The seasons have changed, you’ve already pulled out your favourite red and green jumper from storage, and the smell of roasted chestnuts is in the air, which can only mean one thing — the countdown to Christmas is on!
If you want to fully immerse yourself in the joys of the season, being prepared with a Christmas checklist is the best way to make sure that you have time to breathe when the holiday rush arrives.
We’ve consulted the elves — after all, who knows how to run Christmas better than elves — and put together a complete Christmas to-do list. Check it out before you deck it out!
Your Pre-Christmas Checklist
If you’re hosting Christmas this year, start your prep for Christmas by decluttering, deep cleaning, decorating and getting those gifts ready.
Make Room for Christmas Cheer
The build-up to the holidays can be a stressful one. To have the merriest of seasons, it’s key to prep early for Christmas. Begin your hassle-free festive break planning by freeing up space before you start cleaning or shopping.
Here’s how:
1. Refresh
It’s the end of the year and soon you will usher in a fresh start, so why not throw away things you don’t need anymore? If you’re not sure how to decide what to throw away, our guide will help you decide what to discard.
2. Give
If your old items still have life in them, you could embrace the season of giving and donate them to make someone else’s festive season a joyous one.
3. Preserve
If you’re not ready to part with some of your favourite summer items and want to hang onto them for next year, renting self storage could be a great option.
It means you can clear space up at home for guests without having to throw away things you may need next year.
Make Room For Your Home To Sparkle
- Start with your kid’s toys — anything they don’t need you can ditch, donate or store to make some space for the new ones under the Christmas tree.
- Make room in your kitchen. You can do this by throwing out old food items, jars without lids, excess appliances or old crockery you don’t need. Don’t forget to scour the freezer and fridge for items past their use-by dates.
- Get rid of old or broken Christmas decorations and make room for this year’s themed celebration! You could always store your old decorations so that they can be used next Christmas — don’t forget to label them before storing them.
- Store out-of-season clothing and equipment that you don’t need over the holidays.
- Run out of space for books on your shelf and have no space for decorations? Why not donate books to the library or a charity? You could even sell them at a second-hand bookstore.
- Invest in storage for each room. You could purchase some plastic containers and store items under beds to make space for guests.
- Check the bathroom for empty or expired products you can throw away. Are towels looking a bit worse for wear? It might be time to dump them.
- Clear your desks. Whether it’s old school papers or documents that you need for work, think about recycling those paper piles that have stacked up over the years.
- Clean up and organise your garage. You know we all hoard things we are not sure what to do within our garage or shed. Make time to go through your garage and get rid of things you really don’t need — anything from old bicycle tires to paint you will never use.
Looking for more decluttering tips? Read our blog on ways to declutter your life.
Christmas Decoration Checklist
If you’re hosting Christmas this year, create a festive wonderland with our Christmas decorating checklist.
- Wreaths
- Seasonal plants
- Pinecones
- Tinsel
- Christmas Tree
- New decorations
- Stockings for the fireplace
- Candles
- Fairy lights
- Mistletoe
- Christmas crackers
- Advent calendar
Gift Wrapping Checklist
Here is your gift-wrapping checklist for Christmas:
- Gift bags
- Tissue paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Wrapping paper
- Cards
- Ribbon
- Pens
- Boxes
Christmas Dinner Checklist
The smell of roast turkey and mince pies baking is just what Christmas is all about. Things get heated when you are trying to prepare the perfect feast. Remember to avoid any last-minute emergencies — follow our Christmas dinner checklist.
Essentials Checklist
- Find out your guest’s dietary requirements
- Plan what meals you want to prepare
- Make a shopping list
- Don’t forget table decor
- Stock up on basics like salt and butter
- Make sure you have enough seating
- Make a list of drinks you need
- Plan when you are going to cook the different dishes
- Delegate to family if you want to share the load
Starters & Snacks Checklist
- Biscuits and crackers
- Fresh bread
- Cheese selection
- Chestnuts
- Pâté
- Salmon
- Prawn cocktail
Main Course Essentials
- Turkey
- Christmas ham
- Beef or lamb as alternatives
- Vegan or vegetarian options if needed
- Potatoes for roast and mash
- Parsnips
- Carrots
- Brussel sprouts
- Broccoli
- Stuffing
- Cranberry sauce
- Horseradish sauce for beef
- Mustard
- Mint for lamb
- Gravy
- Bread sauce
- Butter
- Honey
- Goose fat
Dessert Options
- Christmas pudding
- Christmas cake
- Brandy cream
- Trifle
- Irish coffee
- Mince pies
- Custard
- Chocolates
Christmas Drinks
Make sure that you have something for everyone. If you don’t know what people want, you could always ask them to bring their own.
- Champagne
- Wine
- Sherry
- Mulled wine
- Beer
- Hot chocolate
- Tea
- Coffee
- Juice
Christmas Day Checklist
You’ve done all the prep for Christmas and now the big day has arrived! Keep the momentum going with this Christmas day checklist to make sure you have the jolliest celebration ever!
Set the Ambience
- Prepare festive snacks
- Make Christmas cocktails
- Play festive music
- Set up a festive photo booth
Opening Presents Checklist
Everyone has arrived, and the kiddies cannot wait to find out what is under the Christmas tree. Avoid gifting any chaos by following these steps.
- Delegate a ‘Santa Claus’ to hand out gifts
- Have a bag ready to collect wrapping
- Make coffee and hot chocolates for guests
- Have biscuits and snacks on hand
- Gather to open gifts together
- Don’t forget this is a great photo opportunity!
Christmas Meal Prep Checklist
Hopefully, you will have prepped veggies, desserts and anything else that takes a lot of time the day before Christmas. Today should be as hassle-free as possible. Here’s how:
- Place the meat in the oven early (set the alarm for yourself), so it will be ready for lunch or dinner
- Delegate tasks to family members so everyone feels part of the process
- Keep a warming drawer on so hot dishes stay warm
- Add last-minute touches
- Wash dishes as you go
- Don’t forget the gravy!
Setting the Table
You can get the kids to set the table for you as a fun way to be part of the day. Here’s what they will need:
- Knives and forks
- Napkins
- Christmas crackers
- Salt and pepper
- Condiments
- Placemats
- Place Cards
- Candles
- Wine, Champagne and water glasses
- Dessert bowls
- Spoons for dessert
- Serving spoons
Christmas Traditions
Singing Christmas carols around the fireplace and wearing silly festive hats never goes out of fashion. Here are some traditions to try this Christmas to make the day even more special.
- Pull Christmas crackers together
- Create Christmas wreaths
- Watch a classic Christmas movie
- Write thank you letters to Santa
- Go for a walk to see all the Christmas lights
- Exchange Secret Santa gifts
- Decorate Christmas cookies
- Sing Christmas carols
- Play board games
- Make a Yule Log
- Attend Midnight Mass
- Make paper snowflakes
- Wear Christmas hats
Download the printable version of this comprehensive Christmas checklist (PDF).
Did you tick all the Christmas checkboxes? That means you’re ready to unwind and have that mulled wine you’ve worked so hard for. Merry Christmas!
Need to store some of your Christmas decorations after the silly season? Get an online quote now and enjoy stress-free storage with us.
