Some simple festive home updates

It's fair to say that I love the run-up to Christmas just as much as the day itself - possible more. The school carol service; the excitement of my pupils as we watch Shrek for the nth time; putting the final decorative touches to my home; baking up a storm; packing the car to visit family. 

Sadly, all of that fell by the wayside this week after I was taken down by severe bronchitis. Four days in bed and I'm only now able to sit up for longer than 15 minutes at a time. Luckily I'd already written my final festive post, about a few simple home updates I've put together this year. 

I am emphatically not one of those too-cool-for-Christmas people (true story - a couple of weeks ago The Boy came into the spare room to find me draped in ribbon, jingling my bells (not a euphemism) and giggling with happiness. He calls me 'Elf' when I get like this, after Will Ferrell's character in the eponymous film). Instead, the whole house undergoes a transformation. If there's a flat surface, I will cover it with fairy lights and greenery. Stand still for too long in December and I might just hang a bauble on you.

As a result, just putting up a tree and a wreath isn't enough for me: the whole house needs to be Christmasified, and preferably with stuff I've made or upcycled. A few years ago I whipped up gingham heart decorations; last year it was the turn of some needlework in the form of appliqued cushion covers and my 'Let It Snow' embroidery hoops; this year I decided to turn an old and unloved mirror into a festive blackboard.

All you'll need is an old mirror or picture frame. I used white paint (just some standard white emulsion I had in the shed) to give the silver frame a distressed, vintage look. Once that had dried, I applied a couple of coats of blackboard paint onto the mirror itself (if applying to a standard picture frame, I'd suggest removing the glass and painting the blackboard paint onto a piece of thick cardboard to sit inside the frame). Chalk pens made the slogan a doddle to write and, together with a jug full of eucalyptus branches, it makes for a very stylish display in our kitchen.

One of my bargain tips is to search out books of sheet music in charity shops. A couple of years ago I hit paydirt in Market Harborough Oxfam, picking up ten books of music that had seen better days together with a volume of Christmas Carols. The framed sheet music from Silent Night makes a simple but beautiful picture, and I also use sheet music to make gift tags, to wrap presents, and to make garlands to hang on the tree.

Do you have any favourite home updates at this time of year?