Sarah Halliwell
Beauty Editor @sarahhalliwellbeauty

I always intend to be really organised and then come December realise I’m way behind and end up throwing fairylights across everything to make it look festive. This painting, by UK artist Alison Critchlow, painted in Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage garden at night, is the centrepiece of my kitchen. Usually my mother-in-law brings me a pile of greenery from her lovely garden that I pile across the mantelpiece too. It’s definitely not precision “mantel-scaping”, but I love to change around what’s on display. The mini real tree comes from New Moon Blooms – it arrives in a flat box through the letterbox complete with lights and tiny baubles, and can be re-planted. In the hallway I have giant paper decorations from www.re-foundobjects.com; we used to hang individual baubles down from the ceiling, which would then end up staying there for the rest of the year, but this year stepladder plus puppy seemed like a dangerous combination. After Christmas the mantelpiece will be mercifully minimal, and the painting will provide all the colour.

Síomha Connolly
Digital editor @siomhac

One of my favourite Christmas traditions is an annual wreath making night with my sister and cousin. We gather pieces of Christmas tree, some eucalyptus and holly, and some twine and ribbon and spend an evening crafting our own festive wreaths. We usually do it around two weeks before Christmas so it’s a lovely start to the celebrations. I always get a real tree too – the scent of it for me makes Christmas (along with The White Company fir tree scented pinecone decorations which hang on the branches). We always had a real tree in our house growing up so an artificial one will never be the same. Once the presents are wrapped under the tree in brown paper and string I’m ready for Christmas week!

Aislinn Coffey
Style editor @aislinncoffeystyleeditor

This year I’m looking forward to spending Christmas day with my mother, sister and nephew. Myself and my husband have three sets of parents and step-parents between us so it is always a bit tricky dividing our time, we usually have a very tight schedule to adhere to but of course 2020 is going to be very different. This year we put up our decorations very early, we all needed a little pick-me-up premature cheer. I made a very festive luxury wreath via a Zoom call thanks to the lovely team at H&M, they delivered a newmoonblooms.ie box overflowing with luscious fir branches, wax flowers, ribbons, acorns, florists twine and even a scissors. It was a great way to boost my festive spirit.

Sarah McDonnell
Editor @editorthegloss

When everything starts to wind down, gathering greens for the mantelpiece is one of my favourite festive things to do … I keep a big deep bucket of viburnum, bay, ivy and rosemary, all cut from the garden, at the back door, so I can replenish when everything gets a bit curly and dry but I don’t want to brave the elements to gather more. I always imagine I’ll have the time – and the talent! – to arrange things artfully but not so! It’s a bit hit and miss but the effect is nice when the lamps are on, candles are lit, through narrowed eyes, after two glasses of bubbly! Decorating with fresh greens also hints at the promise of spring, something we can really relate to this year. If you fancy a pale green for walls, by the way, Schoolroom Green by Colourtrend is a beautiful silver green.