With just over 100 days until Christmas, Harewood House is already preparing for its festive showcase with thousands of upcycled decorations.
Volunteers at Harewood have handcrafted 5,000 upcycled decorations ahead of this year’s Christmas event, A Glittering Invitation: Harewood's Grand Christmas Ball.
The decorations, made from secondhand items, include 300 vintage books from St Gemma’s Hospice in Leeds and more than 2,000 objects sourced from car boots and charity shops.
Around 50 volunteers have been involved so far, contributing more than 500 hours, with more workshops planned before installation begins in October half term.
Organisers predict a total of 10,000 decorations will be handmade.
Siobhan Murphy, who has been appointed Creative Director of Christmas at Harewood for 2025, has worked closely with volunteers to produce the designs.
She said:
“At its heart, Christmas is already maximalist, glittering lights, velvet ribbons, flickering candlelight, ornaments that sparkle like heirlooms, rooms scented with cinnamon and spices.
“It’s a season of abundance – and that’s exactly why I love it. Christmas allows us to lean into beauty for beauty’s sake.
“It’s a celebration of layers, textures, patterns, and nostalgia – all coexisting in perfect harmony.”
She added:
“Harewood is renowned for helping to create magical memories every Christmas, so it’s a true career milestone to be this year’s Creative Director of Christmas.
“‘Reimagining the Regency Era’ is all about creating a living, breathing experience that balances everything I love about maximalism and abundance, with carefully curated pieces that our talented volunteers have upcycled by hand.”
Alongside the decorations, nine miniaturist specialists are creating a miniature version of Christmas at Harewood, which will form part of a free children’s trail.
Other contributors include Helena Garcia from The Great British Bake Off 2019 and paper artist Monica Escobar.
Zoë Hughes, Head of Public Programme at Harewood, said:
“We are incredibly excited to be working with Siobhan for Christmas this year; her colourful approach and maximalist know-how are perfectly placed to create an immersive experience celebrating the luxury and opulence of the Regency era.
“Christmas at Harewood is always such a joy for our Members and visitors and we can’t wait to see their reactions when they enter the House and experience everything Siobhan and her amazing team of volunteers have created.”
To improve accessibility, Harewood has purchased EnChroma glasses for visitors with red-green colour blindness and will again host quiet hours for neurodivergent visitors.
Christmas volunteering workshops take place on 16 and 23 September.
Tickets for A Glittering Invitation: Harewood's Grand Christmas Ball are available from 8th November 2025 to 4th January 2026 at harewood.org/christmas.
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