Harewood volunteers have made 5,000 upcycled decorations for Christmas

Christmas at Harewood in facts, figures and a little sparkle

• Over 100 metres of paper chains have been created so far.
• 500 tutus collected from Vinted, charity shops, and car boot sales – all pre-loved.
• Many decorations are being repurposed from previous years, with a strong focus on upcycling
• 50 volunteers have been involved so far and Harewood is looking for more. Each 3-hour workshop hosts 12–15 volunteers, contributing around 40 hours of work weekly
• To date, volunteers have donated approximately 500 hours to making decorations.
• Many volunteers are also creating decorations from home, including one, who’s been crafting paper flowers using vintage papers for the Servants Hall and colourful crepe paper for the Dining Room displays
• A recent install alone saw 600+ volunteer hours, so Harewood anticipates thousands of volunteering hours by the time this year’s install is complete

Siobhan Murphy is a British interior and product designer, stylist, and author based in West Yorkshire, renowned for her bold, joyful, and unapologetically maximalist aesthetic. She commented:

Siobhan continues: “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. It’s plentiful but everything serves a purpose, whether it’s a perfectly placed jewel or a just-right fabric drape, bringing to life everything that a Regency-inspired grand ball would exude.”

As well as exuberant decor, Siobhan is working with nine miniaturist specialists, to recreate a mini version of Christmas at Harewood with pieces featured throughout the House. Among the artists are Michael Robbins, a Yorkshire-based miniaturist whose work has been exhibited internationally and featured on Channel 4’s Great Big Tiny Design Challenge, and Arabella Duffy, a remarkable talent who, at just thirteen years old, is already making waves in the miniature art world.

Siobhan isn’t the only big name to be working on Harewood at Christmas, with other creative powerhouses included Helena Garcia (The Great British Bake Off 2019) who’ll be making cakes and Monica Escobar, from Ita Lillywhite, who’ll be crafting paper flowers to form part of a corridor installation.

To ensure as many visitors as possible can enjoy the festivities, Harewood has invested in three pairs (adult and children) of EnChroma glasses which allow those who are red-green colour blind to experience the different colours showcased throughout the decor.

Zoë added: “It’s important to us that everyone feels welcome at Harewood – always, but especially at Christmas when there’s so much expectation to experience events with family and friends. Touches like the EnChroma glasses and our quiet hours for those who are neurodivergent, can hopefully go a way towards helping more people feel comfortable throughout the festive season this year.”

Harewood’s upcoming Christmas volunteering workshops are on 16 September and 23 September, those interested in helping to craft decor can email volunteer@harewood.org to register interest.

Tickets are on sale for Harewood’s Christmas event A Glittering Invitation: Harewood’s Grand Christmas Ball from Saturday 8 November 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026.