Help!!!! Decorations ruined!!!!!!!!!

[SheWhoDaresGins]

Was having a shift around in the shed for stuff after just moving house earlier this year. When I stumbled on my Christmas decorations. I have been a blubbering wreck since. The shed has leaked, my decorations are all damp and mouldy. I'm devastated that the ones that used to be my Mamd are all damaged as well and are irreplaceable.

I have chucked all my tinsel in the bin as there was no saving it. I have washed all my wicker decorations but they stink of damp.

Most of my ornaments are damaged thought about dipping the best of the bunch in glue and covering in glitter, most of my little wooden 1s have fallen apart.

Any of you lovely people got any cheap ideas for nice decorations as I am on a very tight budget this year.

TIA and Christmas

Oh no! I think I'd be really upset too because Christmas decorations hold a lot of memories
I have seen some lovely decorations in Wilkos for a good price

How crafty are you?....

Paint & glitter pine cones?
Candy canes
Red,white,gold bows....easily made from florist ribbon with I'd about £4 from wholesalers...
Fresh holly
Paper chains

Oh no!
We spent a Christmas overseas and made our own tree decorations. Slices of orange dried in oven and hung with ribbon and salt dough decorations. It looked really pretty.
Would also second the wilko recommendation.

You poor thing I also lost very sentimental decs a long time ago.

I was also going to suggest Wilkos they do have some lovely ones, TK Max, home sense...tesco also have some good ones in their larger stores, 3 for 2 at the moment.

If you can wait a little of course they will all be massively reduced after xmas....

wilkso has lovely packs of baubles for 3.50.

invest in a proper plastic container with sealed lid.

Just take it as an opportunity to create more memories and traditions - ranging from pound shop tat to home made stuff and the occasional expensive investment. There are no rules.

There are some really nice crafty ideas on YouTube. Eg wreathed made from old book pages. Worth having a look at some of the ideas on Pinterest too.

I really feel for you op I had to bin all mine last year after field mice decided to hibernate in them. What they hadn't chewed up they had urinated on. So sad

Oh no that's so sad :( I have had similar not with Xmas stuff but things like all my old famous five books. You poor thing

If they smell and stuff then it's probably not worth keeping as it may make you more sad :(

I wouldn't worry too much about special decorations this year, as it'll be hard to do cheaply - maybe just focus on the basic baubles/tinsel as they are mega cheap. I would also consider finding or buying something decent to store them in. Mine are in a 'Really Useful Box' with loads of bubble wrap (indoors though as no shed).

If you have a little spare cash after that, you could start a new tradition of each choosing a new decoration each year - that way you'll gradually build up a collection of more interesting ones. This will be much better long term than just buying everything now. Especially if you happen to find any when you go somewhere new, museum gift shops or whatever (probably not time for that this year, but it's something you could consider in future years - I got a tree decoration in February this year. This way, while of course you are sad at what's been lost, you and your family are storing a whole new set of memories :)

Wreaths not wreathed, damn autocorrect

Oh you poor thing. Is there anything that you could photograph and get a photo mug done, so your parents decorations sort of live on in a Christmas mug?

Oh no that is very sad

For the tree, I think I would make gingerbread biscuits - a whole load of hearts and stars. String them up with red gingham ribbons. Dried orange slices strung up with red ribbon. Pinecones. Natural or glittered. Popcorn strands in place of tinsel.

Ebay can be great for job lots of decorations and baubles. Visit your nearest charity shops as often as you can in the next few weeks, there are usually lots of bargains about.

Lidl has christmas decorations in this week and next. I got some nice things there last year so worth a look. Even if it means going cheap this year and gradually rebuilding your collection over the next few years.

Sorry just realised it sounds like I was dictating what you should do with your tree... Only meant it as a suggestion for a very pretty, cosy but still cheap way of decorating.

Aw, that is sad, OP, I totally feel for you. My decorations are a parade of Christmas Past and I love them.

