Decorate Your Tree for Less This Holiday Season!

Are you looking to cut some corners this Christmas. Tired of rushing around with all the shopping that has to be done and then leaving you a little short when it comes time to decorating the tree? I had this problem for many years, with four children in the house and plenty of other relatives to buy for I did not have the money that it took to make a beautiful tree or at least I thought. Then about two years ago I got into making crafts. My great grandmother had done this for years for her own Christmas tree and it was a way to make us kids feel special because we actually contributed to this beautiful tree. I never had the time to do it and so I ended up paying for highly priced things until I found out that making these items for the tree was a lot simpler and also it gave me time to sit down with the kids and stop rushing around. So here is my five crafts that you can do at home and make while spending time with your children.

Decoration 1: Pinecone glitters
I am not sure if you remember doing these in kindergarten but I do around the holidays and I had so much fun doing them and they do not cost much at all. Go out and get some pine cones and collect a few because you want to use these as a substitute bulb for your tree. Then you will need red and green glitter. You can choose other colors as well because some people do not always like the traditional red and green. You will also need Elmers Glue for this as well. Then get some matching yarn. You will put a huge glob of glue in a bowl and roll the pine cone in. Once you are done doing that you will have the glitter in a bowl. You will take the pine cone and roll it around in it. Let is set on the paper for at least two hours before touching it and you have a beautiful decoration and 1/2 the cost of what it would cost to get a fake one. You will attach the yarn to the pine cone and hang it on the tree. This is great for the kids and it is non toxic which is even better.

Decoration 2: Christmas is popping
By the name you may be thinking what is that mean? Well the best thing that is oh so cheap to do is to make your very own trimming with popcorn.That is right I said it popcorn! What you will want to get for this one is red and green food coloring and some non buttered plain popcorn and some string and a needle. Pop up about 9-10 bags of this delightful stuff and maybe sneak the few bites while you are doing it. Once it has cooled down you will want to add a few drops to each bag of the different colors and shake it up or have the kids shake it up in the bag. Once it dries get out the needle and thread each piece, maybe even get the kids involved and have them hand you the pieces while you thread them and then when you are done tie off both ends. Then you have something beautiful to hang around the tree.

Decoration 3:Candy cane dreams
This is another one that my grandmother and I used to do and it was so much fun. The materials that you will need for this is piping and tri-- beads in red and white. You will take the piping and cut it off to the length that you would like the candy cane to be and then you will bend then end in do that you can slip the first bead through both pieces. Then you will go every other with the red and the white. When you get the end you will bend again and slip the two end pieces through the end and bend it like a candy cane and there you have something pretty that the lights will shine through.

Decoration 4:Tie a bow on it
This is some new that I did myself and love how it looked on my tree that I thought that it would be great to share with others. For this one you will need some Felt in red, a pair of scissors, some glitter in either white or red. White looks more like snow and some twist ties and fake rhinestone press ons and a glue gun. Take the felt and cut it into long strips. Then you tie the felt in a bow. You will get the twist tie and put it in the middle and twist it so that it is twisted to the back , but still has the ends loose because this is what you will be tying them to the tree with. Then you will put a little bit of glue at each end and dip them in glitter and then you will glue one of the press on rhinestones in the middle. Then let is set over night and you have some lovely little bows to go on your tree.

Decoration 5:snowflakes
This is another one that you use piping for but makes a beautiful snowflake. You will need white piping, glue gun and clear cartwheel beads these run around $2.15 per bag of 200 which should be enough to make a few of these snowflakes. What you will do is take the piping and bend three of them together in the middle. You will put the beads on each one and at the end you will want to pull the last piece into the little bend at the end. You will do this for all six extensions of the snow flake until all the piping is covered. Then at then end in the middle you can add a little rhinestone accent to the middle and there you have it a beautiful snow flake that enhances the look of your tree!

These are a few ideas but it is a great start and a better way to spend the day with a loved one. I find that I enjoy a tree some much more when it is make by me and my children and it helps on the pocket book as well. Just remember that everything is better when it comes from the heart.