This year lots of people are on a tight budget which means that there will have to be a few Christmas cut backs. However there are lots of things you can do in your home to create a Christmas atmosphere without having to spend a fortune on decorations.
The most important element of a Christmas home is of course the tree. Most people opt for a fake tree rather than the real thing and you can easily find a tree that looks very realistic and will last a lifetime if you pack it carefully at the end of the season.
However if you want something a little more unusual that will barely cost you anything why not have a go at creating a Christmas branch. You will need to find a reasonably sized fallen branch with no leaves on it. You’ll need your branch to be as dry as possible so find it a few weeks in advance and then store it in a warm dry place.
Then paint your branch with white emulsion paint and leave to dry. Once it’s dry place some clay or sand in a pit and insert your branch so it stands upright. You can then wrap fairy lights around your branch. You can use whatever fairy lights you’ve already got but white ones look best.
If you can’t live without a tree you could decorate it with home- made treats like gingerbread men. Gingerbread men are one of the simplest biscuits you can make. All you need is flour, sugar, eggs, butter, golden syrup and ginger. You can also find biscuit cutters in lots of fun Christmas shapes. Cakescookiesandcraftsshop.co.uk has an extensive collection. You cookies can be decorated using anything you want such as candied peel, hundreds and thousands and edible silver balls. They look great and are perfect for making with the kids.
Creating a cosy atmosphere is a good way to give your home a Christmassy feel. You could choose some scented candles in tealight holders which will give a gentle flickering glow when lit and remind you just how glad you are to be indoors. You can buy candles with Christmas scents like cinnamon, orange and ginger.
Although it will take a bit of time you can make an amazing Christmas wreath with just a coat hanger, some ribbons, scraps of material, newspaper and sticky tape. First bend your coat hanger into a circle, then cover it in newspaper to make a sausage shape all the way round the wire (you can use the sticky tape to secure it). Nest cut all your ribbons and material scraps to the same length, around 8 cm is fine. Then tie your ribbons and scraps around the hanger until the whole thing is full. Lastly, tie a large piece of ribbon into a bow and cover the hook of the coat hanger.