Frugal Christmas thread

[ThisisCollie2022]

Anyone up for a frugal Christmas thread?

Homemade crafts, gifts, decorations, gift ideas and frugal festive food etc

Also ideas on how to keep the children busy would be great!

I know it's August but the best frugal tip is to be prepared so am thinking ahead now :)

If you like crackers, it's worth getting snaps and making them with children (who get to pick and write out the appalling jokes). In the past, I think I've done this by using the £5 birthday voucher from the Hobbycraft loyalty card to buy cracker snaps(although they go out of stock fast) and saving up cardboard tubes etc at home.

Thank you Collie 😊👏

Love this thread! Has anyone mentioned popcorn strings as tree decorations? I love the way they look!

Doing lots of handmade presents this year and not buying a real tree for once; we have a fake one in the loft I'll be getting out. Bit sad not to get a real one, but it'll save a good £30-40.

These frugal Christmas ideas actually make Christmas sound a lot more magical. Time with family, thoughtful small gifts, crafts and natural decorations, visits to churches and festivals and forests. I like this.

Talking of sweets , the tubs are 2 for 7 in Tesco ATM .
I did buy some 🤭😚

Re the tree debate . We bought a small tree in a pot for £15 from B&M last year and it has been outside since Christmas and growing well . We will bring it in again this year ☺️

Thanks re the sweet, that's enough for us for Christmas.

Ooh yes this will be me.
I have for the last couple of years given second hand books to extended family
Only have one primary teacher present now as dc2 goes up to secondary
And since we don't have a cleaner/anyone then we don't have to worry about buying those so that helps
Interested to read more
Tips though.

This is a brilliant thread. Thank you OP.
Will definitely be following.

Love this thread, following

TheNewlmprovedMrsMadEvans had no idea they were in the shops yet. I'll probably get some then! As that will be enough. I learnt my lesson last year and now I know which ones WILL get eaten!!

We have a fake tree in the attic which we'll use this year. Shame but our local trees are £30 for the smallest and last year our cat chewed on the branches and got sick.

hygge its beginning to feel like it'll be more magical than usual. Even though we'll be cutting back massively. I love it!

katherine I'm off to Pinterest popcorn decs. I'm so intrigued!

And for whisky lovers don't forget hot toddys :)

@mincepielife LOVE your name! Haha

www.bakerross.co.uk/craft-ideas/category/kids/occasions/christmas/

free craft ideas from baker Ross

Oh wow pottering thank you for sharing!!

www.bakerross.co.uk/arts-and-crafts/christmas--clearance

Don't know if this fits the theme of the thread but just a bargain I found, 5poundstuff.com have oodie style hooded blankets. I ordered 2 for my kids, £11 each, they were actually oodies! It's a site for returns I think.

This was also on the Christmas thread A loads of bargains to follow on there. Been on it for years. I got two Kudd.ly ones.

This is fab thread full of great ideas!
My input is making pom pom wreaths in xmas colours really easy to do with the kids and make a nice decoration or gift!

i would say don’t bother with teacher gift, home made card is quite enough
see if big families would do a secret santa

re cakes and pudding, puddings can be cooked in the slow cooker. See if anyone wants to share ingredients and cooker time for cakes. And cost obv,

Me and my DP stopped doing “big” presents for each other a few years ago when we were saving to go to NY in the January. We now do each other stockings with a smaller budget and I absolutely love trying to think of things to get to put in and both enjoy opening them together in the morning. Saved loads of money just felt like we were buying for the sake of it

Joining 😀Just bought my first christmas present - pink stripey sock slippers in the Joules clearance at 50% off.

Loving these ideas, thank you ❤️
I’m another jewellery maker. Rather lapsed, because life has taken over, but I’ve got some lovely smooth seaglass collected this summer (and last summer). I’ve got chains and a dremel, so can make pendant necklaces for gifts
I have so much other craft stuff, I could easily do a mostly handmade Christmas, with a little planning!

Haven't read the full thread but just jumping on to say hi!

Thanks for starting the thread @ThisisCollie2022 loving the Christmas bucket list and the autumn one on the frugaleering threads I'm going to find a quiet hour to write all the ideas down in my diary 🥰

Not Including dc we have 13 people to buy for (immediate family) we've already said we are cutting back a bit and people agreed. DH and I are aiming to spend £10 maximum per person or £20 for a couple. Not Including wrapping etc. I've already got my parents sorted and our neice.

Need to decide on a budget for DC it's normally around £100 each including stockings. So that's around £400. Think we will definitely have to cut it back this year. DH and I don't buy for each other we just get nice takeaway one night and a bottle of wine!

Frugal ideas we enjoy....

Christmas baking especially good for toddlers to give to neighbors etc. We do icing ready made biscuits, sauage rolls, mince pies.

We love going into town of an evening to look at the lights and get a bag of chips as we walk.

Lots of weekend trips to national trust and similar, take a flask of hit chocolate and biscuits etc.

Film afternoon always goes down well here. I also do a simple hot chocolate station with slow cooker hot chocolate will post recipe later plus cream, marshmallows, candy canes etc.

We like to decorate the house with natural items so lots of walks to find evergreens etc

Looking forward to this thread!

@ThisisCollie2022 Wow, what a fabulous list.

Lovely thread collie thank you! Historically we tend to spend on the kids at Xmas but we do save for this throughout the year. However we also enjoy things like winter walks and favourite films and I’m loving the winter picnics idea. I’m also going to broach the idea of dropping presents for adults in my family - we’ve already stopped this with DPs family and we all got for a meal together instead.