I’ve teamed up with a great group of bloggers to bring you Beautiful Christmas ideas on a budget. I get to start things off this week with a few decorating ideas with recycle items.
Thrifty Outdoor Christmas Wreaths
Head to your local Home Depot or any place that sells Christmas Trees and pick up some free Christmas tree clippings. Most places will let you take the clippings for free and some even have bins full. Yes that’s an entire bin full of free trimmings! I may have to come up with some more projects and go back for more.
I would recommend taking your gloves with you to avoid getting sap all over your hands.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Clippers
Gloves (optional)
Garden ties or trash bag ties (either will work)
A wire hanger (You know you have them and they can finally be put to good use)
Christmas Ribbon (The kind you bought on Clearance the day after Christmas last year for 90% off) 
You take your wire hanger and form into a circle. It doesn’t have to be perfect because no one will see it. And the best part about using these is that you’ll already have your hook to hang it with. Then you’ll trim off clippings and arrange around the wire. Once you’ve got it the way you want, use the ties to secure them. Again, don’t worry too much about hiding the ties. I doubt anyone will be close enough to see them.
Then just add your bow and hang it up outside. It’s that easy.
Homemade Gift Bows
I’m sure you have plenty of magazines around the house. If not there are many thrift stores that have them free or super cheap. To get started take off the cover of magazines you’d like to use.
Cut the cover into 9 strips about 3/4 inch wide. Leave 3 at full length, cut 1 inch off of 3 strips, 2 inches off 2 and the last piece should be 3 1/2 inches.
Then you can use double sided tape or staples to secure them into position, however my favorite and easiest way to do this is with a scrapbook brad. Twist each piece to form a loop at each end. Then staple or use double sided tape to adhere. Take the 3 1/2″ piece and form a circle, adhere with double sided tape.
This is where I use my brad. Start with the smallest piece (not the circle) and punch the brad through the center. Layering all the pieces until you’re done. Here is one half way done. When complete, secure the brad in the back. Then take your circle and adhere it to the center of the bow. Voila!
And look how cute!
Soon you’ll be looking at magazine covers in a whole new light. Just don’t let the Doctor’s office catch you ripping off all of theirs! Oh and how about using up all those catalogs you get in the mail?
Homemade Stocking Holder
We live in Florida and yes houses here have fireplaces, but not ours. We were actually happy when we fell in love with this house and had the extra space instead of the fireplace. But then what do you do with your Stockings at Christmas? For a while I had stocking hangers that we placed on the entertainment center, but then one broke and I’d have to replace all 4 in order to have them match again. I really wanted something that stood alone. I never found anything I was happy with that wasn’t over $60. So last year I decided to make my own. Metal was out of the question since I do not have the proper tools. I found these closet doors at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Below is one set out of 2 and together they cost me only $14.
I took them home and hosed them down outside, they were quite dusty. I then cut off the top 2/3 of the doors, right at the solid section in the middle. If you cut it inside the slat area, you risk the slates falling out. I then took the hinges off the top pieces and connected all four of the bottom doors. I took this picture before the hinges were attached.
Then comes the fun part, spray paint! I spray painted ours in a gloss black, mainly because that is what I had on hand. After I sprayed it, I put felt pieces on the bottom so it would not scratch our wood floors.
Then I put the stockings up and added some lights around the back and I LOVE IT!
Timmy, our Elf on the Shelf even appears to like it!
Stayed tuned each day this week for another Beautiful Christmas on a Budget Idea.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks! These are great. Awesome ideas.
Love the idea for hanging your stockings. So clever!
I was wondering what to do with the tons of Christmas tree trimmings left in our back yard. (We went a little overboard with a giant tree this year.) Can I convince you to stop on by and make them pretty for me?
LOVE the stocking holders! This is our first year in a new house, and the fireplace is downstairs (where all the boxes are still waiting to be unpacked!). We have an entertainment center, but the stockings would be in the way on that too. But I love the idea of having them hanging in their own separate area like you’ve created. I’m going to have to scout out something like that for our living room. Thanks!
Thanks Jen! I love them too. Took me a couple years of laying the stockings on the floor in front of the Tree to finally push me to make something.
I never knew about the free trimmings at stores! And I have tons of magazines I can use to make those bows – they are so pretty! We are going to be replacing some shutter type window coverings soon and now I have the perfect use for them. Thank you!
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