Cheap decorations

[Greenhand]

I thought I would start a thread for those of us looking for cheap decorations.

This is my second solo Christmas. Last year I didn't feel up to much and bought a rubbish tree and some lights at the last minute. I've always decorated fully for Christmas and the children missed it so I am going to have to try to get more decs. The Ex has said he'll give me some of the ones the kids made when they were little this year but we'll see.

I never hang food on the tree due to pets but I have made home made stars from unusual paper - such as vintage sheet music. I have made these huge too:
www.craftideas.info/html/christmas_star.html

At the moment the Range has quite a lot of cheap decs in but the ones I want are all marked as sold out (perhaps they are not in stock yet).

Lights ideas are always helpful. My favourite includes the hanging Ikea star pendants made from paper. I might get another one this year when they sell them again. (Think they were called Strala).

Charity shops can be good but they often don’t accept Christmas stock until Oct/November. Lots of people like to change themes and often the shops have to refuse Christmas stuff they get so much of it.

A scandi theme could lend itself to minimalism and those paper stars sound fabulous. Is there anywhere you can scavenge for greenery? Sometimes tree sellers are happy enough for you to take to bits that fall off, and you can use them like garlands (I’m too lazy to bother making garlands and just tuck pieces onto shelves and mantles and behind garlands).

Dried orange slices are cheap (I wait for oranges to turn up in the Aldi specials) and pine cones will be on the ground soon if you have a park nearby.

Brown cardboard packaging and a chalk marker can be cut into gingerbreadmen or little houses.

Put a wanted ad on a Freecycle for a "naice" area near where you live.

I saw loads of people giving away decorations in my local freebies group last year. Also try supermarkets and Wilko for cheap decorations oh and Home Bargains too.

Paper chains!!! I know things like tinsel can look pants, but there's something lovely and Victorian about a paper chain. We made them for the first time in years last year (bought a lovely coloured kit from Amazon for about £7) and had garlands pinned from corner to corner, pinched up the centre of where the two chandeliers hang, so they kind of swagged in sections across the ceiling. It was lovely making them and hanging them. And, straight in the recycling after, no mess or storing.

Brilliant ideas thank you.

Pine cones and greenery are easy for me to source.

Lots of shops to visit closer to the time.

And I love paperchains!

The range has got christmas stock in their stores, Ive picked a few things up today. Things that were showing as not available online were in store… So many try having a look

These giant make at home snowflakes: They look so effective and can be made with just a few sheets of normal printer paper...

I made some salt dough decorations last year. I got lots of compliments! I got ideas from Pinterest

I bought an older version of Decorations [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1474952933/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_4N0ENQEG708786NFT4G3?tag=mumsnetforu03-21 The Usborne Make Your Own Christmas Decorations book]] many years ago. It’s a massive book of patterned paper with cutting and folding lines for making a variety of colour-coordinated decorations. We covered our tree in the paper angels and stars and it looked lovely. Years later and we still have loads of pages left!

It’s under £5 on Amazon at the moment.

Whoops. Messed that up. Let’s try again…

I bought an older version of The Usborne Make Your Own Christmas Decorations book many years ago. It’s a massive book of patterned paper with cutting and folding lines for making a variety of colour-coordinated decorations. We covered our tree in the paper angels and stars and it looked lovely. Years later and we still have loads of pages left!

It’s under £5 on Amazon at the moment.

These are dead easy to make in different sizes with a bit of coloured card. They look impressive hung round the house.

Trees made from folding pages of magazines are so simple and look lovely, and can be embellished with decorations (google for ideas).
Free small magazines or small catalogues are good for this.

I love foraging for Christmas decorations- strings of pine cones look fab on a tree in place of tinsel, likewise interesting seedpods dotted around, holly, ivy and other greenery; I just love natural decorations and as a bonus they’re fun to find/forage and free (although I prefer to expensive decorations so it’s aesthetic based decision, but free is a bonus!)

The works have a "fill your own" bauble set at £4 for 12, and what looks to be larger ones at £2 for 2 if you wanted something crafty.

I change colour themes annually (got quite a few colours so mix and match most years with the odd new set) and have always found B&Q to have nice quality reasonably priced sets. Poundland usually have packs of mini baubles that look nice on wreaths etc.

It's not that cheap but could be good since you have children. Gibson's do a jigsaw advent calendar, so you make the little Christmas themed jigsaws and they provide glue and ribbon to hang them as decorations.
I got it last year and loved it.
Could also look in Charity shops for Christmas jigsaws, get them to do one each and get glue and ribbon yourself.

@waltzingparrot

Those are great! Do you know what they are called so I can find some instructions please?