Counting the Cost

"String popcorn! Inexpensive, and the kids love helping with it!" ~ Cindy

"Mementos -

* Tie a ribbon to the pair of baby shoes (or rattles etc) that you are saving.

* Shrink or scan and shrink (color copies or black and white and color them in) the artwork from your children. Attach them to bright card stock paper. Attach silver or gold or jewel tone ribbons and hang them on the tree.

Thoughtfulness -

*Have each member of the family write or draw a memory or special thing about each other family member. Roll them into scrolls and wrap them in pretty paper or fabric. Tie them to the tree with pretty handmade gift tags and pretty ribbons.

* Cut out stars from pretty wrapping paper, attach a smaller star to it, and hole punch. Write out the qualities you love in each member of your family, tie to tree with a pretty ribbon." ~ Kelly

"My all time favorite is stringing popcorn. A great family activity and if You're REALLY frugal you can keep the strands for two or three years in plastic bags to re-use. Air popped popcorn of course - hold the butter and the salt." ~ Anita in Canada

"Pinecones rolled in white glue, then glitter, so that just the edges are frosted and sparkling. I know this idea has been around forever, but they really are pretty, especially when you use very fine white glitter It really looks like snow and gives the tree a lovely sparkle." ~ Lynn

"One of the most frugal ways I know is origami. You can get books from the library, and all you need is paper! The books recommend special papers, but you can use ordinary typing paper as well, or perhaps that used Christmas wrap you've been saving.

Another way is fabric scraps. You can wrap them over an old ornament, rip strips to tie into bows, cut shapes and glue them onto paper, or make a large, loopy, crochet chain to wrap on the tree.

For something sparkly, wrap tinfoil over cardboard stars or hearts.

Shapes can be cut from disposable foil pans, too. How about reindeer, candy canes, etc. NOTE: Not a good project for the littlest ones. They could get cut on the foil.

If you can every year, wash and keep the used lids. Spray paint them and add something to them: a bow, buttons, tiny toys, a fabric shape, etc. Punch a hole in them to hand, or glue a ribbon on the back." ~ Terri

Here are three ideas:

1-Buy ornaments, garland, etc. at 50-75% off after Christmas and use the following year. If a store reduces their prices prior to Christmas (many do in the week prior), then you can purchase ornaments at 25-50% off the week before Christmas. For example, Michael's Arts & Crafts often puts their decor at half price the week before Christmas. This is obvious, but I'm amazed at the number of people who pay full price prior to Christmas.

2-If you want a tree that reflects your family and values, then use photographs to make your own ornaments. You might not win the 'Martha Stewart Beautiful Decorating Award,' but you are more likely to enjoy looking at your tree. Certainly, your children will be thrilled to see photos of themselves on the tree. There are ornaments that hold pictures, and if you have extra money, you can buy these. Or if you have time, you can make simple ornaments using foam sheets, popsicle sticks, etc. to create frames to hang on your tree (using ribbon that you pay very little for). With digital photos and fun software to enhance pictures and reprint them multiple times, you could have a fun family tree for very little money.

FYI---Every year, we give aunts, uncles, and grandparents an ornament with a photo of our children. So, by the time our children reach age 18, their grandparents will have 18 ornaments showing a wonderful phase of their lives. Additionally, this will be a fun heirloom for them to inherit some day. And we use these ornaments as part of our Christmas presents. So, we get the maximum bang for our buck.

3-Lastly, I have seen beautiful trees where 'less is more.' Decorators can buy beautiful ribbon at a discount when it's on sale. Then, using ribbon and some garland (also bought on sale), a tree is decorated with fewer ornaments (more focus on filling the tree with lights, ribbons and garland. Candy canes are also a wonderful, inexpensive ornament that can be used with ribbon to fill a tree. As long as you stay with 2-3 colors in your decorating scheme (like red), then edible goodies can be used to decorate and then later be used for refreshments/treats." ~ Michele

"I was lucky enough to receive a full box of heirloom Christmas ornaments from my Grandmother when she passed away--some of them over 90 years old!--but with a hyperactive and very curious kitten, I don't dare risk putting them out. So instead, my mother and I (we have an apartment together) have a small tabletop tree trimmed in colored lights with bows and a star. Instead of the tree, with all of its mess and potential for trouble, we focus on an Advent wreath that I made from items I purchased on sale at the end of the holiday season last year. It's much more meaningful, and since it doesn't require electricity to light, it helps us keep the holiday in perspective." ~ Paige

"Quite a few years ago I approached friends and relatives who bought gifts for my children and asked that we pare down to exchanging ornaments. Every year since then my children have given and received ornaments.

