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Let us dive right into ways to make this Christmas as budget friendly as possible for you and your family!

• If you have garland from last year's Christmas that is broken, don't toss it out in the trash! Instead use it to drape over doorways and/or windows. For an extra special festive touch, add ornaments to the draped garland.
• Another idea for garland is to use broken garland, or last year's garland if you have purchased new stuff, to make Christmas stars or wreaths. Construct the shape you want from a wire hanger and then twist garland around it. Decorate it or leave it "as is." It is entirely up to you to decide what looks best for your home.
• Do you have old jars lying around that you were about to throw out or recycle? If yes, then resist the urge to do so. Instead turn the old jars into Christmas candleholders. For example, place a tea light candle in your cleaned out mayonnaise jar (which you have thoroughly cleaned with white vinegar to get the odor out of, of course!), tie a holiday ribbon around the neck of it and what do you know- you have a beautiful Christmas candle that is every bit as appealing as a store-bought one. To increase the charm of your candle, consider nestling it in nuts or peppermints. Make a few candles and group them together for added effect. This idea is both Christmas-y as well as extremely eye-catching!
• The old standby of paper chains and popcorn chains never goes out of style and both are very cheap to construct. As far as paper chains go, stretch them down your hallway or, if you live in a house, down either side of your staircase. Another idea is to drape them around your front door, your back door or your bedroom door. Be creative as Christmas is the season for it! Use one color for the paper or mix and match. Popcorn chains are a hoot to make, especially if you have children. Consider adding a dash of color to your popcorn chains by adding bright red cranberries to them. Popcorn chains can stand on their own okay but popcorn/cranberry chains are even more exciting!
• Tie red, green and gold ribbons on your lamps, chairs, bedposts and chandelier and even attach one to your computer and your television for a touch of Christmas elegance that is relatively inexpensive.
• If you or your children are drawing Christmas pictures to put up that include snow scenes, look no further than your kitchen cupboard for what you need to make the artwork complete. Grab your salt shaker and use it to make snow instead of glitter. It is much cheaper and looks every bit as authentic.
• If making your own decorations is not your style or if you are short on time, then plan a trip to your nearest thrift store, second-hand shop or dollar store. You can buy plenty of nice Christmas decorations at very affordable prices at any one of these places. Shop around and see what different kinds of decorations they each have to offer.