10 Ways to Have a Beautiful Christmas on a Budget
Rethink your tree, decorations, wrapping and even Christmas dinner itself to save money without compromising on the festive feel
Here’s the good news: a beautiful Christmas at home does not have to cost a ridiculous amount. While a giant tree, a lavish lunch and rooms dripping with decorations might seem like the ideal, with a little imagination and some forward-planning, you can have something that feels just as magical, but costs a whole lot less.
From foraging for natural decorations to redesigning the Christmas meal, there are lots of ways to bring the festivities in under budget. These 11 ideas are just the start…
From foraging for natural decorations to redesigning the Christmas meal, there are lots of ways to bring the festivities in under budget. These 11 ideas are just the start…
2. Transform twigs into decorations
Use twigs foraged from the woods or picked up from beneath the trees in your local park to make your own decorations.
Fashion a simple star from them and bind the points with string. You could even tape a string of lights to your finished creation for extra sparkle.
Use twigs foraged from the woods or picked up from beneath the trees in your local park to make your own decorations.
Fashion a simple star from them and bind the points with string. You could even tape a string of lights to your finished creation for extra sparkle.
3. Tape up a tree
Take Christmas to your walls by creating a festive tree on a blank space using colourful washi tape. This design is delightfully simple, colourful and witty.
House not quite organised for the festive season? Find home storage designers and organisers on Houzz.
Take Christmas to your walls by creating a festive tree on a blank space using colourful washi tape. This design is delightfully simple, colourful and witty.
House not quite organised for the festive season? Find home storage designers and organisers on Houzz.
4. Scale down
Bring your Christmas in on budget by simply scaling down the tree. A large, real tree can cost a huge amount and, come January, will end up in a council wood-chipper.
A simple sprig, on the other hand, is far more affordable. Just pop it in a vase of water and tie a little colourful twine to its tips to create a small but perfectly formed decoration.
Bring your Christmas in on budget by simply scaling down the tree. A large, real tree can cost a huge amount and, come January, will end up in a council wood-chipper.
A simple sprig, on the other hand, is far more affordable. Just pop it in a vase of water and tie a little colourful twine to its tips to create a small but perfectly formed decoration.
Take the previous idea and move it on a little by planting a sprig from an evergreen spruce or fir in some compost in a small container. Then simply water occasionally to keep the sprig healthy. You could even create a little Christmas forest by planting several sprigs and arranging them together.
More: 18 Natural Christmas Decorating Ideas to Bring the Outside In
More: 18 Natural Christmas Decorating Ideas to Bring the Outside In
5. Revive old decs
If your baubles are looking a bit tired and scuffed, and won’t stand up to being hung and admired individually, find exciting new ways to display them rather than rushing out to buy replacements.
Heap them together in a glass vase or big bowl for maximum impact, or tumble a few into pretty cups to make place settings or mantel decorations. You could even change their colour completely by spray-painting them with sparkly silver or a surprising neon shade.
If your baubles are looking a bit tired and scuffed, and won’t stand up to being hung and admired individually, find exciting new ways to display them rather than rushing out to buy replacements.
Heap them together in a glass vase or big bowl for maximum impact, or tumble a few into pretty cups to make place settings or mantel decorations. You could even change their colour completely by spray-painting them with sparkly silver or a surprising neon shade.
6. Use a pine cone as a place setting
If you have pine trees in your local area, gather up some cones and use them as festive place settings. You can also buy cones, which may still prove cheaper than actual table decorations. Then simply write the name of each guest on a rectangle of card and tuck it in between the cone’s scales or cut a slot to secure it.
If you have pine trees in your local area, gather up some cones and use them as festive place settings. You can also buy cones, which may still prove cheaper than actual table decorations. Then simply write the name of each guest on a rectangle of card and tuck it in between the cone’s scales or cut a slot to secure it.
7. Create your own wrapping paper
Christmas wrapping paper is either cheap and annoyingly flimsy or thick and annoyingly expensive. Find a happy medium by using simple brown packaging paper and decorating it yourself.
Brown paper is satisfyingly heavy and strong and, when secured with ribbon and dotted with DIY snowflakes (try using the rubber on the end of a pencil dipped in white paint), looks wonderfully festive, too.
Christmas wrapping paper is either cheap and annoyingly flimsy or thick and annoyingly expensive. Find a happy medium by using simple brown packaging paper and decorating it yourself.
Brown paper is satisfyingly heavy and strong and, when secured with ribbon and dotted with DIY snowflakes (try using the rubber on the end of a pencil dipped in white paint), looks wonderfully festive, too.
8. Rethink the Christmas feast
Many people find a traditional Christmas dinner too much, or dislike elements of it. (Sprouts anyone?) Buying a turkey and all the trimmings is expensive, too. So why not throw tradition to the wind and cook the dishes you’d really like to eat.
How about an array of salads, which will cater for a crowd and give you something to feast on for days to come? A veggie casserole, hearty risotto or spicy curry would also keep the hoards happy without alarming your bank manager come January.
Many people find a traditional Christmas dinner too much, or dislike elements of it. (Sprouts anyone?) Buying a turkey and all the trimmings is expensive, too. So why not throw tradition to the wind and cook the dishes you’d really like to eat.
How about an array of salads, which will cater for a crowd and give you something to feast on for days to come? A veggie casserole, hearty risotto or spicy curry would also keep the hoards happy without alarming your bank manager come January.
9. Make your own advent calendar
This clever design uses brown packaging paper, washi tape, twine and a humble stick to create a purse-friendly advent calendar.
This clever design uses brown packaging paper, washi tape, twine and a humble stick to create a purse-friendly advent calendar.
Create little envelopes with folded brown paper, securing their sides with tape, then mark the advent dates on in red pen. If you have a star stamp, use it to make the hole. Otherwise, a basic hole punch will do. Then simply string them up on a branch with pretty twine and stuff with treats.
10. Get crafty
This festive hanging decoration is made from cardboard toilet roll inners, painted and slashed, then hung up. It’s a fun, simple idea that children might enjoy helping with. Overall cost? Very little!
Tell us…
If you have any creative tips for bringing Christmas home on a budget, please share them in the Comments.
This festive hanging decoration is made from cardboard toilet roll inners, painted and slashed, then hung up. It’s a fun, simple idea that children might enjoy helping with. Overall cost? Very little!
Tell us…
If you have any creative tips for bringing Christmas home on a budget, please share them in the Comments.
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Agree some limits with your family members around gift giving, whether it’s to do with the number of presents you exchange, the price of each one or the total spend.
You might also want to impose some more creative restrictions, too, to make shopping more fun and thought-provoking. Agree to only buy locally, or only give second-hand or homemade gifts, perhaps?