Free Christmas Decorations

A well decorated Christmas tree is certainly something to be admired.  There's just one problem.   It could cost a small fortune to get the ' glamorous ' look that we see in department store windows.

A budget friendly option is to buy your decorations at Boxing Day sales,  op shops and discount retail stores.

A SUPER budget friendly option that costs zero is to make your own.  Here are some ideas  that will get you started.  I personally have used some of these ideas when we were trying to fill our newly purchased ' big ' tree about 20 years ago.

*  Use craft ribbon or scraps of material to make bows.  Thread a loop of cotton or a paper clip to the back for ease of hanging on the tree.

*  Make a paper chain out of Christmas wrapping paper.

*  Leftover craft wool can be made into cute pom poms. Attach a ribbon bow and a hanging loop with a hot glue gun or craft glue.

*  Cupcake patty cases can be made into all sort of decorations.  Glue on a button in the centre to form a flower.

*  Scrap material can be cut into Christmas shapes.  Stitch together with large stitches and add a tiny bit of filling.  Sew on a ribbon loop and you have a cottage style decoration.  

*  Paint three icypole sticks and hot glue gun them into a triangle.   Attach a cardboard square to the bottom to make it look like a Christmas tree.  Decorate the sticks with glitter glue,  pom poms or any other craft item you have on hand.  Glue a star to the top and a loop for hanging.

*  Collect pine cones,  spray with a little white paint or paint with glitter glue.  Attach a loop for hanging.  If you like the rustic look,  keep it plain and just add the loop.

*  Fashion old broken Christmas tree branches or an old wreath into mini Christmas wreath decorations. Glue on a few buttons and a small bow.  Attach a loop.

*  Do you have craft beads or broken bead necklaces on hand?  Thread the beads onto craft string or fishing line to make icicles.

If  all else fails and you are not crafty at all,  thread popcorn onto string or fishing line to make your own garland.

   

How have you decorated your Christmas tree on a budget ?

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7 Quick Kris Kringle Gifts

Has a family member come home with a Kris Kringle request out of the blue ?  Gotta love a surprise just before Christmas don't you ?  Here are a few simple yet wonderful gifts to give without looking like it's a last minute gift -

*  A jar of mixed nuts in their shells.  We all have a clean Moccona coffee jar lurking in a cupboard.   Dig it out,  fill and decorated with a printed sticker.  Maybe use one of those black chalkboard stickers as a label.

*  Fill a jar with homemade biscuits.  Tie a ribbon on with a handmade gift tag.If the present is for a male,  tie a tartan ribbon for a more masculine look   This sort of gift would retail for about $20 in the stores.

*  Wrap a box of Dove soap with pretty wrapping / craft paper and tie with a luxurious ribbon.  If you have a glittery brooch or hairpin,  attach to the ribbon or thread it on.

*  Here's my go to Kris Kringle present - A gift bag with a handmade soap,  a jar of homemade jam and a cute note pad or decorated face washer.

*  Re gift an unwanted present.  I know this is a delicate subject but sometimes we can't use what is given to us.  If it would be more suitable as a Kris Kringle gift ,  it's better to re gift than to not use it at all.

*  Looking for a men's present ?  My go to present is a gift bag with Lynx shower gel and Lynx deodorant.  I always have these on hand in the present cupboard and only ever buy on a half price sale.

*  A block of chocolate is always a winner.  Team it up with a jar of homemade hot chocolate drink mix,  add a cute spoon and perhaps a novelty mug.    

Homemade jam nicely decorated

Handmade soaps

A box of Dove Soap Annabel ( The Bluebirds Are Nesting blog ) sent me a few years ago

Soaps my girls wrapped in tissue paper and decorated.

What are your easy Kris Kringle present ideas ?

Christmas Season Savings

During the month of December money can be tight in most households.  To reign in the spending and to feel like you have some control over the family budget,  try some of these free ideas / activities -

*  Take the kids to see Santa at you local shopping Centre.  No need to pay for the photo opportunity.  Just whip out your phone and take a cheeky snap while the kids are talking to Santa.

*  Start eating some meals out of the freezer.  You know your life is busier during December so lighten your meal time stress.  While you are at it,  you'll be making room in your freezer for Christmas Day leftovers or veggie garden produce.

