Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A Cheapskate's Holiday Decorating


It's so fun to make the house festive for the holidays, but who's got the money for that these days?  I know I don't.  I had a pretty small decorating budget.  Like, don't spend any money on decorations budget.  So I decided to mostly make do with stuff I had.  Here's what I did to fake a little holiday opulence:


I really wanted to put pretty decorated wreaths on our doors this year, but those things can be pricey!  This cheap-o wasn't interested in paying $20+ per wreath for the store made ones or spend the equivalent plus a bunch of time making my own.  I snagged these 2 medium-sized greenery wreaths at Jo-ann's on sale for $4.98 each.  Wrapped some gold beading around them  (bought at last year's after Christmas clearance at Target) and make some quickie bows from some gold ribbon I had in the basement.


I also used some of that gold stretchy cord you get on gift boxes and tied two jingle bells to the ends of each piece.


Presto.  Fancy-pants look, at a bargain price, in about 10 minutes.  Win!! I added the little faux trees &  Christmas doormat we put out every year to make our doorstep festive, yet frugal.


I literally threw together this winter terrarium after rooting around in a Christmas storage bin.


You may recognize it from my Halloween & Easter decorating earlier this year.

SIDE NOTE: If you like easy decorating, have small kids/pets, are thrifty, or like me, all of the above, I highly recommend spending $20 to get one of these glass terrariums.  It really is a crafter's best friend with all it's uses and is so practical for keeping delicate, breakable or tiny items displayed and un-destroyed by aforementioned kids or animals.  Or kids that act like animals (aka my children as toddlers).  I know I can't be alone on this.  Sometimes I look at the decorator suggestions of using loads of glass, candles, glitter, thin wires and beads and wonder if any of these people have heard of kids.  Or that most of our homes have them.


Anyway.....I poured in some plastic pellet beads I had left over from making I Spy bags a while back.  Tossed in the silver tree candle I'd gotten as a gift about 10 yrs ago, two present ornaments and a couple of candy canes we usually put on the tree and boom!  A mini-winter wonderland was born.  I threw a piece of batting underneath and made our sofa table f-e-s-t-i-v-e.


So there's how to get some new decorations without having to fork out the bucks or spend more than 15 minutes.  Double money + time savings = a very merry me.

Sharing these ideas with my FAVE LINK PARTIES too so check them out HERE!


7 comments:

  1. Your house is darling. Sometimes we are our most creative when we are on a tight budget!

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  2. It all looks lovely, I really love the terrarium idea, and what you have done with it through the seasons :)

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  3. love it using what you all ready have the simplicity makes a very big deal

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  4. Now, that's my kind of decorating! Those ornaments you linked yesterday looked adorable, but she lost me at "Cut out 20 circles."

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  5. The door wreath is beautiful. I chose to make mine this year, too.

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  6. I never thought abt using a jar like this I have a few glass cookie jars and I know what I will do w them next yr!

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  7. Your ideas are gorgeous, Chery!
    Wishing you a happy Heading Up to 2011 !! x

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Getting your comments brightens my day. I'd love if you left one:)

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