Are you thinking of dressing up as Santa Claus this wintertime? Maybe you have been invited to be Santa for the local school Christmas fair, or maybe you're off to a fancy dress party. Maybe you just want to do something special for your children this Christmas time by dressing up as Father Christmas and sneaking into their bedrooms this Christmas Eve, to deliberately be seen and to deliver them a special gift. Don't get caught though, because they'll never believe in Santa Claus again.

When buying your Santa costume there are some things that you need to consider to pass yourself off as an authentic Santa Claus.

Santa is rather a plump fellow with a 'little round belly, that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly' - 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Father Christmas isn't a heavy drinker, he doesn't have a beer belly. Obviously he is plump because he eats all those mince pies on Christmas Eve. Anyway, my point is that unless you also over do it on the mince pies, you're going to have to make yourself plump. The easiest way to do this is to sew tape ties on to the top of a cushion, so that you can wear it around your waist like an apron. You may need to give your new belly a bit of manual assistance to wobble like jelly when you laugh. When buying or renting your costume, make sure that you buy a size that will accommodate your new figure.

Santa is also known for his rosy cheeks 'His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry' - 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Of course being out in the night air so long on Christmas Eve, it's no wonder that his cheeks are rosy. Make your cheeks and nose rosy by applying some pink blusher. Make a pink circle on each cheek and a smaller one on the tip of your nose. Don't worry if you feel a little foolish, it will look great when you have the full costume on.

Santa's boots are very individual, you can't get away with just wearing black wellingtons. Santa rides on a sleigh, he doesn't wear boots to keep his feet dry, he wears them to keep warm. Your boots need to appear to be fur lined and they need to have a fleecy turnover at the top of the boot.

Finally, you need to perfect your "Ho, Ho, Ho." It needs to be in a low pitch and needs to sound happy. Santa's trademark "Ho, Ho, Ho" isn't just Santa's chuckle for when he finds something amusing, but he also uses it when he makes a mistake. So if he leaves sooty foot prints on the carpet "Ho, Ho, Ho,." If he knocks your Christmas tree over "Ho, Ho, Ho" and with cold numb fingers, Santa is often clumsy.

If you are dressing up as Christmas time, please make sure that you abide by this advice and do not blemish Santa's reputation, but do have a splendid time. Laugh lots, and hover around the mince pies!