*  Have a go at making Christmas bon bons from wrapping paper tubes,  scraps of wrapping paper,  ribbon and a few little trinkets you have cluttering up the present cupboard.  Maybe throw in a Coles Little Shop collectable for a giggle.

*  Decorate a few department store bags to use for present giving.  A scrap of wrapping paper over the store name can give the bag an instant lift.

*  On Christmas Day,  save all gift bags,  decent looking wrapping paper ( not the stuff that's been crumpled up ),  Christmas cards and ribbon.  These can all be recycled for next year.  The cards can be cut up to make gift tags.  Wrapping paper can be used to wrap more presents or to line a gift box.

*  Only go to the Boxing Day sales if you really need something and you know it will be on sale.  Go with a plan and go with cash.  Otherwise the temptation is too great to buy stuff.  Have a look at this article I wrote about my Boxing Day Shopping.

*  When someone suggests a Christmas party / breakup function,  look at going to a park with a plate of food instead of a restaurant.

*  Needing to take a plate of food to a gathering ?  Raid your pantry for that packet of biscuits,  lollies or chips you've been hiding ( or saving ).  When time is short,  it doesn't have to be homemade.

*  Make sure you save food leftovers and consume or freeze within two days.

 

Elegant food platter for Christmas Eve.  We had everything on hand.

Simple platter

Easy gift bag decorating.

How do you save money at Christmas ?

Easy Christmas Cards To Make

Making your own Christmas cards can be quite easy and cheap to make.  No need  for expensive card making supplies or card making kits.  A hand made card is generally well received and can show lots of love.

Here's a simple list of supplies needed and a few ideas to get you started -

*  Blank cards.  Kmart sells 25 blank cards and envelopes in packs for $3.  Alternatively your local discount store will sell colored cards - 8 in a pack for about $2 - $3.50
*  Scissors.
*  Glue Stick
*  Grey led pencil
*  Ruler
*  Stickers or stars or other Christmas themes
*  Colored pens
*  Twine,  ribbon,  embroidery threads or colored string.
*  Round glass to trace around
*  Merry Christmas stamp or stickers
*  Bling ( embellishments )
*  Christmas wrapping paper
*  Paper doilies

The Christmas trees on this card were cut out with a shape punch.  Alternatively you could cut out triangles to get the same effect.  The ' Merry Christmas ' at the bottom is a sticker I bought on Boxing Day at 50% off.

The Christmas tree is made from a paper doily folded on different angles.  The embossed background could be substituted by wrapping paper

These simple cards were made with strips of patterned paper. and a stamped message.  Alternatively you could use scraps of wrapping paper and a small gift tag ( always bought on clearance after Christmas )

This card features baubles cut from Christmas wrapping paper.  Thin silver ribbon was glued to the back of the baubles then attached to the back of the red background.  Little bows were attached with a hot glue gun

Do you make your own Christmas cards ?

What is your favourite design to use ?

Planning Ahead For The Christmas Season

Christmas should be a time of fun,  laughter,  togetherness,  relaxation ( to a point ),  good food and  celebrating of the birth of Jesus.  Unfortunately it's easy to feel overwhelmed with all the presents to purchase,  food to prepare and parties to attend in the lead up.

Making November your planning and doing month will give you peace of mind and a chance to put your feet up while others are running around in December.

Here's a list of  tasks to complete in November while you have the free time.

*  If you haven't already done so,  write out your Christmas list and budget for each person.

*  Check your present cupboard to see if you have any presents put aside.  Allocate the presents to your list.

*  If you are planning on a hand made Christmas,  make a list of gifts to make and start making.  Bath bombs,  shortbreads,  tote bags,  aprons ( bbq and kitchen ),  hanging hand towels,  knitted dish cloths and soaps are all fairly easy to make.  If you are going to make soap,  use the hot process so the soaps set in a couple of days, ready to wrap and give.

*  Check your wrapping box.  Do you need sticky tape,  tags,  paper,  card or ribbon ?

*  Write a few Christmas cards each day.  Send overseas cards by the end of November.

*  Make and freeze biscuit / cookie dough ready to bake last minute presents.  The dough is great to have on standby for ' take a plate ' functions.

