Peppy and cheap decorations

[Annandale]

I think there are probably lots of posts around the board and in Credit crunch that would fit the bill, but I can't see the exact thread I'm looking for.

I want to go all out with decorations this year but to spend as little as possible on them . I'm thinking huge ivy garlands (I've bought some nice silver ribbon to use and will buy some flower tape which seems to be 46p in hobbycraft).

Tiger has some pillar candles - has anyone tried them, are they any good or do they smell of petrol? I don't particularly like scented candles but i don't want to asphyxiate us.

I've got a Swedish angel chime from last year which I think always seems very Christmassy.

I'm thinking possibly lots and lots of paper chains too.

I use cards to decorate but there are so many fewer now that I don't think that's feasible to make the place look really festive. Any other cheap but lavish ideas??

I hang string along the walls and put christmas cards over it to make a sort of garland. Also stick pinecones we've collected in a massive jar with a few old baubles and some battery fairy lights (you could do it without the lights though) which looks christmassy by out stove.

Yy to paper chains, you can make them with ordinary coloured paper cut up. Also paper snowflakes stuck on the windows or suspended with string.

I also hang a branch (picks up while walking the dog) in each of the downstairs windows which I hang a few baubles from and it looks great. I might hang something similar over the dining table this year.

You could put big fish twigs into a bottle or vase and hang a few tiny baubles there too.

We have been known to raid the dc's animal figures for christmassy or woodland animals which can look nice dotted around on a window sill or mantle piece between greenery or cards.

Biggish not big fish!

Slice up an orange or two and dry between sheets of kitchen paper and then dry in a low oven, or on radiators. You can add these to garlands, or string them and hang on tree. And they smell lovely.

Lots of instructions on google for more complex paper chains if you like. Pound land sell paper strips and also 6x6” pads of Christmas paper. Or this book has lots of cutouts.

White paper cut out snowflakes can be absolutely stunning. Pinterest for inspiration and instructions for different shapes.

Jam jars with tea lights decorated with jute twine and some greenery are lovely.

If you gently warm the pillar candles, just enough to soften them but not warp them, you can press cinnamon sticks (Lidl have boxes of decorative ones) or dried orange slices in them.

Hobbycraft have sets of three artificial flickering pillar candles for £6, Poundland have exactly the same set for £2.