Draw your ornament:

Arty types illustrate their favourite festive knick-knacks

I try to live every day as if I’m on holidays, even when I’m at home. My living room fairy lights are on in the evening all year round, candles are lit, I have a lava lamp on, and a beloved record is always playing. Fittingly, my favourite festive decoration is my tropical Christmas tree: a mini plastic tree decorated with paper drink umbrellas and a glittery pineapple ornament on top. I love that it’s so small so I can nestle it in among my tropical plant collection (occasionally those get a little tinsel treatment, too). It’s also easy to store, doesn’t take long to set up, and doesn’t take up a lot of room in my small apartment, which is handy. I’ve been decorating my tree this way for the past eight years, since my last trip to Hawaii. Since Hawaii has similar weather to us at Christmastime, I try to keep the tropical vibes going and recreate that feeling in our own festive season. When I look at my little tree I’m reminded of strolling along Waikiki Beach at sunset, sipping on cocktails at my favourite tiki bar, fresh pineapple for breakfast and living on Island Time. Most people love it and go, “Ooh, cute!” Who doesn’t love a mini version of something? A lot of my friends take a different approach to Christmas decorating, but I’d prefer to do something a bit fun and personalised than keep it ‘traditional’ with the usual straight-out-of-the-box decorations.