Cost-effective Christmas - Budget-friendly Christmas decor ideas for a successful 2020 by Celina Joyce
With the pressure that naturally comes from the festive season, be it to buy the best gifts, cook a five-course feast or decorating your house like the centre-fold of Ideal Homes we wanted to help you enjoy the season and find some creative and cost-effective solutions.
Celina Joyce has taken her years of design and creativity within the events industry to put together her top suggestions for a cost-effective Christmas. Celina is a creative designer at No. 55 Marketing.
Budget-friendly ideas for a successful 2020 Christmas
by Celina Joyce
Whether you start early or leave it all until the last possible minute, getting organised for Christmas doesn’t need to be another thing to add the 2020 horror list. While the glitzy decorations and big-budget items stacking on Santa’s shopping list don’t come cheap, don’t worry…decorating your home for Christmas doesn’t have to break the bank.
Fabric Gift Wrap - Furoshiki
It’s true we all love to receive a beautifully wrapped gift, it’s also true, however, that we’ve become a throwaway society. A lot of our festive gift wrap is not only expensive but often coated in glitter and foil - making them non-recyclable and will most likely end up in a landfill. The festive season creates 30% more waste than any other month and with an estimated one billion Christmas cards thrown away each year and 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging making its way into landfill, there is a creative alternative to the traditional wrapping paper.
Rather than wasting paper and money on wrapping gifts, why not try the art of Furoshiki: a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth. This method of gift wrapping is traditionally used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods.
Using budget-friendly fabric remnants or old clothing destined for the bin try folding, dying and tying to create your own cloth to wrap presents. Not only can this fabric be used again and again, but it also makes the gift-giving experience all the more special. Of course, pretty gifts look the part under the Christmas tree, and add to your overall décor right!?
Wrapuccino are offering a free Furoshiki workshop on the 1st December - reserve your space here
Forage for foliage
Why buy a wreath for your front door when you can make one from scratch?
Using materials such as a hanger from your wardrobe, foliage from outside, berries and dried orange slices, you can create a wreath that is not only cost-effective but a dazzling display of nature. Foraging for pinecones and holly is the perfect excuse to enjoy the great outdoors and bringing the outdoors in will provide a natural, cosy feel to your Christmas décor.
Pinecones are a great find, they can be added to garlands, hung on a ribbon to create an alternative wreath display or simply stacked in glass jars and wrapped in fairy lights to create a glistening tabletop feature.
Insider tip: If your vision is more scandi chic than traditional, try bleaching your pinecones to give them a lighter, more weathered look.
Food such as pomegranate and dried orange slices are also a great addition to any table-space, not only do they look like glistening jewels nestled in foliage, but they also create a festive fragrance for your home.
The wonderful Larry Walshe - a celebrity florist behind bloom, has created pre-made and DIY wreath’s. bloom is offering a 20% discount on all wreaths until the 12th December 2020.
Christmas lights
If time isn’t on your side or you’re not feeling the handmade Christmas vibe, adding sparkle never fails to create the warm and festive feel. Christmas lighting really is a case of more is more in my opinion, be it adding tea-lights and candles to tablescapes or festive displays, or winding meters of fairly light into trees. Adding a little and mostly cost-effective twinkle to any of your décor will go a long way.
Top tip: Try a zig-zagging your fairly lights in and out of the tree branches to make them go further, in an ideal world you would have approx. 100 light per foot of tree but using the zig-zag method you can create better coverage with fewer lights giving your tree the added twinkle without breaking the bank.
Downsize your tree
We all love the idea of a big tree for the festive period. But as we’ve discovered about a great many things lately, bigger isn’t always better. The extra size comes at a cost.
Benefits of a small Christmas tree:
• The Christmas tree is less expensive.
• A small artificial tree takes less time to assemble.
• A small real tree uses less water, so you don’t have to fill the bowl as often.
• Children can decorate a small Christmas tree more easily, plus they can reach to decorate the entire tree.
• A small Christmas tree takes up less space in the room.
• The small tree requires fewer ornaments.
• It is smaller when disassembled, meaning it’s a smaller box to store.
Homemade decorations
2020 has been the year of getting creative, so why not make some homemade decorations. From pinecones sprayed in metallic paint to salt dough ornaments.
A lot of us have some extra time on our hands at the moment so rather than going out and buying ornaments for your tree why not get a little creative and make some. Country Living has a wonderful blog on 28 DIY Salt Dough Ornaments, from traditional stars to fun icing covered mini doughnuts and even hand-shaped ones to make with the children. These can also double up as gifts for friends and family.
Another option to double up as a creative centrepiece and delicious snack is to make a gingerbread house. You can either make one from scratch following a recipe like or buy a kit from somewhere like Lakeland.
Top tip: If you add a little t-light into the finished house it will light up in the evenings.
Handwritten cards
Call me sentimental, but I think there’s a lot to say for a handwritten card.
Remember when getting mail was fun? You never knew what you might find. Now, it’s mostly a pile of bills and junk and with lockdown's and isolation running throughout this year we're disconnected now more than ever.
While you might not be able to make a personal appearance in the run-up to Christmas, a handwritten card is something that feels much more deliberate and is a lovely way to make a connection. Well-written cards can be some of the least expensive and most meaningful gifts you will ever give. With a few strokes of the pen, you have the power to encourage a loved one, inspire a friend, or simply let someone know you are thinking of them. Proving you don't have to spend the earth to make a mark.
Celina Joyce - Freelance Designer
Celina Joyce is a creative designer at No. 55 Marketing. A small but mighty, boutique studio, hidden behind a bright pink door in East London. No.55 are fun and they love what they do but they’re also serious about results and committed to their client’s success. No.55 Marketing definitely have a soft spot for independent businesses and creative people and are passionate about giving them the tools to grow.
Celina is a curious and strategic creative with a proven track record delivering prominent campaigns. With industry experience spanning live events, brand activations, retail environments, alongside brand creation/ideation and content creation.
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