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The holidays are coming, and it’s only right that we start getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year! We’ve compiled a list of 5 easy Christmas crafts you can do, either on your own or with a friend or grandchildren! They’re all simple and look amazing, so you’ll be feeling the festive spirit in no time.

Christmas crackers are a key part of the festive season, but they are also a huge contributor to unrecyclable waste in the UK. Help to combat this issue by making your own, super easy, eco-friendly crackers! They’ll be just as much fun, and you’ll even be able to customise what you put in them – no more rubbish jokes and plastic gifts for your guests this year!

Here’s what you will need:

• A cracker template (click to download and print out)
• Brown paper
• Toilet rolls
• Cutting board
• Scissors
• Craft knife (not essential, but helpful)
• Cracker snaps
• Ruler
• String
• Double sided tape

How to make

1. Cut out your template

As Christmas approaches, it’s time to get your presents sorted! Sometimes, you can forget about the little stocking fillers that you need to buy until last minute – don’t worry though! We’ve sorted a list of 5 of our best stocking fillers, all for under £10! That way, you can spread joy and Christmas cheer without breaking the bank.

Getting online can make life a lot easier but can also bring up problems of its own. Issues like email scams and fraud are increasing in number, and this can impact your safety online. You can protect yourself from these if you know what to look for, and how to keep yourself secure online. We have rounded up some tips to help you make the best of your time online, without risking your safety.

Email Scams

Scammers send bogus emails in the hope that people will enter their personal or financial details. Sometimes, these emails can look like they have come from a legitimate company, but there are key things you can look out for to recognise that it’s a scam:

• errors in the spelling or grammar, or an unusual style of writing
• requests for personal information, such as your username, full password, or bank details - genuine organisations will never ask this
• threats

It may seem too early to be thinking about the festive season, but with just a couple of months to go until the big day, it’s time to get organised and start planning what needs to be done. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you make the most of the most wonderful time of the year, as well as reduce the inevitable stress that comes with it!

Spooky season is approaching, and with the imminent arrival of All Hallows Eve, it makes sense to get into the spirit (pun intended)! We’ve curated a list of some ways to decorate your home that will make even the biggest Halloween hater jealous. Before you know it, your garden will be the scariest on your street – people won’t be able to stop talking about it!

As the weather gets colder and you want to spend less and less time outside, it makes sense to find yourself a new hobby. Nothing will keep you entertained on a cold, rainy, autumn day like a jigsaw puzzle! As fun as they are, they are also brilliant for your brain, improving your short term memory and your visual-spatial reasoning. This is a list of our top 5 jigsaw picks – there’s sure to be something everyone will enjoy!

As the seasons change, and the shops start to fill up with Halloween and Christmas decorations, it can be frustrating that there are no decorations to celebrate the colder weather. With Harvest Festival and Diwali fast approaching, autumn is a special time for many, and this should be celebrated as much as possible. Bring some autumnal cheer into your home with an autumn wreath – easy to make, and a gorgeous decoration you can bring out year after year!