Ahead of Ascot’s November Race Weekend and Christmas Fair, Country Living’s Jane Means shares her tips on how to countrify your Christmas gifts this winter
1. Swap classic, festive paper for something more rustic. Brown paper is such a classic look that will never date. It's a blank canvas you can add anything to from red gingham to luxury, wired ribbon.
2. Box your gifts. Dress plain boxes with a strip of hessian or decorative paper then tie with ribbon. Less is definitely more.
3. Awkward shapes can always be wrapped in remnants of fabric or linen. The material will easily mould around the shape.
4. String, old material, lace and raffia are wonderful alternatives to ribbon and can easily be dyed with beetroot juice, fabric dies or black coffee.
5. Use wire to fasten some fresh cranberries and a cinnamon stick to your wrapped gift. Anything festive from the kitchen looks fantastic as an embellishment. Just be careful not to use anything that will stain the paper or the gift inside.
6. Sliced oranges can easily be dried on a baking rack in a low oven. Slices can be placed under ribbon or attached to the gift with wire.
7. Sticks tied onto a gift with ribbon make a fantastic decoration and can be accessorised with fresh or fake berries.
8. Tie in fresh foliage such as spruce, eucalyptus, or holly with luxury ribbon. It makes an eye-catching feature.
9. Large laurel or ivy leaves can make great gift tags on presents or napkins. Recipients names can easily be written with a gel marker pen and look great as a decoration too.
10. Dried lavender and small bunches of wheat also make fantastic embellishments and can be sprayed with glitter to give it a festive edge.
11. If you are giving money as a gift and you are worried about notes getting lost, roll it around a cinnamon stick or neat twig and tie with ribbon.
12. Terracotta plant pots or garden trucks make brilliant hampers. Fill with goodies and add a bow. They can also be wrapped easily with fabric or tissue.
13. Feathers picked up from country walks can easily be dipped into a metallic or glitter paint to make effective decorations on presents (just make sure they are clean and that there's no chance of your receiver being allergic).
14. Remember those dried orange slices? Pop a slice in a small, see-through jewellery bag and attach it to your ribbon. Leave a note for your gift receiver to open the bag just before they open the present and set their own festive scene.
15. Spray your wrapping with a festive room spray or winter fragrance and add a sixth sense to your gift giving.
Tickets for the November Race Weekend and Christmas Fair are on sale now, with the Friday raceday FREE to all Queen Anne Enclosure racegoers and the Saturday prices starting from £23.Click here for more information.