However, if yours were anything like mine there would have been some beloved-but-dodgy ones. Now is your moment for an uber-stylish tree! One colour, no-guilt decorating. You are free to go all out THEMEing .

Oh no that is terrible, i would be gutted too BUT as others have said it is a good opportunity to start a new collection/make memories x

Funnily enough I've got a big loft clear-out planned for next week when I'm on holiday and I was going to focus on getting rid of some of my Christmas things. I would happily send you a few little pieces, if you'd like.

Let me know what sort of things you like and I'll see what I come across - I don't really remember what's up there...

The only ones that I am really upset about are the ones that used to be my Mams, she's no longer around and died over Cnristmas so as I took her tree down I kept hers as they reminded me of all the Christmases we had had. She's been gone 10 yr now the ornaments are 30 odd year old now. It's just sad.

I could kick myself for putting any of it in the shed but it was only meant to be short term after moving house.

Never mind. I knew you would give me good ideas I love the pinecone idea and the ribbon bows. This was last years tree, I vow to make this years as nice.

As for everything else, time to have a new theme, just moved in to a country cottage so I will go traditional.

Thanks to all again for the tips and ideas. You are all stars!

HolgerDanske thanks for the kind offer, I really appreciate it and no it doesn't sound like you were dictating. Great ideas and something I can get DS 5.5 yrs to help with so therefore making new memories like others have said

Oh that's very sad, that's made me more emotional than any of those poxy JL adverts, I'm a cold hearted sort, me.
I'd be gutted to have found my decs destroyed, it's less than the money, it's the sentiment.
Check out your nearest supermarket maybe. Sainsburys discounted loads of their decorations much closer to Christmas. In fact, that's my advice anyway, don't go rushing off to replace them too early, most shops do huge discounts in December which I usually benefit from as I leave all my Christmas shopping until then anyway!

Oops forgot add photo of last years tree

gin(you AC) fancy a few of these? There's gold and red as well. I made loads and not sure what to do with them.

That's a beautiful tree

Obviously nothing can replace your mum's precious things (Sorry ) but if you want to save a bit on having to replace it all and that way have a bit more to put towards a special ornament to start your new collection off, my offer definitely stands - you could use it as background to your main theme. I have so much of it and I really do want others to be able to enjoy some of it as I don't use it. And it'll motivate me to actually get into the loft and get it done

Looks like red, cream or gold and quite traditional? Let me know. I love love love everything about Christmas and it would warm my heart to know some of my things are being used this Christmas. Let me know?

Love your tree, looks very trad, thats what I am aiming for this year, lots of gold and red, usually do blues and gold.

I have just been in my loft and have a load of decorations I no longer need and was just thinking what to do with them, I would be happy to pass them on.

Sorry to hear about all your lovely decorations- they definitely do hold sentimental value.

If you fancied starting a new tradition with your DS, I started buying or making one new decoration every year for my son, when he is older and has his own home and tree he will have a whole collection of "special" decorations to take with him.

Salt dough is definitely a nice cheap way of making decorations, and if you can get some silver or gold spraypaint it's quicker and less messy than hand painting.

Whereabouts are you? Do you have countryside nearby? Gathering some pinecones and foliage from evergreen plants is simple but really pretty- you could pick up some pretty christmassy ribbon pretty much anywhere at this time of year.

Do you have pinterest? It's a good app and if you searched for home made decorations on tgere you'd find loads of ideas.

I find supermarkets are good for simple baubles at a cheap price if you want to bulk it up a bit.

Hooe you find something you like and are able to salvage even a few of your sentimental ones!

Thanks for saying my tree looked nice. It was always my pride and joy over Christmas. Tiz sad most of those decs are ruined but I am feeling a bit more positive now I have picked through things and tried to save a few things. The fear of dread has subsided. The tree is yet to be inspected, if that's knackered I'll get a small real tree therefore the decorations I have left will not look swamped. Every cloud and all that!

I am taking DS for a stroll through the woods tomorrow so will look for pine cones and acorns to decorate with him as decorations.

I am feeling more positive