15 Ways to Save on Christmas Decorations

The holidays come with enough pressure to spend, so why give all your cash to decorating? Try a few of these tips to help you bring the Christmas spirit to your home without having to break the bank.

1. Collect pine cones.

Throughout autumn, keep an eye out for pine cones and take them home, dry them out, and get ready for some Christmas decorating. Pine cones are perfect in bowls and vases as a centerpiece, or you can even wrap thread around them to create a hanging decoration.

2. Bake salt-dough ornaments.

Mix some salt, flour, and water together for your dough and get crafty with different shapes and patterns. Cook in the oven and decorate afterwards with paint and glitter and you’ll have some great decorations for your tree at a tiny cost.

3. String up real ivy.

Ivy is ideal for stringing up indoors. Drape over mantelpieces, picture frames, and mirrors for a gorgeous festive look.

4. Turn old Christmas cards into works of art.

Make the most of those Christmas cards you get sent every year and turn them into decorations. Hole-punch the top so you can thread string through and create Christmas bunting or use them as gift tags.

5. Take the DIY route.

Why not try painting some plain baubles yourself or make some miniature pompoms out of wool or tissue paper? They can be reused every year and will make your tree feel more personal.

6. DIY Snowman

Grab a clean white sock, fill it with rice, and tie three small elastic bands or hair ties around to create a body and head. Decorate with beads or fabric and you can have a whole collection of DIY snowmen on your mantel.

7. Turn off Christmas lights when you’re not home.

Lights do make your home look and feel Christmassy, but they’re also adding to your electricity bill. Make sure you turn off your lights whenever you’re not at home to save money.

8. Re-use tinsel.

When taking down your decorations, resist the urge to throw out items such as tinsel. Fold carefully and wrap in plastic bags before putting in boxes and they’ll be ready for next year.

9. Give your candles a face lift.

Christmas candles are the perfect decoration, but shops can charge lots of money for their fancy designs. Get crafty with some golden stationery pins or use a glitter pin to create your own original pattern.

10. Recycle your old Christmas sheet music.

Find some festive music sheets for Christmas carols and hymns and use them for crafting some paper flowers. It’s easy to do and can create a beautiful garland or bouquet for your home.

11. Replace the bulbs in your Christmas lights.

When the bulbs go in your lights, it can be tempting to throw them away and cash out for a new set. But in reality, changing a few bulbs isn’t difficult at all and will save you a fortune.

12. Don’t forget about paper snowflakes.

If you didn’t learn how to make paper snowflakes in school, then now is your chance. Choose some paper you like and get creative with the grandchildren by cutting the corners off folding paper to make pretty patterns perfect for sticking on your windows.

13. Have a look around your garden.

This is a simple but effective decor idea that simply involves finding some berry branches in the garden and placing them in vases and bottles. Don’t buy new vases for the project. Instead, recycle used wine bottles for a vintage feel.

14. Stop into your local thrift shops for discounted decorations.

Keep an eye out for Christmas decorations in thrift shops. Lots of people donate items they no longer use, so you can find great ornaments and decorations for a fraction of the cost of buying them new.

15. Festive draft excluders.

Make your own draft excluder from an old pair of woolly tights filled with stuffing and decorate it by sewing festive patterns or phrases on top. Not only will these decorate your home, but they will save you money on your heating bill as well.