One of the Christmas rituals I treasure is finding a place in the house in which to store the presents I buy prior to the big event, so that they don't look like I bought then at a rummage sale by the time Christmas day looms...

This year I have chosen a blanket box in the dining room, but it can of course be anywhere out of the way of rooting little fingers...

The space you need will of course entirely depends on the number of presents you have to buy, but I have strangely found in years past that the goldfish syndrome apply's to my Christmas storage space: Sub- consciously I only buy items that fit in my box, chest or drawers and consequently don't find myself with oddly shaped presents sticking out of all manner of places, but perhaps I am a little neurotic...

Part of the way I begin to shop for each member of my family is to choose a box, large tin, basket, bucket (Memorably a hot pink one for my sister Helen, which I filled with all manner of silly housekeeping nonsense and a few glitzy treats...), sock's or bag, which will act as both part of the present itself and as a holder for the presents I plan to wrap: so I always know exactly how much space I am going to need, and once each present holder is full of treats that is the end of my shopping... **It is, I accept, a little different with kid's presents (hard to hide a rocking horse or Barbie Bike in a blanket box!), but we will get to those later in the month...**

So once you have estimated how much space you will need, it is time to Brocante it up and thus have it ready for the marathon shopping task ahead...

I have started this year, by rubbing some cinnamon scented oil into the timber inside my pine blanket box, purely so that every time I open it, I will be greeted with the spicy scent of Noel. On the base of the box lie the 6 rolls of brown paper I will use to wrap my presents, with their cellophane removed, so they will absorb the fragrance of the box over the next few months. Then coverng this the gorgeous hand embroidered stocking I bought Finley last year. Then a soft landing, should I decide to go rooting with abandon...

Last night I took 6 vintage hankies, laid a handful of homemade pot pourri (oranges, cinnamon, soap shavings and cedar oil) in the centre of each and pulled the corners together and tied up with a ribbon to make a crude little pomander, and these will go in the box next, to add a bit of vintage taste to the box and to fragrance the gifts they end up lying next to, and will ultimately hang from the tree in December (I am wanting a flowery, pink and powder blue decorated tree this year, but we will see)... I then hunted out the Christmas cards I have left over from last year, alongside the Vintage Xmas postcards I have found while fleamarketing this year, tied them with a ribbon and laid them flat between the folds of the quilt, again so they will absorb the scent of the box, something I will do, with every card I will buy until Christmas...

After this I hunted out a teeny little notepad, tied a pen to it, and will later add this to the box, because this year, everytime I add something I will be writing down who I intended it for, so I am not entirely flummoxed when it comes to wrapping...

Finally I made little bundles of cinnamon sticks and dried lavender from the garden, tied them up with ribbon and again will throw these into the box for some BrocanteHome style festive cheer, whenever I open the box, and will finish my efforts so far, by folding a scrumptious red blanket inside the box, so that everything inside will not be immediately visible...

This is, dear housekeepers, your own bit of Christmas, so make it as scrumptiously wonderful as possible, so you will be itching to add your gifts as you buy them, and who knows, you may find yourself all wrapped and ready by December the 1st...