Christmas on a budget

[butterfly76]

Anyone have any ideas of how to enjoy christmas on a budget, for instance someone said go out to the woods and collect acorns and pinecones and spray them to put them on the christmas table. Any memories of things you used to do as a child at christmas that didn't cost you anything?

[boobesque]

you can make other decorations, such as paper chains and tree decorations, also making cards was fun, although not free it was a lot cheaper than shop bought!!

Mum also made our santa sacks with pillow cases and various materials and fabric glue, and they fit in so much more than the shop bought stockings teehee

[Morrisonker]

a few years running my mum and her friends got together and went out into the woods gathering things like pinecones and then had a wee night in making wreaths/decorations etc and us kids made cards and tree decorations. 

If you're having a big family meal on christmas day, why not have everyone cook a different bit and take it with them on the day?  Get it arranged now and they should all have enough practise for it to be perfect on teh day, plus it cuts down on all the stress heaped on one person.

[Clanad]

Perhaps it was only done in the U.S., but long chains of pop corn threaded with a needle and heavy thread made wonderful tree and table decorations.  The kids socks were Dad's work socks (clean!) with a cherished orange in the toe and filled with hard ribbon candies with some unshelled nuts of various kinds...

[beerbelly]

and if you DO go christmas shopping .......take cash leave the credit card at home ...that way you know what you are spending . if you cant afford it they dont get it !!

[I_Tried]

Good Morning Butterfly76 You can get friends and neighbours round without writing 'bring a bottle' on the invitations. Mulled wine is the perfect seasonal party drink. It's also economical in that you can use inexpensive country wine mixed with apple juice or even water to stretch the quantities. Whether you're having a 'friends' Christmas or getting together with family, make it a group effort by asking different people to bring offerings of food and drink. There are plenty of snacks and nibbles, drinks both alcoholic and soft, the Christmas cake or pudding, even the box of Christmas crackers, all of which can add up to a tidy sum if one purse is responsible. If it's a small gathering or you're a novice cook and don't want the stress of the full-on roast turkey dinner simply scale it down to suit the numbers. A crown turkey breast is a manageable-size joint, easy to cook and you won't know it didn't come from an 18-pounder once it's sliced and on the plate. Turkey steaks can also be jazzed up for the special day, prepared in advance and spend only minutes in the oven instead of hours.

see next post

[I_Tried]

continued.....

Save on Christmas decorations

The tree
Start with house decorations and the all-important Christmas tree. There's no rule that says it has to be pine or spruce. Look around the house and garden for substitutes. Potted bay trees make wonderful features when strung with fairy lights. Even some hardy house plants can support a bauble or two and can be positioned throughout the house to add festive sparkle. If you do buy a traditional tree, it's worth investing in one growing in a pot - they are kinder to the environment and with a little care can be recycled year after year. Put them outside when Christmas is over and water them throughout the year like any other patio plant. Cut trees are charged by the foot so buy a shorter one and stand it on a table draped with an old white sheet and string some coloured lights round the base. And if you can bear to wait to the last minute, there will be bargains for the last remaining trees at the local lot or garden centre. It's even a tradition in some European countries to make an event out of buying and decorating the tree on Christmas Eve.

Wreaths and plants
If you have limited space but still want the fresh scent of a live tree, ask for scrap branches at a tree sellers (you may even get them for free) and pop them in a large flower vase with other seasonal foliage from the garden. Tie a red ribbon round the vase and hang your favourite baubles and decorations from the branches. Place extra branches on window sills or bind them together with wire to make an informal wreath to hang on the front door. Attach a few red baubles, pine cones or some of your prettiest Christmas cards and tie with a satin ribbon bow. Ivy is another inexpensive yet festive plant that can be wrapped around candles, the mantle, even as part of a table setting.

see next post xx

[I_Tried]

Continued....

Room decorations
For decoration in front of a large mirror or over a mantelpiece, cut varying lengths of ribbon and tie a bauble at one end. Use pins or Blu-tack to hang them in an arranged or random pattern against the wall or at the top of the mirror. String fairy lights around doorways or windows. Use plain string to make a zig zag pattern against a blank wall and hang Christmas cards - it may be an old fashioned idea but will add colour and decoration without costing a penny!

Recycle
When it comes to wrapping (and more importantly unwrapping) your gifts, try to recycle as much as you can without becoming a bore. Keep a box for ribbons and bows, especially if you have lots of other occasions throughout the year, like kids' birthdays to wrap for. Good-quality wrapping paper is worth carefully folding or rolling, you can use it to wrap a smaller present next time; and if you're feeling really industrious it can even be carefully ironed to remove creases. Not only are you saving money, you're helping the environment too be throwing away less.

Am sorry it was abit lengthy but I_Tried my best. hope you can take something from all of the above xxx i

[butterfly76]

Thank you all of you some great ideas. Sounds like it is more fun having less money and more time doing things together as a family. I can't wait for my walk in the woods to get all my foilage!

[I_Tried]

butterfly76,

Which woods are you going to maybe I can meet you there lmao xxx you can be red riding hood and i'll be the big bad wolf lol panto season is upon us soon.