Last Minute Holiday Touches on the Cheap!
By Kathleen Wilson
Last minute details can take a holiday home from ho ho hum to
spectacular, and doesn't have to cost a lot of cash! Here are
some
great quick, easy, and inexpensive ideas to wow your guests and
comfort your family.
*Use those leftover bits of wrapping paper and a hole punch to make
confetti. (Great job for the kids!) Use the colorful confetti to
sprinkle across holiday tables for festive cheer, or save for that
midnight moment!
*Invest in a large roll of wire edged ribbon in gold or silver, so
that it can be used for all holidays right into New Years. Learn to
tie fanciful bows, or just tie a simple bow to the backs of dining
chairs, around stemware, or around your silverware. Let it ribbon
through holiday centerpieces, over mantels, or stream it across
doorways. Go to http://www.save-on-crafts.com/howtomakebows.html to
learn to tie several different bows!
*Use graham crackers, a little frosting, and cookies and candies
from the dollar or discount store to create a wonderful Gingerbread
House centerpiece in no time! This is one of those projects that
make memories, so bring the kids to the table, make a replica of
your own home, or make replicas of friends homes and give as gifts!
Ths best frosting to use is a stiff one, with no ingredients that
will spoil. Remember, you can color some frosting to make grass and
trees.
*Have your children pitch in with holiday decorating, and ask them
if they have any toys that would like to watch for Santa! Tie ribbon
around the neck of a teddy and tuck onto the mantle, use wooden
blocks to spell out Christmas words or sayings…create a toy
wonderland from your own "backyard" so to speak!
*Drop by your dollar store and pick up some Christmas wrapping
paper. (Yes, it is just a buck!) Wrap some of the pictures from your
walls like gifts, add a bow, then rehang. I like to do this just in
the entryway for more impact using less dollars! You could
also "wrap" your front door or window with a bow and ribbon,
and
some packing tape.
*Cut simple holiday shapes out of paper or felt, then hang with
thread from curtain rods, hanging lamps, doorways or over the
outside of a lampshade. Try your hand at paper snowflakes, and hang
them in groups in your windows.
*Stamp holiday shapes on your glass windows with craft paint. Mix
acrylic paint with an equal amount of dishwashing liquid soap, then
use to stamp snowflakes, stockings, and santas on the inside of your
windows. After the holidays, it will clean right off with window
cleaner and a non abrasive scrub pad. (You know, the kind that is
safe for non stick cookware, so that it doesn't scratch your
windows.)
*Finally, light those candles, and bring the sparkle of the holidays
right to your table each and every night, don't wait for company!
Enjoy the joy of the season, and Happy Holidays from The Budget
Decorator!
Copyright 2003 K. WIlson
