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Xmas Dec Ideas - No Money

Hi All


Christmas is getting closer and although we have managed to sort cards, presents and food out with an extremely tight budget, I have just realised that we have no decorations for the lounge.


I know they are not essential but I would like to make the lounge look slightly Christmassy, with a budget of about £10 many shop brought items are out of the question.


Any ideas will be appreciated


Merry Christmas :j
Out of debt, out of danger - Joan Jonker
«13

Comments

  • C_J
    C_J Posts: 3,266 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    You can get quite a lot from Poundland for £10!

    Otherwise try making paper chains with strips of paper cut from coloured magazines, or tissue paper flowers. There are lots of tutorials on Youtube.

    Good luck, and happy Christmas :)
  • If you have a Wilko near you they have some great cheap and cheerful decorations. And him :D
    Wilko Christmas decorations

    Would also be worth checking any charity shops as they usually have plenty of Christmas stuff.

    Happy Christmas :santa2:
  • esmy
    esmy Posts: 1,341 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Get outside! Collect holly, pinecones, fir tree branches, twigs etc. Spend some of the £10 on a can of sparkly spray paint, battery operated lights, couple of charity shop bowls for display if you like.

    Have you got a tree??
  • Make "pretend" crackers out of cardboard loo roll inners and scraps of wrapping paper. We used to make them with crepe paper and put home made sugar mice inside.
    Decluttering Awards: 🏅🏅
  • spadoosh
    spadoosh Posts: 8,732 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Made aright hash of that.

    Have a look on pinterest, loads of budget decoration ideas.
  • GreyQueen
    GreyQueen Posts: 13,008 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Hi All


    Christmas is getting closer and although we have managed to sort cards, presents and food out with an extremely tight budget, I have just realised that we have no decorations for the lounge.


    I know they are not essential but I would like to make the lounge look slightly Christmassy, with a budget of about £10 many shop brought items are out of the question.


    Any ideas will be appreciated


    Merry Christmas :j
    :) Ivy grows all over the place even in urban areas and is virtually a weed. A stroll with a shopping bag and a pair of scissors should provide ample harvesting opportunities.

    Ivy makes attractive swags on mantlepieces and over pictures and mirrors and curtain rails. Something bright can be added into it, such as cheapy baubles (chazzers have plenty but even new ones in the discount stores are very affordable).

    You may have some ribbons or some bright fabric which could be cut into strips and tied into bows. A twiggy branch from the woods can be stood upright in a plant pot and decorated with random glittery things - even costume jewellery can come out for this purpose, as can bits of foil from packaging.

    A pair of scissors to cut things up, some paperclips to bend into mini hangers and you can have a lot of fun for pennies. Don't forget such staples as snowmen from cotton wool balls, either, cheesy but cute. HTH.
    Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness.
    John Ruskin
    Veni, vidi, eradici
    (I came, I saw, I kondo'd)
  • kathrynha
    kathrynha Posts: 2,469 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Car Insurance Carver!
    Get an empty food tin, washed out and fill it with water and freeze. Once frozen draw a Christmassy shape on it (tree or holly would work well), then using a hammer and a nail make holes a few mm apart all around the outline. Melt the ice, dry and put a tea light inside.


    To make a wreath if you have any old clothes/sheets/etc, get a ring of corrugated cardboard (get it free from a supermarket), and cut the material into strips and knot it round the cardboard so all the loose ends stick out round the outside. Add a bow with some more of the material.


    Contemporary tree, go for a walk in the local woods and find a branch. Paint it white, adding a little glitter if you have some and sand it up in a vase/container with soil/sand/whatever you have available, then decorate it. You can use anything to decorate it. Christmas shapes cut out of magazines, stuck on to cereal packets for strength, bit of cheap jewellery you already have, old Christmas cards cut into shapes, pine cones or holly if you have any near you, etc.
    Zebras rock
  • esmy
    esmy Posts: 1,341 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Saltdough can make great tree decorations - once dried it can be painted with anything you have around - household paint, nail varnish, permanent marker pens. I still put some saltdough teddies on the tree that my children made 20 years ago!
    http://rainydaymum.co.uk/the-quickest-ever-salt-dough-recipe/
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Put a shout out on a local Facebook group ... most people have got "something left in the bottom of the box" when they'd finished decorating, just because it's stuff they don't like/want any more, or they changed their colour scheme ... a wonky angel here, 3 baubles there, 2 strips of pink tinsel .... you could end up with some hilarious donations.
  • idunn goddess on You Tube makes some beautiful stuff. Her Zen winter garden is lovely and it's mostly made from lolly stcks (McDonalds :) ) and salt.

    Zen winter garden

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lsk--Q5RMA

    DIY decorations

    https://www.youtube.com/user/IdunnGoddess
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