I’m lazy when it comes to flowers and table displays – I’m never at home enough to appreciate them. My mum is the opposite: she makes wondrous arrangements for her home and the local church. But at Christmas, I can see the point. This year, we are joining forces. We enrolled at McQueens Floristry School, in east London, under the direction of Luis da Silva, to “coordinate our vision” and get up to speed with current fashions – for me, that is; mum is already down with the amaryllis trend. McQueens creates displays for Vanity Fair’s annual Oscar party, and, according to da Silva, this season’s buzz words are “traditional” and “organic”. Think red dogwood, berries, Norwegian fir and amaryllis. He showed us tricks such as bending calla lilies around the inside of fishbowl vases to create inexpensive centrepieces; framing candles with scarlet flowers, dogwood and noirish twigs; and dotting wreaths with hyacinth bulbs – roots and all.

Laura Lee, creative director of the florist Kenneth Turner, whose clients include Mischa Barton and Debbie Harry, agrees that the traditional vibe is the only one to follow this Christmas. “We’re doing chunky blue-pine garlands with candles and cinnamon sticks for fireplaces, and huge, velvety, red grand-prix roses or poinsettias with larch for table displays.”

For other chic DIY table-top ideas, try the following: fill fruit bowls with baubles, satsumas and pine cones, then drape a few necklaces between; or create a floating-candle effect by placing a mirror dotted with tea lights in the centre of the table, hiding the edges with ivy. Or, using an old chain, attach trinkets and berries in between letters that spell out names (top) – it’s a homage to the ceramic artist Nicola Malkin, whose supersize charm bracelets are rumoured to be adorning Carrie’s bedroom wall in the new Sex and the City movie.

McQueens Floristry School, £290 for a one-day course; www.mcqueens.co.uk. Kenneth Turner; www.kennethturner.com

HOT ON THE HIGH STREET

1 Wyevale is better known for its garden furniture than its table accessories, but peer past the wicker chairs and wooden trugs to find these fabulous high-shine black bauble place-card holders.

(£4 for six). www.wyevale.co.uk

2 Woolworths adds festive glam to entertaining with its cheap-and-chic red champagne flutes (£4 for two) and wine glasses (£8 for four). Following last year’s purples and pinks, crimson is back as the modish colour for the season – just don’t go for full-on pillar box.

3 Take craft chic to the max with B&Q’s floral-print resin horses. Very Swedish homestead and way more design-led than reindeer.

£10 each; www.diy.com

4 If trees and the “Christ” part of Christmas aren’t your bag, trade in tradition for sleek black Buddha effigies (at the extraordinarily bargain price of £1 each) from QS. Group them in the centre of your table with red or black pillar candles.

www.qsgroup.co.uk

LAST MINUTE LOVELIES

You’ve no doubt just realised that you’ve forgotten someone’s present – and are prepared to pay any amount to make the problem go away. Well, Amazon.co.uk has the solution. Its new annual membership option, Amazon Prime, enables you to order anything on the site and get free one-day delivery, express delivery (1pm the following day) for £4.49, and, if you happen to live in London or Birmingham, same-day delivery for £7.49. And, yes, this even applies to today. So, now that you don’t have to go on a panic present-buying mission, make a cuppa and peruse the site’s vastly expanded home section.

Perfect for gifts are the new brand additions Alessi (check out the Mr and Mrs Chin salt and pepper set, £24) and Umbra (great picture frames). There are lots of discounts, too, such as Le Creuset’s four-piece casserole and Grillit sets for £100 (RRP £203.50). Membership costs £49 per year, but I reckon it’s worth it for not having to lug awkward-shaped and/or breakable items up and down the high street any more.

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