*  Build up your stockpile of freezer meals or single portions in readiness for those crazy December days.

*  Plan your Christmas Day / Eve meals.  Start buying ingredients when you see them on sale ( especially lollies and chocolates ).

*  Menu plan to the best of your ability for December allowing for functions on the calendar.  This will help to put your mind at ease.  Remember,  a menu plan is not set in stone.  Swap meals around when things pop up.

*  Fill in your calendar when invitations arrive.  The rule in our house is - " If it's not on the calendar,  it's not happening ".

*  Pull out the Christmas tree and decorations.  Inspect for damage and plan to buy or replace before mid December.  In recent years,  retailers get rid of their Christmas stock well before the big day,.  If you are looking for decos on Christmas Eve,  you might be disappointed.

*  Most importantly,  start present shopping.  The quicker you get it done,  the more time you'll have to relax.

Get supplies ready

Check your decorations

Wrap as you buy

Stockpile meals

Do you use November to plan for Christmas ?

How do you keep the calm in your home ?

Christmas Gift Tags, Bags, Wrapping And Crafts

Christmas can be an expensive time of the year.  There's no need to spend a fortune on wrapping and tagging your presents.  Infact,  you might have everything you need on hand and recycle at the same time.

Gift Tags

* Use and recycle your old Christmas cards.  Find the best part of the picture and cut it into a square,  oblong or tag shape.  Use a hole punch to make a hole and thread through a small piece of string,  ribbon or twine.

*  Tags can be made from any piece of cardstock, paper or craft paper.  just cut into a shape,  add a hole then decorate.

*  Do you have a cardboard box hanging around the house ?  Start cutting the cardboard flaps ( top ) off.  Cut into squares / oblongs with a craft knife then decorate.

Gift Bags

*  Do you have lots of department store cardboard / paper carry bags.  Glue a piece of wrapping paper over the top of the store name or brand.  Add a homemade gift tag ( see above ) to the wrapping paper panel then tie a small piece of ribbon or tinsel to the carry handle for extra style.

*  Brown paper bags can be decorated with a Christmas theme to use as a gift bag.  Stamp images,  add Christmas stickers or leave it plain.  Add your present then neatly fold the top over a couple of times,  staple then add a gift tag or a ribbon tied in a bow.  Glue the bow to the centre of the folded top with a hot glue gun.

*  Scraps of material are easy to make into bags.  If you sew,  just sew a hem around three edges. Turn over the top by 2 cm and sew a hem.  Thread some cord or lace through the top as a draw string.

Wrapping Paper

I buy all my wrapping paper on Boxing Day at heavily reduced prices.  If you haven't done this and are stuck for wrapping paper,  have a look to see what you have around the house.

*  Tissue paper makes beautiful wrapping paper.  Use a few layers to conceal the present inside.  Add a ribbon made from cut up sheer / netting curtains. 

*  Children's paintings could be used as  personalised wrapping paper.  I personally couldn't do this but some people have a truckload of Kinder paintings and this could be a way to keep the numbers under control.

*  Plain butcher / craft paper can be decorated.   Even simpler,  leave it plain and just add a colored ribbon.

*  If you are really stuck for wrapping paper,  use birthday wrapping paper and turn it inside out.  On Christmas morning when the paper is being ripped off,  no one will notice.

Christmas Crafts

*  If your old Christmas card looks amazing and too good to cut up,  consider framing it for a lovely present or to decorate your home.

*  If the image on the card is square or oblong,  cut it out,  put a layer of contact paper over the top and stick it to a jar of homemade goodies.

*  Make Christmas decorations by cutting out a shape from the card and threading a ribbon.  Tie the ribbon into a loop then hang on your tree.


Here are a few links to websites with more craft ideas


http://www.bhg.com/christmas/crafts/christmas-card-projects/?slideId=bc5bfcbb-59e0-4213-a8fb-fc24080962d4

 https://www.pinterest.com.au/explore/recycled-christmas-cards/?lp=true

https://www.marthastewart.com/276934/recycled-christmas-card-crafts?slide=3398794

Gift tags made from old Christmas cards

Cardboard gift tags.  Just change the theme to Christmas

Use this layout to decorate bags for Christmas

Cut up netting curtains as bows.