There’s nothing that says Christmas quite like a well decorated home.
But Christmas decorations can be expensive – and when every penny counts, spending big to bring the festive spirit to your home can feel like a step too far.
But even if you’re renting a property, the good news is there are plenty of things you can do to decorate for Christmas on a budget and this guide shows you how…
1. Budget Christmas tree decoration ideas
Your Christmas tree is likely to be the focal point of your festive decorations.
But having the perfect Christmas tree often costs money.
Instead of spending big on a tree and decorations this year, why not consider some budget options?
A tree made from an old pallet
Your Christmas tree doesn’t need to be a tree at all.
Making a DIY tree from wood, such as an old pallet, is a cheap and eye-catching way to create an amazing Christmas tree without spending big on a real or artificial option.
Create a snowy Christmas tree
Dusting your Christmas tree with artificial snow, known as ‘flocking’, can be a great way to make it stand out.
And the good news is you can do it with just a few items from around the house or from a DIY store.
To flock your tree, you’ll need:
- Shaving foam (not gel)
- White glue
- Corn starch
Mix up a bottle of white glue with a can of shaving foam and add corn starch to make your ‘snow’.
Spread small amounts of the mixture on to your tree’s branches and build it up until you have the look you want.
The ‘snow’ will need 24 hours to dry – after which time you can decorate your tree.
Decorate your Christmas tree for free
You may have some amazing Christmas tree decorations right on your doorstep – and all you need to do is go out and forage them.
Pinecones and holly work brilliantly and can give your tree a natural look and feel.
And best of all, they’re completely free.
How do you decorate a Christmas tree step by step?
To decorate your Christmas tree this year, you should follow these steps:
- Hang your lights first, wrapping them around your tree from bottom to top, before wrapping top to bottom once you reach the peak
- Weave garland around your tree, using two types that contrast each other
- Hang your best and most eye-catching baubles first, picking prime spots on your tree where they’ll stand out
- Next, hang your largest baubles and spread them evenly throughout the tree, keeping close to the base
- Hang smaller baubles and ornaments in the gaps that remain, placing them on the outside of branches
- Add pieces of foliage like pinecones and holly, or even dried fruit to make your tree smell as well as look fantastic
- To finish off your tree, add your topper
How to choose a good artificial Christmas tree
When choosing an artificial Christmas tree, you should:
- Opt for a tree with branches made from PE rather than PvC. While PvC trees won’t fade in colour, their branches can look more ‘fake’. PE trees look more authentic
- Look for a tree with a high number of ‘attached tips’ in its product description. The higher the number, the ‘fuller’ your tree will look
- Buy a tree with a good quality, strong stand. The last thing you want is for your tree to fall over
If you’re looking to buy an artificial Christmas tree, longevity is key.
Buying a good quality fake tree should mean you don’t have to buy another one for several years, which also means fewer artificial trees going into landfill.
2. Make a DIY Christmas wreath
It’s possible to make a cheap Christmas wreath that looks amazing by foraging natural items.
All you need is:
- A wire wreath frame, which are available online or from florists
- Some wire and twine to help you wrap items around your wreath
- Natural items like pinecones, moss and holly, and evergreens like spruce, ivory, or evergreen oak
Tie the moss and evergreens to your wreath frame with twine until you have a balanced circular shape.
Once you have your shape, secure your foraged items like the pinecones to your wreath using wire.
If you’re renting, hang your wreath using a special wreath attachment rather than using nails which could damage your landlord’s door.
3. Get to work on some DIY Christmas crackers
The remnants of as many as 40 million Christmas crackers are thrown away each year.
But by making your own crackers, you’ll not only help the planet but also save yourself money, too.
All you need to create your own crackers this Christmas is:
- Some toilet roll tubes
- Left-over recyclable wrapping paper
- Ribbon to tie the crackers
- Glue
- Gifts for the inside
Simply cut your left-over wrapping paper to size and glue it around one of your toilet roll tubes, leaving enough overlapping paper to create the cracker handles.
Cut another toilet roll tube in half and insert each piece at either end of your cracker, leaving a gap between the centre tube and your end tubes.
Tie the overlapped paper that’s between the centre tube and end tube at one end with ribbon.
Then insert your gift, before tying the other end of your cracker securely.
4. Decorate your table with a DIY festive centrepiece
A stunning centrepiece is a great decoration to bring your table to life at dinner this Christmas.
And making one yourself is cheap as well as making your table stand out.
A seasonal centrepiece that runs the length of your table is easy to create.
All you need is:
- A natural table runner, such as hessian
- Some festive greenery, like eucalyptus or holly
- Pinecones, dried fruit, and cinnamon sticks
- Scented candles
Lay your runner down the length of your table and add your scented candles at regular intervals.
Start arranging your greenery down the length of the runner.
Finally, add foraged pinecones, your dried fruit, and cinnamon sticks to fill out the runner.
5. Design some budget Christmas crafts
By utilising what you have lying around the house, you can create some amazing Christmas crafts without spending a lot of money.
And if you have children, you can get them involved, too.
Why not try making mini Christmas trees out of pieces of old magazine paper?
All you need is some wooden skewers, a pair of scissors and some old magazines to cut up into squares.
Or you could try making your own baubles, using pinecones, holly, and pieces of string.
How about creating your own festive lanterns by decorating jam jars, layering some sand in the bottom and adding tea light candles?
6. Add the scents of Christmas
Christmas decorations aren’t just visual – by adding the smells of the festive season, you can really get your home into the spirit.
You don’t need expensive shop-bought fragrances, either.
Instead, use natural ingredients to add the scents of Christmas to your property by:
- Creating jam jars of homemade potpourri, with cinnamon sticks, pine sprigs, dried fruit, and rosemary
- Spraying pinecones with cinnamon scented oil and dotting them around your home
- Simmering a pot of apples, orange peel, cloves, and cinnamon sticks gently on your hob
- Bunching together cinnamon sticks and pinecones and wrapping them in newspaper before burning on an open fire
8. A budget homemade advent calendar
Shop-bought advent calendars are another Christmas cost it’s possible to avoid.
And making your own DIY calendar is not only cheaper, but also fun to do.
Using leftover recyclable wrapping paper, create 24 small parcels with numbers on, before decorating each one with some small sprigs of holly, some cinnamon sticks, and pomegranates.
Fill each parcel with a sweet gift and then hang them from some string with wooden pegs.
9. Decorate your outdoor space on a budget
Outdoor Christmas decorations can help your home to stand out.
And it’s possible to do it without hanging the kinds of lights that will result in a huge electricity bill, too:
- Fill pots or water containers with festive foliage
- Wrap solar lights around bushes
- Hang home-made wreaths from doors and on walls
- Hang boule boules from porches
- Decorate garden furniture with foliage
Further reading…
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