How the jeff do you decorate "Santas grotto"???

[50ShadesofXmas]

For the Christmas bloody fayre!! Santa has a costume, a throne and an elf helper (not me thank goodness), but we need decorations.

Is poundland gonna be my best bet? On a very strict budget of £15!

Please help.

we drape black curtains/sheets around the area and then ask the reception children to make glittery stars and snowflakes which we attach to the curtains. you could use white sheets if these are easier - anything to change the function of the room.
dust sheets on the floor (?snow)
add a christmas tree (freecycle!)
our children have to go through a door, so we bought a plastic door picture - full front door with a wreath on it (ebay).
we also got one that was a fireplace and stuck it to a piece a card - it's sort of propped next to santa.
we've also had yr1 children make paperchains (teachers used paper from their stocks)

our freecycle group is pretty good re requests from schools, so we are able to put out a general "anything we could use for a grotto". I've also found that come next weekend Freecycle generally has lots of offers of xmas decs and trees.

do you know people that would lend you their bigger decorations - the odd 3ft snowman or chasing lights?

Lots and lots of tinsel! :)

scene setters for doors plenty of choice , just chose the first one.

Drape sheets, hang fairy lights (I'm sure both could be borrowed), decorate with twigs and pine cones (free, from local parks/woodlands). You can blob glue onto the twigs and cones, and sprinkle with a mix of flour and glitter to make 'snow'.

Giant hanging snowflakes made from paper plates, again with glitter.

Poundland has inflatable reindeer, and tiny Christmas trees.

Local freecycle is a really good idea too. You might be able to get a full-sized tree.

Oh, and get Santa on a posh-looking chair. Just drape some fabric over a normal one (but something glitzy).

This thread was made for me I feel!
I've been buying my decs since poundland had them in.
They have the following for you:
Fake snow garlands (think draping)
Big gold sparkly bells
Velvet bows
Velvet reindeers
Snow flakes that stick to anything
Felt garlands that spell Merry Christmas
Boxes of hundreds of baubles.
Miniature bells.

Also, have you heard of the shop Tiger? If you have one local, they have gorgeous toadstools about 4cm in diameter that can be twisted onto things.

HTH

I forgot the lights!!!
Led lights, about a metre string each. Snow flakes, icicles, stockings.

White sheets over all the classroom junk and pinned up the make a plain back drop behind Santa. Loads of fairy lights, tree.

Screen, freestanding notice board again draped in a sheet, so queue can see Santa as the door opens.

Nice chairs or a bench so children can sit next to Santa for pictures. Enough room for siblings, friends (older Y5/Y6 non believers still wanted their traditional picture).

Someone with a good camera to take nice pictures that sell.

Can't see.

Lurk. I seem to have got myself involved with our Christmas fayre. I have to do the grotto and walk up to it

We're going for a natural look (apparently)

bubble wrap makes for great icicles & ice too :)

3d snowflakes (wiki how), fairy lights, dark sheets/curtains (think originally got ours from textiles direct quite cheap. Empty boxes wrapped, Xmas tree, and pound land tat :)

Beg borrow and steal!

I agree with white sheets and fairy lights everywhere. Then all you need to do is borrow a big reindeer or two and maybe a tree?

Like the idea of the children making stars and snowflakes too - cute.

Lots of ideas, thank you all :)

Lots of fairy lights & have a look on your local selling boards to see if anybody else is selling big box of decs cheaply.