You want your home beautifully decorated for the Christmas season but on the other hand, you don’t want to spend too much on decorations – Christmas is expensive enough as it is. But don’t worry, because we have amazing ideas using nature and natural resources to give your home a wonderfully real and homely festive welcome.
Reuse and repurpose
Adding glitter gives an instant festive feel and you can never have too much sparkle in our opinion. If you kept hold of your white pumpkins and squashes from Halloween, a magical sprinkling of glitter will make a stylish and rustic decorations.
Cluster white pumpkins with pretty lights and green foliage on the slim console table in the hall, on a hallway bench, or on display units in the living room for a wholesome Christmas style.
Repurpose and reuse different kinds of decorations – they won’t look out of place.
Go foraging
When we get crisp winter days, the time is perfect for foraging to your local woodland or park to find all that nature has to offer. Forage for evergreen foliage and pretty winter flowers to make a wreath for your front door. Having said that, a natural woodland wreath is in perfect sync with reclaimed wood furniture too. A perfect addition to the dining table, wreaths are easy to make.
Dried fruits as decorations
There are plenty of winter fruits in season right now which means that their prices drop. Having said that, this is a more cost-effective approach if it means you oven-dry fruit that is past its best.
Pierce the skins of oranges with cloves and dry out in a warm oven. With a needle, thread twine or strong cotton through one end and hang on the tree. The scent is wonderful!
You can also dry sliced orange in the over and use in garlands and wreaths too, a natural look that ties in beautifully with rustic furniture.
Get stamp happy!
Make your own wrapping paper by getting festive with stamping. Local craft and hobby stores stock a range of festive stamps, from Christmas trees to the jolly face of Santa, as well as a range of different coloured ink pads. Stretch out the paper, stamp all over with your chosen stamp, allow to dry and then wrap your gifts.
Use recyclable paper, as well as string and homemade gift tags and you have affordable but chic wrapped gifts for under the tree.
Nature on a plate
Place settings add decadence to the Christmas dining table, but they can be expensive to buy. Making your own is far more cost-effective, takes relatively little time and adds a personal touch.
Pick up terracotta pots from your local garden centre or DIY store and add miniature trees into damp compost. At the end of the meal, your guests can take them home to plant, for more environmentally friendly than all the waste from crackers – and a welcome gift too!
And finally…
Choose your scheme for Christmas well in advance and collect items through the year to make it more affordable. And you’ll find loads of bargains in the New Year sales too.