Despite being hailed as a time of peace of togetherness, Christmas is among the most stressful times of year for many of us. In addition to buying presents, sending out cards and contacting assorted friends and family members, we often feel compelled to get our homes in the holiday spirit with seasonal decorations. Unsurprisingly, going all-out in this endeavor stands to cost you a pretty penny. Fortunately for cost-conscious Christmas enthusiasts, there are a number of ways to get the old homestead in shape for the holidays without breaking the bank.
Christmas Lights
Colorful Christmas lights are a staple of outdoor holiday decorating. Whether you’re decorating the exterior of your home or garage or any part of your yard, there’s a good chance your plans involve a steady supply of lights. Although high-priced holiday lights can be found fairly easily, tracking down affordable Christmas lights is equally simple. Christmas lights can often be purchased in bulk for prices that are feasible on virtually any budget, so if perceived cost is what’s been preventing you from investing in lights, it needn’t be a concern.
Sock Garlands
A good Christmas garland can add an air of festiveness to any area of your home. However, since the best garlands generally come with hefty price tags, it’s in your best interest to get creative this holiday season. Making your own garlands that substitute socks for ornaments can be a fun way to spend a frosty winter afternoon and imbue your home with a sense of good cheer. So, if you have any craft-loving children in the house, encourage them to bring out any old (but clean) socks that they’re no longer using. Although this project generally works best with holiday-themed socks, even standard socks will do in a pinch.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit can be a surprisingly versatile tool when it comes to holiday decorating. Dried apples and oranges, in particular, can be used to create a variety of wreaths, ornaments and other attractive holiday displays. If you don’t have any experience with drying fruit, the process typically starts with placing fruit slices on a paper towel and dabbing them until most of their moisture has been absorbed. Next, if you want to add a fragrance to the fruit, sprinkle the slices with cloves, nutmeg or cinnamon. You’ll then need to make a small hole in each slice in order to make them threadable. Lastly, you’ll need to bake the slices until they’re completely dry, taking care to keep a close eye on them and flipping them over every hour.
Artificial Trees
A well-decorated tree is a Christmastime staple. Not only does a home’s tree serve as the main congregation area throughout the holiday season, it’s also where all the presents can be found on Christmas morning. Still, as anyone who’s ever had to clean up a Christmas tree can attest, they’re fairly conducive to messes. In addition to shedding pine needles left and right, these trees often attract attention from pets, which only serves to contribute to their general messiness. Furthermore, while decorating Christmas trees is generally a fun and joyous affair, un-decorating them and throwing them out at the end of the holidays is nothing short of a chore.
This is where a good artificial tree will serve you well. Not only are artificial trees less messy, they’re also fairly easy to store and care for. Additionally, since they can be reused, artificial trees can be a boon to any household that values frugality. Although un-decorating them and placing them back in storage after ringing in the new year can still be a bit cumbersome, you won’t have to go to the trouble of hauling them to the curb in time for garbage day.
For many of us, the holiday season is a time of celebration and joy. However, this doesn’t mean this time of year is without its more stressful elements. In our efforts to make Christmastime as memorable as possible, we often go out of our way when it comes to decorations. While a meticulously-decorated home certainly makes for a nice sight, it can also leave a sizable hole in your finances. Luckily, getting your residence in shape for the holiday season doesn’t haven’t to cost a small fortune – provided you’re equipped with the previously discussed pointers.
