It’s hard not to get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas but if you really want to add a little individuality and interest to your festivities why not consider making some of your own decorations and presents? You can be sure no one else will have their hall or table decked in quite the same way as your own and you can turn the smallest gift into a gesture if you make it yourself. Apart from the sheer joy of creating something unique and unusual you’ll be saving yourself money too! Here are some quick and easy ideas to give a personal touch to your Christmas.

1 – Decorative foliage – It costs nothing to collect some fine twigs from the garden, let them dry out and then spray them with silver paint. Once dry tie them into bundles and either lay them across the top of a mantelpiece and intertwine with smaller springs of ivy and snowberries or place a larger spray in a vase and hang with delicate small white and see-through baubles.

2 – Personalise a table setting – Choose a simple table setting, green and white, purple and silver and tie a pretty ribbon in the appropriate colour around a folded napkin. Slip a sprig of your favourite flowers or berries under the ribbon and cut out a nametag on white card and attach it with smaller matching ribbon.

3 – Cards good enough to eat! – Make your own blank cards in either white or your own favourite festive colour and glue the back of foil-wrapped chocolate santas, coins, etc and stick firmly on the card. Allow the glue to dry before use.

4 – One for the children – Use some more plain white blank cards. Cut a small potato in half and dry it with kitchen paper. Draw and cut out a simple Christmassy shape – a tree or a star and place over the cut side of the potato. Draw around the shape and use a knife to cut away 1cm of the potato around the pencil drawing so that the shape stands in relief on the potato. Now let those little hands join in. Apply a little paint to the potato shape with a paint brush and print on to the card.

5 – A bag of gold – Buy some gold and silver sugar-coated almonds. Divide into equal quantities and place in a small Cellophane bags. Tie the top of the bag in a bow with gold or silver narrow wired ribbon. Keep a few bags at hand for unexpected guests as a small gesture when they leave or place one bag on each of the table settings as a small gift.