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 :)

My friend gave me one of those a few years ago it was lovely. I might have a go myself!

I'm doing the something I want/need/wear/read and do for my daughter who will be 18 months. I really can't afford much. Also doing secret Santa with the in laws. It was too much last year.

Does anyone know where to get baskets, to fill you with goodies?
The cheapest ones I found are around £10 for a small one and will be more expensive than fill them up!

Wow - that sounds magical! Love the idea of the wardrobe! A decoration for the tree is a great present - I wish our FC did that!

Yes, these are the things that really make Christmas special!

I'll share one of our traditions - although it has been a bit controversial on MN! We do a Christmas Breakfast on the 1st December. It is also known as a 'plastic-tat mentality' Breakfast on MN due to a poster branding it that, even though there is no plastic tat involved! 😂

I decorate the table with my Christmas table cloth and prop up the DC's advent calendar at their place. I also put something like a little chocolate penguin/polar bear - that sort of thing. I cut Christmas tree and star shapes out of crumpets, toast or pancakes, fruit like perhaps kiwi and strawberries as Christmas colour or last year I did a Christmas tree out of grapes. Then maybe some mini mince pies too. I'll set off the singing Christmas tree (!) as the DC come down the stairs. We love it!

Personally I get mine from charity shops through the year. And if the relative is close enough I ask for it back afterwards 😂

For hampers wrap a box in festive paper, fill with shredding

@Lalanbaba It might not help you this year, but baskets for hampers are one of those things that are very cheap in January- I remember seeing loads of them in Waitrose earlier this year. Good alternatives are either festively covered boxes (as mentioned) or the seasonal designs of jute bags from Seasalt which are currently £12 for 3 little ones or £16 for 3 big ones (although they sometimes go on sale before Christmas).

I steal the baskets back too from close rellies, or chazzas

Thanks for the answers, I will keep an eye out in case a bargain comes up.

Plan b are cardboard boxes wrap with festive paper and a ribbon (like presents). Shredding and cellophane. I think they will look christmasy

Thanks for the alcohol suggestion!!

try either Hobbycraft or The Works - I got a cheapish hamper kit from one of thes last year

Have you seen the little santa hats you can make out of strawberries, banana and a mini marshmallow?

One of our cheap and cheerful Christmas Eve traditions, which I think originally came from MN, which was a massive hit it Santa's magic seeds.

Small plant pot, fill with sugar (being sensible here stuff most of the pot with newspaper or similar and layer of sugar on the top. Get your little person to plant jelly beans in the pot when they lay out their carrot and mince pie. (Top tip count beans planted and think carefully about colours.

When child is in bed eat beans, plant candy canes in the pot. The best magic is when the cane colour matches the bean. Shake edible glitter over the sugar and let a little fall on the hearth.

This brought more surprise and delight than anything else we ever did

That sounds great - I'll do that this year - thanks for the idea!

I've seen the strawberry santa hat idea on Pinterest! I love it, a North Pole Breakfast.

Such a cute idea Wolf! I'm definitely doing that.

another 2 alternatives to hamper baskets are

1. gift boxes from cheapy shops / card factory (I've been able to reuse one my MIL wrapped a dressing gown in one xmas for storing decs away each year, and every year when I deck the halls it reminds me of the gift)

or

2. a pretty / xmas themed bag for life

At east this way there's a good chance that the containers will also be useful and essentially form part of the gift.

I’ve used pretty curver storage baskets, ice bucket, mini crate and a hard backed book instead of a wicker basket before so the packaging is part of the gift.

I once upon a time when I did that type of thing, used a mixing bowl for a baking hamper, a washing up bowl for pedicures for a beauty one and a desk organiser for a stationery one

These are such great ideas. I floated PP's idea of chicken thighs with stuffing and wrapped in bacon with DH and he was keen! I'm going to do a cranberry and chestnut stuffing.

Homemade play dough recipe:
(made it with dd)
ingredients:
8 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp table salt
60ml warm water
food colouring
1 tbsp vegetable oil
essential oils

instructions:
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix together the water, a few drops of food colouring, essential oils and the oil.

1. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and mix with a spoon.

1. Knead together for a few minutes to form a smooth, soft ish dough. If you want a darker colour, knead in some extra food colouring .

1. Store in a box or tub, keeps for about 4 weeks in the fridge and maybe 2 out.

hope this helps someone, might be a nice activity (especially with Christmassy scented essential oils) or stocking filler

We use these tubs

Something has just occurred to me now, even though I read the OP on this.

I'm allergic to most packet stuffing (bread) and dislike basic sausage meat. However, DD and I recently discovered some Chipolatas we both love. I've ordered a load for the freezer as they are on offer this week.

Squeeze the filling out of the sausages, stuff the thighs with it and wrap in bacon. Tada! Something we would both eat.

Thanks to PP and this thread for some super ideas.

I haven’t bought anything this month. Next month I plan to get DH’s present, a sweater if they still have his size. We live close to an outlet centre so that helps.

I'm doing the something want/need/wear/read and do for my daughter who will be 18 months

i’m doing this for my two who are 12 and 10. Honestly, I feel like it’s enough. Stockings have always been practically inclined- pants, socks, stationary, shin pads, hair bands, toiletries etc. but even there I’m cutting them back. I’m embarrassed to admit that some years I’ve walked around their rooms in June and picked up unused stocking presents and just sent them to the charity shop- usually the novelty type stuff that is basically landfill fodder.

Same here @illiterato. One year was especially bad and DH & I promised we'd never buy like that again.

My best friend buys a new bauble set every year or two. Different colour scheme each time. And just bins the old ones. I hate it. But it must be quite normal otherwise The Range etc wouldn't stock sets of them. 😔