Satisfying a love of both Christmas traditions and contemporary craft, this festive Pinterest find puts a modern twist on a Christmas classic!

The show-stopping mantlepiece was curated by Etsy blogger Emily Dean and features products from an array of independent online retailers from the site.

All elements – which include festive ornaments, joyful stockings, colourful candles and a wooden stag head – work beautifully together with the brilliantly bold paper garland which surrounds them.

Priding myself on being uncontrollably festive, my goal each December is to do at least on Christmas activity a day. I love the idea of sitting down several nights in a row and building upon a paper garland, starting with simple leaves before moving onto merry typography and intricate paper flowers.

And Christmas is most definitely not a time for holding back so why not got he whole hog and fill your festivities with all things paper-crafted. Imagine a paper tree adorned with paper ornaments and surrounded by paper presents.

And if paper craft is too fiddly for your, why not try your hand at another craft. Crafting veteran Kirsty Alsop believes there is a craft out there for everyone and what better time to embrace your inner creative than at Christmas.

The idea of shunning Christmas traditions might not sit right with some – but just imagine: In a few years time when family members have each found a craft which suits them, you’ll be throwing your annual Christmas craft night gathering (to add to your now wildly over grown paper garland!) and enjoy the tradition of makin pompom tree ornaments and unique ceramic gifts – the sense of togetherness will still be very much present, just a little spruced up by a touch of contemporary craft. After all, traditions are what you make of them and so is Christmas!

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