Whether you are wealthy or not you probably want to decorate your home or office for the Christmas holiday. Decorations are a part of this festive time of year. But it is true that decorations can be very expensive. Not to worry though, you can have a beautifully decorated area while on a tight budget. Really, decorating for Christmas can be done inexpensively.



Plus, by using your imagination and being creative your decorations will be uniquely yours. Consider fragrances as part of the Christmas fanfare. We associate particular smells with different activities and times of the year. An easy way to add a wonderful fragrance and a decorating touch is to use cloves and citrus fruit.

This is a quick and easy project. You can use oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, or whatever pleases you. I suggest using a large embroidery needle to pierce the fruit peeling. Try various designs and patterns. Then all you have to do is insert whole cloves into the holes. Mix the fruit in a bowl or on a platter. You can add ribbons, pinecones and other decorative touches.

Fire light adds warmth and a welcoming effect to a room. You can get that effect even if you do not have a fireplace. Gather all your candles into arrangements. Depending on the candles you may want to add some glue and glitter to the container or base. Use garland, ribbon and pinecones to add a more festive look at the base of the candles. You can add actual tree ornaments as well. Adding colorful fruit also adds an interesting touch.

You can easily create stockings to hang. Use any fabric type available, choosing patterns and colors of your liking. Create your own stocking pattern, then cut the two pieces for each stocking and sew them together. The unique thing about this type of stocking is that you can add a cuff at the top. This can be plain with a name painted or embroidered on it or it can be a special pattern or even vintage cloth.

You will simply make the cuff whatever size you like and sew it to the top of the stocking by placing the wrong sides of the stocking piece together with the right side of the cuff fabric pieces. Then turn the stocking right-side out, fold the cuff down over the top and trim it out anyway you like. You can hem the cuff or simply fold and iron the edge under.

Christmas trees can be expensive but there is a way to cut down on that cost. I suggest using a smaller tree, whether it is live or artificial. Even table-top trees can add a special holiday glow to the room. This offers an easy way to create a wonderfully lavish vignette. You can wrap small empty boxes to place under and around the tree or use collectibles that you already have. Consider filling a candy dish with small ornaments.

Use Christmas cards as a treasured decoration. Consider using long strips of wide ribbon as a way to hang the cards. All you will need to do is cut the ribbon to the length of your choice and attach it to the wall or door. I use tacks for that. Then use a sharp knife point to cut slits into the cards. You will simply weave the ribbon through the slits. As you get more cards you can move them up the ribbon and you can always hang several ribbons together. You can add large glass beads or other decorations at the bottom of the ribbons as anchors.

A little imagination and creativity really can go a long way to cutting costs. Look for sales on Christmas decorations a few days before and right after the holiday. Use any bargain items to enhance your own touches next year. You will get new ideas each year. Soon friends and family will be requesting your advice when they decorate.