Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Cheap-O Christmas Decorating

My husband says I have expensive taste. Maybe that's true. Yep it is true. However, I also love getting something from nothing, being resourceful, and being a good steward. I love decorating my home with things I already have on hand.
I always wanted a way to display my antique cookie cutters in my kitchen for the holidays. A wreath would be perfect I thought, so I went outside and cut a bit off my boxwood. I used floral stems I had in the closet to fashion a wreath shape. Then I reinforced that with floral wire. I wired the boxwood around the shape in small amounts. Then I used a little wire to secure the cutters. It's a little wonky I'll admit, still cute though. I was thinking some red and white bakers twine would be perfect to accent this with.
There was a concern about how long it would last, but it's been hanging in my kitchen window for five days and it still looks pretty fresh. I couldn't get a good picture of it in the window because of the lighting. Hopefully, you get the idea.



My other cheap project was something I saw several years ago in Better Homes and Gardens. I made this star garland out of old Christmas cards. I always hang onto those, and this is a much better use of them instead of being packed away. I used a star cookie cutter for the template. They are strung onto tweed colored yarn. It's hanging in our little art room. Again, kind of crappy photography. Maybe you'll be inspired to try it anyway.





I love homemade Christmas decorations! What are your favorite ideas for decorating on a budget?

6 comments:

Jessi said...

So cute, Shelly! I've thought this year about making a wreath...we have lots of greenery around here...and I've also worries about how long it would last. I used your candy canes in a jar idea and Gina's snow candles to decorate my kitchen window sill this year. Super cheap and super pretty. (My daughter has already gotten into the candy canes THIS MORNING!) I love Christmas decorating!

Shelly said...

Hmmm, what are snow candles? Sounds interesting. I couldn't find the soft candy canes this year. I love those...think I'll check again.
I also improvised with my Advent candles when I couldn't find my holders I thought I had. Turned out nicely...

Jessi said...

"Snow candles" are simply baby food jars filled with some salt with a tea light nestled in the "snow." The kids loved pouring the salt in through a funnel. And we did it while the snow fell. Magical. Also, I didn't even realize they make soft candy canes...

Shelly said...

Ah yes, I know what that is! I'll put that on my list of crafts for the kids.
Yes, they are yummy. They are just the old fashioned stick kind sold in bags. Last year they were 99 cents a bag. So good!

Jamie B said...

Good ideas girls.

Shelly, LOVE the wreath :)

I couldn't find my Advent wreath when it came time a few weeks ago, so we too have been improvising until Greg gets one made...he has an idea, and doesn't want me to buy one because he wants to make it! ha, we made Christmas ornaments last year out of the small foam balls, sequins, and stick pins. They are so beautiful on the tree when the light is flickering off of them.

Besides that, our Jesse tree ornaments/countdown that I printed off from Ann Vostcamp's Advent journey are lookin' pretty good, too. I printed them off, laminated them, and then wrote the countdown numbers on the back. We strung them up on yarn and hung them up in the living room. Every night we take down the one for that day and hang it on the branch Greg cut off from a tree in the yard! Beautiful!

Shelly said...

Sounds so pretty Jamie! I remember making those ball ornaments. Maybe I'll do those next year; I love something sparkly.