The H&G advent calendar: Joyful ideas for the festive season, shared daily
Welcome to the H&G advent calendar! It’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed in the lead to up Christmas. There’s just so much to do – from decorating the Christmas tree and buying gifts to planning parties and getting creative with the kids – and we all want to do it all, beautifully. The best Christmas gift the House & Garden team can give our readers is a helping hand. Our digital advent calendar is just that: inspiration, cheat sheets, tried and tested how-tos that promise to take the stress away from the festive season, shared daily.
Want to decorate with Christmas lights without losing your mind? Or create your own gift hamper and wrap gifts like an expert? We’ve got you covered. From the dos and dont’s of being a good host (and a good guest) and thoughtful gifts for those who are hard to buy for to festive recipes that you’ll keep coming back to year after year – and even tricks to lure robins to your garden on boxing day – the H&G advent calendar is your one-stop guide to a joyful Christmas.
Return to this story daily, or subscribe to our newsletter to unbox the latest advent content, curated by our editors.
1/9Day 9: Christmas mantelpiece ideas for a festive fireplace
A Christmas mantelpiece is undoubtedly one of the most alluring of all festive decorations. For one, a mantelpiece is a period feature we so often desire in our homes for many reasons; the promise of a fire, the ability to display trinkets on them and their general charm. One decorated for Christmas, therefore, can provide a brilliant focal point for the room.
Click here for Christmas mantelpiece ideas from the House & Garden archive.
2/9Day 8: How to make paper star decorations this Christmas
What better festive craft project could there be on a quiet Sunday afternoon than to make some paper star decorations to hang on your Christmas tree?
Follow this simple step-by-step guide to make your own this year.
3/9Day 7: Budget-friendly Christmas decoration tips
Christmas is one of the most wonderful times of the year and, if you are not careful, also one of the most expensive. Between food, cards, gifts, wrapping paper and decorations, you can easily rack up one hefty bill. So, we asked some crafty creatives to come up with enterprising ways to make the most out of relatively little; from using leftover wrapping to create festive garlands and foraged branches to bulk a tired old wreath to repurposing last year's Christmas cards to make this year's place cards, we've got you covered.
Click here for DIY Christmas decorations that can be done on a budget.
4/9Day 6: The 9 best Christmas 2025 hampers to gift (or receive)
Looking for a perfect gift for that special someone? Our round up of UK Christmas hampers for 2025, from The White Company and Selfridges to Snowdonia Cheese, will help you find something that's sure to be appreciated.
Click here to discover the season's most festive hampers, tried and tested by our team.
5/9Day 5: The dos and don'ts of decorating a Christmas tree
Decorating a Christmas tree should be, first and foremost, about joy. And indeed, there really are no rules when it comes to decorating a tree, but if you want to create maximum impact, we have some sage advice for elegant, classic, foolproof schemes.
Click here for our expert's key principles for decorating your tree in classic style.
6/9Day 4: What to buy for an outrageously maximalist Christmas
Every year House & Garden heads off to the houses of stylish tastemakers for our Christmas shoots, and it's a great way to keep a finger on the pulse of what's on trend as the years pass by. While we certainly have a soft spot for a tasteful, minimalist scheme, we've been noticing things taking a turn for the showy in recent years: Colourful lights, glittery metallic baubles, and even, dare we say it, tinsel have made it back onto our moodboards and we're very much loving the maximalist Christmas look.
This is your guide to doing kitsch and colourful Christmas right.
7/9Day 3: How to choose the right Christmas tree
In the following days and weeks, many of us will make our annual pilgrimage to the local Christmas tree farm, garden centre or nursery to pick out the perfect Christmas tree. But what exactly is the perfect tree, or more precisely, what is the right Christmas tree for you? We have asked the experts for their top tips to help you make the best possible selection.
Click here to find out how you can choose a Christmas tree that's right for you.
8/9Day 2: Nina Campbell answers your Christmas decorating queries
Where should the tree go in the house? Are themed Christmas trees still a thing? How do we decorate and host in a small space? Nina Campbell, interior designer and lover of all things Christmas, solves your festive decorating conundrums: from dog-friendly decorations to what to do with the stairwell.
Click here to read the full feature.
9/9Day 1: Christmas decoration ideas that bring joy
Christmas decorating ideas for every room of the house. Our archive is full of elegant Christmas wreaths to greet your guests as they arrive, opulent table settings, and of course the jolliest baubles and Christmas tree decorations to set off those carefully collected Christmas gifts. Whether you're planning a traditional festive season full of red, green and gold, or prefer something a little more contemporary (we do love a tree full of kitsch ornaments, as well as alternative colour schemes such as blue and brown), our gallery of inspiration is sure to have something you can bring to your own house.
Click here to read the full feature.
