% off, sometimes more. But the bargains are even better on Christmas decorations. Shops are always packed full of decorations they can’t sell, so take advantage of this.

You’ll be able to buy decorations for the tree, Christmas wrapping paper and lots of other things. If you wait until a week or so into January, the bargains get even better. The shops get desperate to shift this stuff because it’s no longer relevant, so they’re virtually giving it away before long. Not a lot of people take advantage of this opportunity to stock up for next year, but you definitely should.

Grow Your Own Tree

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a big Christmas tree. Yes, you can buy the plastic ones, but they’re never as good as the real thing. I used a plastic one last year, but this year, I’m determined to have a real one. And I’ve also decided that I’m going to grow it myself!

Scotch pine trees are the best for Christmas trees because they usually grow to be pretty large which is what you want. You can grow it in a pot to begin with and then move it out into the garden when it starts to get too big. It’ll take about half a year to get it to the right size.

Keep Your Eyes Open Throughout the Year

A lot of the best Christmas decorations aren’t specifically made for Christmas. Think about which colours, patterns and designs look great at Christmas and use items you find that fit your criteria. But to do this, you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled throughout the year for cool items that will look good at Christmas. There are lots of ideas to consider. The main colours that are associated with Christmas are vibrant greens and warm reds, so try to incorporate these into your ideas and designs.

You can even make your own tree decorations from the bits and bobs you find in craft shops. Last year, I searched for lots of different patterns in charity shops. These don’t have to be unused materials though. You can find patterns on old pairs of curtains or second-hand clothes. Then you can cut them out and use them to create unique decorations. You can then personalise them and make them look even better than the ones you find in shops. You should also look for sales that appear online throughout the year. You can find Christmas wreaths, stocking filler gifts and decorations at low prices.

Christmas isn’t something you should start preparing for at the start of December; you should be doing it throughout the year.