Holiday Beauty On A Budget
Decorating for Christmas is a fun way to get the whole family involved in
bringing some Christmas spirit into (and outside!) your home. You could go
broke adorning your house with all the glittery, festive decorations that
seem to be available everywhere from the drug store to the hardware store
to the corner convenience mart! But save that money for gifts for those you
love and those less fortunate, and find more frugal ways to give your house
that bright, warm holiday look. Here are some tips to help you get started.
Candles say Christmas! Hit the dollar store and hunt through your cupboards and cluster them throughout your home. Red and green are obviously Christmas-y, but don't stop there! Blue, white, silver and gold are fantastically festive, as well. Tie bunches of candles with shimmery ribbons, or place them inside everything from mason jars to clay pots. A few well-placed ornaments add just the right touch!
Have visions of sugar plums? Candy is another simple but perfect item to use. Create an eye-popping wreath using wrapped hard candies. Start with a plain Styrofoam wreath form. Adhere peppermint, butterscotch, and any other individually wrapped candies to it using old fashioned straight pins - the more candy, the better it looks! Hang tiny scissors to the wreath with a ribbon so that when guests knock on your door this holiday season they will be greeted by a welcoming treat! Another candy decoration idea is to insert small glass vases into larger ones and fill the space between with Christmas-striped peppermints. And of course, everyone loves a gingerbread house! Make it simple using graham crackers and canned frosting.
Have a quiver full of children? Rather than looking at the mountain of toys as a hindrance, use them to your advantage. Teddy bears and other stuffed animals tied with festive bows will brighten your mantle or furniture. Trains, soldiers, and building blocks in front of the fireplace or around the tree conjure Toyland images.
Take a look around and see what you can find. Use your imagination and recall
the childlike wonder of Christmas. You'll surely
find a bounty of ideas at
your fingertips!
© 2008 Good News Tucson™
