Christmas Planning Guide: How to Prepare for Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

What we grown ups all know is that Christmas magic comes from the hands of its many worker elves - all the mums, dads, grandparents, big siblings and others who work tirelessly to make Christmas special for the kids.

Whether you’re hosting a big family gathering or a cosy family Christmas, the magic is in the planning. So we’ve created a handy guide to help you plan a magic-filled Christmas.

From planning your Christmas decorations and checking your lights to getting the house ready and organising those little things that are so easy to forget, a bit of Christmas preparation early on can make December much less stressful.

Start Your Christmas Planning Early

We’ve all heard the complaints about how Christmas is starting “earlier and earlier”, but funnily enough, every year, Christmas week at The Base in Hamilton continues to be jam-packed with people rushing about like Christmas snuck up on them. I’m sure it’s the same everywhere else!

The sooner you start planning, the more time you have to actually enjoy the parts that matter. You can avoid traffic jams, stock shortages and cranky, stressed-out people. 

Many retailers also offer Christmas specials and savings in the lead-up to Christmas, so getting organised early can also help you make the most of your budget.

Check and Organise Your Christmas Decorations

I don’t know about you, but as soon as Boxing Day hits, I get a sudden urge to put Christmas away for the year. I typically fling everything into storage bins to worry about later and then I end up with boxes of Christmas decorations in every closet and under every bed. This haphazard storage style works well for me because, by October, I’ve forgotten what I even have, so it’s always a fun surprise.

A good place to start getting organised for Christmas is by checking in with last year’s decorations. Dust those boxes off and check to see if your Christmas tree survived being unceremoniously stuffed into a box and thrown in the closet. If it’s looking a little wonky, you can either decide it adds character or accept that it’s time for an upgrade.

I like to test all my plug-in lights and lay my solar lights out for a day to check that everything is still working. There is nothing more frustrating than stringing up a set of lights, only to discover afterwards that the bulbs have blown.

Before you buy anything new, make a quick inventory of what you already have. It’s very easy to come home with another string of Christmas lights or a box of baubles, only to discover you already had three sitting in storage.

Christmas Decoration Checklist

☐ Christmas tree

☐ Tree stand

☐ Christmas lights

☐ Ornaments

☐ Tree topper

☐ Garland and tinsel

☐ Outdoor decorations

☐ Extension cords

☐ Batteries 

Choose Your Christmas Decorating Theme 

Choosing a theme for your Christmas decor makes it much easier to decide which decorations to add to your collection. It also helps create a more cohesive look, especially if you’re starting from scratch or feel like your Christmas tree has become a collection of every decoration you’ve ever owned. 

You don't need to buy an entirely new collection of Christmas decorations every year, either. Choose a theme you love and build on it over time, adding a few new pieces each Christmas. 

I’ve always loved a classic candy cane Christmas. There’s something about the contrast of red and white, paired with warm white lights, that instantly makes it feel like Christmas to me but I also love a neutral, classic tree. 

Your theme doesn't have to be complicated, either. Sometimes choosing two or three colours is enough to pull everything together. Red and white, gold and green, icy blue and silver, or even a neutral Christmas colour scheme can give you a starting point.

Prepare Your House for Christmas Decorating

Now that you’ve got your theme sorted, it’s time to prep the house for the Christmas takeover. I like to start outside. I’m dreadfully scared of spiders, so my first job is usually giving the house a good waterblast and dealing with any creepy crawlies that have decided to move in.

This is also a good time to clean the gutters, especially if you’re already getting the ladder out to hang your Christmas lights. If you have inflatable Christmas decorations, give the fans a clean and gently wipe down the inflatables with a soft sponge, a little dish soap and warm water. Just make sure you keep water away from any electrical bits.

• Clean windows
• Dust shelves/surfaces
• Clean gutters
• Check outdoor power points
• Clean outdoor decorations
• Make sure there's somewhere to store packaging/boxes

Before putting up outdoor Christmas lights, check that cords, plugs and lights are in good condition and that anything being used outdoors is suitable for outdoor use. If you're using a ladder, make sure someone is around to help and avoid putting yourself in a precarious position just to reach that last bit of guttering.

Plan and Decorate Your Christmas Tree

For a lot of us, the Christmas tree is the star of the show, so it’s worth giving a little thought to how you want it to look before you start throwing decorations at it.

If your artificial tree has been packed away for the year, take your time fluffing the branches before you start decorating. It can make a surprisingly big difference to how full the tree looks and gives you more space to place your decorations. Then start with your lights, followed by any ribbon or garlands, and finish with your larger ornaments before filling in the gaps with smaller decorations. This is where having a Christmas theme can really help. But at the end of the day, why worry about making it look like it belongs in a magazine? Some of my favourite Christmas trees are the ones that have a few mismatched decorations with a story behind them.

And if you're ready to tackle the Christmas tree, check out our Christmas Tree Styling Tips guide for plenty of ideas to help you create a beautiful, full-looking tree.

Outdoor Christmas Decorating Ideas

Once the tree is sorted, it’s time to look outside. There’s something about coming home to a house covered in Christmas lights that instantly makes it feel like Christmas.

Before you start hanging anything, have a look at the space and work out where you want your outdoor Christmas decorations to go. Measure the areas you want to cover so you don’t end up halfway through the job with a metre of guttering left and no lights.

If you’re using Christmas lights, check that everything is working before you get the ladder out. It’s much easier to replace a faulty set of lights while they’re still on the ground than after you’ve spent an hour hanging them.

And if you’re decorating with inflatables, light-up decorations or other outdoor pieces, think about how they’ll look together rather than treating each decoration as its own little island. A bit of planning can make the whole display feel much more intentional.

Want to take your outdoor display a little further? Check out my Outdoor Christmas Decorating Guide for more ideas on planning your display, choosing Christmas lights and decorating the outside of your home.

Christmas Decorating Essentials You Might Forget

You’ve got the tree. You’ve got the decorations. You’ve got the lights. You’re feeling pretty organised.

And then you realise you have no batteries.

There are always a few little things that seem to get forgotten until you actually need them. Before you start decorating, make a quick list of Christmas decorating essentials: batteries, extension cords, hooks, cable ties, replacement light bulbs, timers and anything else you might need to get everything where it needs to go.

It’s also worth checking your supply of wrapping paper, gift tags, ribbon and Christmas cards before the shops get busy. There’s nothing quite like discovering you have enough wrapping paper for exactly three presents when you still have twelve to wrap.

A few minutes spent checking the little things now can save a surprisingly large amount of Christmas Eve panic later.

Make Christmas Magic Without the Stress

Christmas can feel like a lot when you try to tackle everything at once, but a little planning can make all the difference. Start early, make a list, give yourself plenty of time and, most importantly, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make everything perfect.

The decorations might not match perfectly, the lights might take three attempts to get right and someone will probably forget to buy something. That’s Christmas!

The important thing is that by the time Christmas rolls around, you can put your feet up, enjoy the people around you and appreciate all the work that went into making the magic happen.