Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Its officially the first of December so that means, in our house, the Christmas decorations go up and we wrap the presents, all ready for Christmas :) It also means there are gifts under the tree and curious people trying to figure out whats inside for the nest 24 days, but its fun :)
I made my Christmas Cake yesterday, so those wonderful aromas are still lingering in the kitchen:

I used mums cake recipe for this one and its from one of those old Women's Weekly recipe cards. My Christmas pudding will be prepared Christmas Eve and put on to boil, bright and early Christmas morning, ready for lunch (this in my late inlaws recipe and its delicious).
I have had a few emails asking for links to certain Christmas projects I've shared so I thought I would do a recap post in case you've missed any or you too are looking for them. All of the links will take you to my original blog post for each project. First off is my free Christmas Planner:

This is my bible over Christmas. Because we start our shopping early, I keep a record of what I have brought and for whom and I have a clear plastic sleeve at the back for receipts and those "on line content codes" for PS4 games etc. I sit down with mum and dad (and my folder) in early November and we work on a menu and who's bringing/cooking what and all the information stays in this one folder and is easy to find.
You can download the free printable HERE and make sure you save the file so you can reprint new pages for each year.

Next up are my free Christmas Mug Rugs pattern. These are so simple and pretty and they make lovely gifts for neighbours or teachers. Both the applique and paper pieced versions are included in the free pattern and you can download the file HERE.

These little Matchbook Needle Keeps are a fun little present to pop into a Christmas Card and send to family and friends. I keep one in every craft bag, my handbags and in the car, so I'm always prepared. You can make a whole batch of these in an afternoon while your nibbling on gingerbread and listening to Carols. The tutorial for these can be found HERE.

Decorating the table for Christmas lunch is my favorite part and a few years ago I made these pretty Poinsettia Napkin Holders. You can find the free pattern for these HERE.
Mum is making our table decorations this year and its all top secret so I cant wait to see what she has come up with :)

I've also got a sweet little Christmas Subway Art print that I love to use as a decoration in my front porch. Its such a cheery welcome to visitors during the Christmas season and its a simple print and frame project. Just visit HERE to grab your copy.
There are a few more projects but these are the ones most downloaded by my readers. I have a few blog posts to share during December with recipes and crafty ideas so stayed tuned for those.
And just before I go, I wanted to re share my Nutcracker pattern:

I just adore this little guy and he watches over our Christmas tree during December. If you looking for a something new to make this season then patterns can be found in my Big Cartel shop HERE.
Or if you prefer an instant download, they are also available in my Etsy shop HERE.
Happy Christmas planning and plotting :)