Laura Jackson’s Guide To Festive Entertainment & Decor

Stuck for ideas this festive season? We ask writer and broadcaster Laura Jackson to share her top Christmas hosting tips and traditions, as well as her favourite decorating ideas. From setting tables to creating that all-important festive ambience, here’s how to host Christmas like a pro.

Hosting At Christmas: Laura Jackson’s Festive Entertainment Guide

Add Sweet, Personal Touches

I usually host Christmas at home. Growing up in a busy household, I’ve always loved the feeling of everyone coming together on the day. I spend a lot of the time in the kitchen, with the kids helping me decorate and set the table. My daughter and I make a hand-painted menu each year, and I always create painted place settings for everyone. That’s probably my favourite tradition.

Laura’s Tip: Add a personal touch with handpainted place-cards or menus that can be kept for years to come.

Hand-painted place-cards

Decorate With Personality

We love a good paper garland in our house. All year, we collect bits – leftover wrapping paper, colourful cards, little scraps – and then we drape them from the ceilings and wrap them around the tree. I’m not big on everything looking perfect (with three kids, that’s just never going to happen!), but I love the house feeling playful and full of personality.

Each year the kids each pick out a special bauble, usually from somewhere lovely like Liberty (they always have the best). We decorate the tree together, and I love thinking about how, when they’re older, we’ll still have all these memories hanging there. It’s such a nice little tradition to keep going.

I’d love to pass down the collection of baubles we’ve built over the years. Each one has a little story behind it, where we were, what the kids were into that year, so it feels like a time capsule of all our Christmases together.

Laura’s Tip: Save offcuts of paper and cards to make your own sustainable and unique decorations.

Paper decor in Laura Jackson’s conservatory

Bring Nature Inside

I love pomanders, they’re timeless and make the whole house smell amazing. I’ll often tuck in herbs like rosemary or thyme on the table for a lovely natural scent, and I like using pomegranates and cranberries, too, they add such a great pop of colour and feel festive without being over the top.

Laura’s Tip: Swap plastic decor for fragrant natural touches like herbs and berries.

 

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Set The Scene

If I’ve got time, I’ll prep the turkey the night before and make a vegetarian option for my husband. But honestly, Christmas is always a bit frantic, so I never get to prep as much as I’d like. Usually it’s an early start, cup of tea in hand, radio on, and straight into the cooking. I love having fun with the table; it doesn’t always have to be traditional. Last year I went for blue and brown, and this year I’m thinking of another unexpected colour combination.

Laura’s Tip: Don’t be afraid to stray from traditional Christmas colourways.

Go Big On Christmas Feasting

I’ll be making the turkey (of course!) and a really good vegetarian option for my husband, usually something hearty like a nut roast or a tart. There’ll be all the classics too: crispy roast potatoes, loads of seasonal veg, and plenty of gravy. I like to serve everything in big sharing dishes down the middle of the table so it feels relaxed and everyone can help themselves.

We’ll pop open some champagne to start, then move on to a good red with the main, and there’s always dessert – I love a huge meringue, something that once delivered to the table wows everyone (but is actually really easy to make), like a tower of meringues and seasonal fruit.

Laura’s Tip: Serve family-style to keep things easy and sociable.

Showstopping meringues

More Tips From Laura

Laura’s Art of Hosting series returns soon with a focus on festive entertainment. You can catch it over on Instagram (@iamlaurajackson).