Decorating the tree has now become one of the most treasured activities at Christmas as each child remembers the person behind the ornament as it is placed on the tree. Our tree is a mish-mash of ornaments but a wealth of memories." ~ Gaye in Alberta, Canada

"When we lived in Florida, we collected sea shells, hot-glued ornament hooks onto them, and hung them on the tree. The natural beauty and variety of the shells made it one of the prettiest trees we ever had. We topped it with a starfish, of course!" ~ Janet

"I don't know if my idea will do any good for this year, but I was able to get all my decorations by shopping the after Christmas sales in January. By mid January stores are itching to get rid of their Christmas stuff to make room for spring stock. I've seen prices go as low as 90% off! I was able to buy a fake tree for $5! I also found ornaments and lights for 80-90% off this way. I now have an entire tree with decorations for under $10!" ~ Jill

"Here are a few ornament ideas I have used over the years for trees at home and in public gathering places (church, library, etc.)

1) Old Christmas cards...cut into shpaes and hung with a ribbon, made into little boxes and hung with a ribbon, framed in a mason jar lid and hung with a ribbon.
2) Bows, big, small, the fluffier the better
3) Dried garden blooms such as Queen Anne's Lace, Hyndrangeas, roses, and baby's breath are just a few.
4) Cookie cutters tied with a ribbon for a kitchen tree
5) Children's toys...trucks, cars, dolls, small books, bears and other stuffed animals... from their rooms, tied with a ribbon, for the child's room
6) Styrofoan balls covered with bits of lace, pins, beads
7) Old jewelry, old hats, gloves, for a vintage tree
8)S hapes cut from grocery paper bags, painted or left plain, and hung with a ribbon or green florist's wire for a country tree
9) Small metallic gifts bags from the dollar store, along with poinsettia blooms removed from the stem, also from the dollar store" ~ Angela in NC

"My husband was a school teacher for many years and each Christmas we received many delightful tree ornaments from his students. Among are favorites were the obviously homemade ones. These were made of:

* pine cones, both plain and decorated
* salt dough cut outs decorated
* fabric (such as felt) ornaments cut into holiday shapes (snowmen, stars) or sewn up in easy shapes and stuffed.
* you could even cut out some of the prettier pictures from previous years’ Christmas cards.
* There’s always popcorn of course
* Painted cardboard looks great, especially if decorated by hand." ~ Bev C.

"This is probably obvious, but planning ahead for next year is a way to very
cheaply decorate. I have purchased yards of Christmas ribbon for up to 90% off in the weeks after Christmas and most decorations will be at least 75% off. The key is to not have a preconceived notion of what you want the tree to look like, but rather to work with whatever beautiful bargains you can find.

Last year I wanted a new look for our tree, so bought little inexpensive
velvet bows in red and ivory, then hung gold balls all around (the
inexpensive glass ones) and used clear lights. It cost very little and was one of the most beautiful trees we've ever had. For the tree topper I bought a large ivory bow with streamers that came down the tree. The bows go
on sale about every other week before Christmas at Hobby Lobby for 50% off." ~ Lydia

"I am a school teacher and each year my students make a picture wreath that can be hung on their tree at home. I have been doing this for 20 years or more and I know that most of them are kept from year to year.

1. We use the ring that comes on a plastic jar of juice. When you first open the top the lid breaks loose from a small plastic ring at the bottom. That ring is what we use. I ask adults to save those rings before recycling the plastic jar. I use a paring knife and pry around the ring from the bottom until it comes loose. Some work off faster than others.

2. A friend who loves to crochet and loves children, takes one ring per child. She crochets double crochet stitches until the ring is full then crochets a ruffle around the edge. She crochets a small loop as she finishes the top. We use multicolor cotton yarn with a metallic thread running through it.

3.I cut circles out of felt that fit the back of the wreath. (The center of my masking tape roll makes a perfect size.) I receive a strip of student pictures (for school records) from the Lifetouch studio that does our school pictures. I cut one picture from the strip. The child glues it on the center of the felt circle. Then we lay the wreath on top of that.

4. At times I have used glue but I feel that tacking with a needle and thread works better over time.

5.I find a volunteer (maybe a mother from last year) who sits (and helps) with the children as they take a needle and thread and make about 4 stitches from the back around the ring. It isn't very pretty when done by 8-year-olds but they are proud of the work and the back does not show.

6. On the back of the ornament we put the year. Sometimes we have used permanent marker and sometimes fabric paint.

Since I live in a small community, I see may of my students' parents. That is how I know they become part of the family Christmas tradition.

The rings are free, the yarn is cheap after Christmas, and the person who crochets and the parent helper do it from love for the kids.

Maybe not what you are looking for but I wanted to share anyway. Even though I am a single woman, I enjoy your ezine. I hope you have a blessed holiday season." ~ Pam M.

Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to share his or her ideas!

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