Christmas – the most wonderful time of the year. The time of year where everything glitters and sparkles, music is playing festive jingles on loop, and everyone seems that little bit perkier and less on edge. Shops have put on their best decorative attire, bargains are everywhere to be found for shopaholics, and the idea of snow is just that little bit more magical. Who’s dreaming of a White Christmas? Everyone, that’s who.
In spite of all of the festive cheer in the air, the pressure to have your house jing-a-ling-ing and looking top of the pops is high. Christmas is a time for family, which often means that you’ll have them gracing your home with their presence in the run-up to Christmas Day. Making sure that your house is completely reflective of your festive personality is a difficult feat, particularly if you’re up there with the best of the rest in terms of Christmas cheer.
We’ve all seen the usual decorative guides, where putting a sliced-up orange onto a baking tray and into the oven to dry out is as imaginative as it gets. We’re all about festive cheer on the next level – peak Christmas decorating ideas for those who have a budget, for those who get so into Christmas that they might as well change their name to Sant A. Claus and those who haven’t quite got there- but are trying, thank you very much.
Decorating Your Home On A Budget
Let’s be frank here – Christmas decorations, particularly the good quality ones don’t come cheap. There’s not really all that many ways of getting around that. After all, it’s not just a tree that needs decorating with Christmas tree decorations but the dining room with Christmas table decorations, the fireplace, the front door, the entranceways and even the garden.
One way of actually getting around it is to take advantage of your creative side and get stuck into all the Christmas DIY projects you can lay your jingle bell-lined hands on.
DIY Christmas Wreath
How are people supposed to know your home is full of Christmas cheer if you haven’t got a massive wreath on your front door? Ask yourself that question and find yourself a DIY Christmas Wreath project.
A favourite amongst Christmas DIYers involves manipulating an old wire coat hanger into a circular shape and decorating it using baubles, ribbon and festive foliage. The great thing about this hack is that it doesn’t have to cost a penny – if you have old baubles that you were planning on replacing, then they would be perfect for this project.
Otherwise, cheap baubles from the pound shop would be perfect and wouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg. The wreaths look beautiful and can sit proud as punch, greeting your guests and giving your front door that festive kick it needed.
Christmas Pine Cones (and other decorative features)
If you’re fortunate enough to live in areas surrounded by woodland, you may have access to a free decorative feature without even being aware of it. Pine cones have a whole range of uses but turning them into Christmas decorations is something that can be done quickly and easily.
Pine cones have the luck of being shaped like little wooden trees, so painting them and adorning them with teensy little decorations can turn the humble pine cone into a glistening, simple yet classy Christmas table decoration.
We’ve all made Christmas snowflakes, cut out of paper and covered in glitter. Cheap and cheerful, why not up-level the project and make them 3D by rolling up the paper and joining sections together as an intricate paper chain. Covered in glitter and you’ll barely notice it was made from a few pages of printer paper!
Top Tip: While you’re delving into your paper recycling bag, why not create bunting from leftover Christmas wrapping paper to hang across your walls?
Stock Up On Christmas Stockings
If you’re feeling slightly more adventurous – and you have an eye for sewing – then designing your own stockings might be right up your street. Cut out two sock-shaped pieces of felt or cloth, stitch with embroidery thread and turn inside out before decorating with whatever festive goodies you have leftover – cinnamon sticks, a twig or two of holly, gift tags and ribbons all work. Cotton wool is a great way to add a festive trim to the stocking if a faux fur wrap is too hard to come by.
Top Tip: Any leftover cloth or felt can be turned into personalised, homemade Christmas tree decorations.
Treats For Santa And His Reindeer
If you have kids (or even if you don’t and just want to get into the festive spirit), then one of the best things about Christmas is encouraging their excitement. A lovely decoration to leave out on Christmas Eve – and a memento to keep when your children have grown up – is a special plate. The plate should be decorated with space for a mince pie for Santa, a carrot for the reindeer and whatever else you might need to make sure that Santa can make his journey around the world.
Incredibly cheap to make – you only need an old plate and some paints and glitter- and something that you can share with the whole family.
Decorations For Those Who Really Love Christmas
Some people are just festive by nature. If you’re the kind of person that really loves Christmas (and consequently has probably already done all of the above – and more), then you need to dip your toes into more extreme Christmas decorations. Lacking a fireplace for Santa to slide down? Create your own 3D chute using cardboard boxes and wrapping paper. Or you could even cover your bannister arms with cotton wool and glittery snowflakes to give your home a snow scene like no other.
Christmas (Decorations) With The Cranks
If you’re normally a bit of a Scrooge where Christmas is concerned and don’t have the first idea where to start with Christmas decorating ideas for the holiday season, then you’re in luck – we’re more than qualified in the art of subtle Christmas decorations.
Jam jars – inexpensive and durable, with use all year round- are the perfect subtle decoration and can be placed all over the house. Fill them with snow covered pine cones, coat them in glitter and light them up with twinkly battery powered fairy lights or else paint them with glass paints to use as unique Christmas lanterns, or wrap cinnamon sticks around the jar and tie with ribbon and string – the possibilities really are endless. With one investment into battery powered fairy lights, or just a few tea lights and you’ll be amazed at the different creations that guests will love (no untangling the Christmas lights required!). If this smaller hack leaves you itching to create even more, then feel free to try a few of the other hacks above – we’ll bring the festive cheer out of you, yet!
