Seasons Greetings and welcome to our top tips for turning your holiday home into a Winter wonderland this Christmas!
Wherever you have your UK holiday home, there is something special about the locality and the region. It’s why you holiday there. Learning about, and fully immersing yourself in the local area is one of the joys of having a home from home. It’s something that absolutely applies to Christmas too. Of course, being able to go to your holiday home at Christmas, and holidaying when you want all year round, is another joy.
Plus, the fun of Christmas in a holiday home is that you can embrace said local area, with decorations, foods and gifts inspired by your holiday home location. This does not have to be an expensive or overstated thing. But, just add a few little festive touches to each and every room in your holiday home. It brings it all together - it says “here we are, all together”.
A Christmas scented candle, a Christmas pillow or cushion. Run a few fairy lights around a mirror. Trail some ribbons on the door and drawer handles. It’s the little things that matter most.
We’re taking a look at some festive caravan living room ideas, the best Christmas wreathes for your holiday property, outside light ideas for your decking and the best classic and modern ideas that add a festive sparkle to your second home! Let’s check it out…
A classic Christmas tree makes every house a home – even a holiday home
Holiday lodge or static caravan - the tree is the one non-negotiable. Wherever you are, whatever type of holiday home you have, if it’s Christmas then you need a tree. It’s the law. (That’s not absolutely true, but maybe it should be).
Tastes and views differ on Christmas trees. The ‘real’ one? The fibre optic all action one? The big statement or the tiny hint. The main thing is - it’s your choice. There’s even a Lego Christmas tree, and you’ve just thought of someone who would love that, haven’t you?
Trends come and go with Christmas decorating, with traditional looks being red, gold and green. This year there’s a focus on colourful, pop-art style décor with all the colours of the rainbow, contrasting with lots of décor focusing on a light Scandi-style white and rustic theme.
You could go minimalist with a tiny potted tree or go big with garlands, wreaths, lights and everything in between. Christmas is a great time to express your artistic side and create a home from home in your holiday property.
A great Christmas wreath for your holiday home front door
The Christmas wreath comes from age old traditions of pruning the Christmas tree into the shape of a triangle “to represent the Trinity”, and weaving the excess greenery into a wreath.
Today, we can buy faux wreaths from practically every store, or order beautiful (slightly more expensive) real ones from florists. From the traditional pine wreaths, to wreaths made of all sorts, from pompoms to buttons, Christmas wreaths usually take pride of place on the front door, but they can be placed anywhere in and around your holiday home.
There’s an influx of wreath making classes popping up year on year, or you could attempt to make your own at home. Don’t forget about the free stuff you can get from foraging. Provided you don’t trespass or break any rules, local foliage, leaves and even the odd log or two add special seasonal touches to your locally themed Christmas.
Add some Christmas lights to your caravan
Outdoor Christmas lights are key for adding a touch of extra sparkle to exteriors - what’s better than wrapping up warm and walking to look at all the twinkling lights. Christmas lights would look perfectly festive wrapped around your caravan decking, your lodge exterior, or in the windows of your holiday home.
Christmas lights vary in all shapes and size these days, from muted warm whites and bright blues to multicolour light shows and light projectors, and most Christmas lights are energy-efficient LEDs these days, which means less impact on your electricity bill and the environment.
Think local - From Teesside to THE SEASIDE, there’s something local you can do.
If you fancy a more hands on and seasonal approach check out local Christmas Fairs. If your holiday home is at Tingdene Mablethorpe Chalet Park for example there’s the annual Mablethorpe Christmas Market.
Or, if your holiday home is in Suffolk at Broadlands Park and Marina you could take a look at The Suffolk County Christmas Fair. These are great places to buy local decorations but also fabulous food and drink for the season, from the region.
Think of a theme - Golf, or maybe the seaside depending on your holiday home location
As we said before, why not make Christmas about your holiday home location? There is now a huge range of decorations, ornaments and seasonal accessories with all kinds of themes.
If you have a holiday home at Caldecott Hall Country Park, or maybe at Tingdene South Shore, the chances are it’s because golf is your thing. So why not make it a golf-themed Christmas? All the major online retailers are worth a look as they carry these themed ornaments. Golf ball shaped baubles instead of traditional baubles or tiny Santas in tiny golf caddies - it’s a great theme.
So too is the seaside. A coastal holiday home deserves a coastal Christmas theme. Think driftwood and pebbles, sea shells and coral colours. Now add a dash of red or gold and suddenly it’s yuletide at the seaside. Check out the Coastal Lifestyle company for seaside ideas and inspiration.
There’s always the overall themes or the ‘look’ for this year’s Christmas. A pale and neutral palette or a bold magenta splash are the favourites for this year. There’s no reason - quite the contrary - to let your style credentials slip in your holiday home. Let’s face it - even by having a UK holiday home you’re bang on trend. You can go there for Christmas with the family, so create a theme and spread the love with loved ones.
In summary, Christmas at your holiday home is a special thing
Bear in mind the ground covered already - the themed baubles, the local touches. Surround it with gifts. Not necessarily lavish or expensive ones but ones given with thought. Give board games and books that can become part of the being together in your holiday home at Christmas. Even socks become more special if they are golf socks, or seaside socks, or come from a local supplier.
A bottle of something distilled nearby usually hits the mark. Wrap the gifts in something festive but local and they become part of the tree itself. A corner of your holiday home that says - welcome! It’s Christmas.
With your own UK holiday home you create a home from home. Somewhere to go to when you want. Holidays are different now. We think about our time spent together in a different way. We appreciate it more.
Appreciating being together is never more significant than at Christmas. To be able to do that in your own holiday home is something special. Just a few touches and thoughts like these ideas can make that special time a very special time.
A Happy (holiday home) Christmas to you all.
