Frugal, Simple Christmas Decorating Ideas

The closer it gets to Christmas, you are sure to find decorations for sale nearly everywhere you go. From the local home improvement centers to your neighborhood pharmacy to the convenience store on the corner, everybody sells glittery, animated decorations. You could go into debt buying the charming but costly fare; or you could use the money on Christmas presents instead! You can bring the spirit of Christmas into your home without spending a lot of cash.

Cheery Christmas wrapping paper, ribbons and bows are often abundantly available at your favorite dollar store. Buy a bunch and start wrapping around the house. Of course you will wrap gifts to place under the tree, but don't stop there! Pictures and mirrors wrapped with paper and ribbons add a festive look to any room. Place bows on planters and knick-knacks, and tie curled ribbon around lamps. Be creative and look for wrapping opportunities. And get ready for next year by stocking up and deeply discounted wrapping paper and accessories after Christmas. These store easily under a bed.

It wouldn't be Christmas without inviting, glowing candles. Stock up at dollar and thrift stores, or simply round up all your candles around the house. Red and green are obvious Christmas colors, but clusters of any color candles look beautiful. Tie them with ribbons or place a bunch on a Christmas-y platter and embellish with coordinated ornaments. And a single candlestick in each front-facing window of your house is simple yet beautiful.

Candy is a wonderful item to work with when decorating your home for Christmas. Make a charming wreath out of wrapped hard candies that will have visions of sugar plums dancing in all your guests' heads. Use a plain Styrofoam wreath form and adhere loads of individually wrapped candies to it with straight pins - the more candy, the better it looks! Tie a pair of tiny scissors (like you might find in a sewing kit) to the wreath so that guests can snip of a treat when they knock on your door. Another sweet Christmas decoration idea is to insert small glass vases into larger ones and fill the space between with Christmas-striped peppermints. Fill the inner vases with beautiful bare branches or pine cuttings. Of course what says Christmas like a gingerbread house? Make it simple using graham crackers, canned frosting and whatever sweet treats you have around the kitchen.

Use what you've got when it comes to decorating for Christmas. If you are constantly tripping over toys, use them to your advantage. Tie bright bows around the necks of teddy bears and other stuffed animals and place them on a mantle, bench, or window seat. Trains, soldiers, and building blocks in front of the fireplace or around the tree conjure Toyland images. Again, use your imagination and be creative.

Nature offers a bounty of Christmas decorating options. Gather pine cones and place them in a big, glass bowl. Adorn with a few ornaments in different sizes for a fabulous Christmas centerpiece. Cuttings from a pine tree can be made into a beautiful, fragrant swag.

So this year, rather than dishing out lots of dough for your Christmas decorations, take a look around and see what you can come up with. Remember the childlike wonder of Christmas? Travel back to that time in your mind, and you are sure to find a wealth of ideas at your fingertips!