There’s nothing like trimming the tree and decking the halls to get you into the holiday spirit. But all those decorations can get pretty pricey at a time when you’re already facing a tight gift-giving budget.
You can create inexpensive, eye-catching displays now instead of waiting for all those after-Christmas sales. And many require nothing more than what you already have lying around your house and a few minutes of prep time. Best of all, many of these handmade decorations use found and repurposed objects, so you can help the environment while you dress up your house!
Here are eight easy ways to bring a little holiday decorating magic home:
- Sweater vases – Have a tall glass vase lying around? Outfit it with a sleeve cut from an old cable knit or cashmere sweater. Just stick the vase inside the sleeve, hot glue the edges down, and fill the vase with sprigs of holly or small branches spray-painted white.
- Mitten advent calendar – Since you’re already cutting up those worn-out sweaters for the sleeves, use the rest of the material to construct 25 mittens for every day of advent. String them along the wall with twine or attach to a chalkboard or frame. They’re the perfect holder for treats and small gifts as you count down toward the big day.
- Glam toys – Do your kids have old Santa, penguin or other wintery-themed plastic toys just laying around? Coat them with white glue and cover with German glass glitter in silver or gold. Arrange under a glass dome with holiday-themed pieces, like holly berries and spruce-fir leaves for a little bling on your dining room table.
- Cardboard Rudolph wreath – Overwhelmed with all those boxes from online shopping? Turn them into a three-dimensional deer head that, when paired with an evergreen wreath, pays homage to Santa’s favorite reindeer.
- Vintage ornaments – Vintage continues to be the rage among decorators. Items like old skeleton keys, mini candy or Jell-O molds, and metal Christmas cookie cutters can be spray-painted in white or metallic (or go crazy with teal or hot pink!) and strung with a coordinating ribbon for ornaments that are full-on retro.
- Holiday pillow covers – Dress up your toss pillows with Christmas burlap covers sewn with red yarn and decorated with red acrylic paint. Another option? Turn an old flannel blanket into pillow covers that appeal to your cozy side.
- Wood slice photo ornaments – Home décor and gift stores are stocked with wood slice décor and ornaments. Make personalized ones using your favorite photos in a sepia finish and Modge Podge. You can even “burn” dates or phrases into them using nothing more than your inkjet printer, some paper and a small paint brush.
- Wanderlust decorations – Honestly, does anyone use printed maps anymore? Turn them into decorations that look great on the tree and celebrate your love of travel. Cut old maps into squares, perform some simple origami to turn them into flowers, and use a hot glue gun to attach the pieces together in a ball.
According to one study, 34 percent of Americans spend $100 or more on holiday decorations each year, and 82 percent plan to buy new decorations this year. With everything else you have on your plate this holiday, that’s an extra cost that can be hard on your wallet. Make it easy on yourself by creating decorations with a personal spin that cost just a few dollars and a few minutes of time!
The best way to dress up your house for the holidays is to give it a good cleaning as well. Talk to Annointed Hands today about scheduling your cleaning for December, so your home is both sparkling clean and beautiful for all your holiday happenings.