MARIBYRNONG & HOBSONS BAY
Home » News » Add a festive personal touch

Add a festive personal touch

Household items or trinkets that mean something to your family could make for some spectacular Christmas decorations in 2025.

Getting into the festive spirit need not be very expensive or labour intensive with a few ideas to help you create your own decorations to wow your guests.

Give your guests a dramatic welcome: A pair of inexpensive plastic urns from the garden centre instantly dress up a front doorway. Place a tall foam cone in each urn, anchor it with sand, then use florist sticks and wire to attach greenery and Christmas balls.

Make an easy table topper centrepiece by buying a garland of greenery available at garden centres to run down the length of your table.

Send your kids out to collect pine cones, and use them as rustic toppers. You can also buy pinecones at garden or craft stores.

Another festive idea could be to load a simple glass jar or bowl with multiples of the same fruit, nut, or monochromatic ornament. Trifle bowls filled with red apples and green baby artichokes – the colours of Christmas and walnuts look especially festive. Or you could try bowls of lemons and limes as an alternative.

For a subtle outdoor decoration, gather pine cones of various sizes and arrange them in a window box or in pots on your porch, sprinkling the tiniest ones on top. The weatherproof display should last until next season.

Instead of the traditional evergreen, try a homemade wreath of citrus fruits. Start with a circular piece of florist’s foam, then use wooden florist’s picks to secure large items, such as oranges, first. Continue with smaller fruit -persimmons, clementines, limes and tie with a thick velvet ribbon.

Personalised place setting adds a very nice touch to Christmas lunch.

Serve holiday dinner buffet style and wrap each dish in a sheet of parchment paper and tie with a length of ribbon before stacking it. Guests will be rewarded with a pretty presentation not to mention a little gift-opening practice.

Get creative this Christmas and make the most of the material around you to make your house sparkle for the festive season.

Digital Editions


  • Picnic next to classic cars

    Picnic next to classic cars

    Purchase this photo from Pic Store: 216732 Motorheads are racing to Hanging Rock for the Annual Picnic at Hanging Rock Car Show. The annual event…

More News

  • Nominations open for the Victorian Honour Roll of Women

    Nominations open for the Victorian Honour Roll of Women

    In a move to shine a spotlight on Victoria’s trailblazing women, the state government has opened nominations for the 2026 Victorian Honour Roll of Women. The roll celebrates the achievements…

  • Reset for Altona Magic

    Reset for Altona Magic

    Purchase this photo from Pic Store: 458910 It will be a bit of an unknown for Altona Magic early days in the National Premier League. The Magic has had significant…

  • Power bill relief a bonus

    Power bill relief a bonus

    The state government used one of the hottest days in Victoria’s history to urge households to apply for its power saving bonus program before it ends on 31 March. Before…

  • Help for heart kids

    Help for heart kids

    Every day in Australia, eight babies are born with a childhood-onset heart disease (CoHD), and this February HeartKids is calling on Australians to help support these children and their families…

  • Slow down around schools

    Slow down around schools

    Purchase this photo from Pic Store: 206998 With Victorian students returning to school for Term 1 of 2026, police are reminding motorists to slow down and take extra care around…

  • Ambos support fire-affected wildlife

    Ambos support fire-affected wildlife

    Ambulance Victoria (AV) staff and volunteers have banded together over the last few weeks to provide emergency care to fire-affected communities across Victoria, with recent efforts going towards supporting the…

  • History at risk

    History at risk

    Purchase this photo from Pic Store: 489429 This story was originally published on 16 July 2025. Star Weekly is sharing it again for you to enjoy. A former Hobsons Bay…

  • From the archives

    From the archives

    Star Weekly looks back on the pages of our predecessors. 40 years ago 5 February, 1986 The Federal Government’s $6 million Kororoit Creek beautification job creation scheme in the West…

  • Chinese answer to Citroen?

    Chinese answer to Citroen?

    The Deepal S07 has to be one of the weirdest cars we’ve driven in years. Apart from anything else, it’s got no dashboard. There is no instrument panel to tell…

  • New cafe to have more than just coffee

    New cafe to have more than just coffee

    A new cafe is coming to the Footscray CBD, but one that will provide more than just lattes and smashed avocado on toast. The state government, Maribyrnong council, the Western…