Christmas on a budget.....

This year has been rough on us when it comes to having extra mula.... So when we purchased our tree we went with a 3ft purple that came with lights, and the stand.  As for decorations, I told Mr. D not to worry, that crafty mommy and super KJ would make all the decorations we needed!!!!  By making your own decorations you can save a bundle this holiday season and I personally feel they mean more than anything store bought.

Here is our finished tree... Looks better at night when the lights are on!

First we made the popcorn string... Cost: about 1 dollar for the package of popcorn and the string.  Pop the corn, and after it has cooled, take a sewing needle and very long piece of string to thread the popcorn onto.  Some will break as you push the needle through, but those you can eat!!  KJ loved this project and eating the left over popcorn. Click here to see pictures of instructions

Next we painted the three wood ornaments we bought for 2 dollars at Michaels.  We spend the afternoon painting them and sprinkling glitter on them.  We also painted the year on the back so we always know how old KJ was when she painted that specific ornament.

The star on top is made of construction paper and glitter... which makes the cost about 10 cents!  We first cut out two stars of any construction paper color of KJ's choice.  Then we cut a strip of paper and glued it around like a tube.  After we used put a layer of glue and glitter on the stars we glued them to the top of the tube.  So the stars are on top and the tube opening is ready to put it on top of the tree!

Next were our snowflakes.  KJ decided that she wanted to use white paper and glitter again.  So the cost of these are about 10 cents and super fun for us to make.  Click here to see how to make and cut snowflakes

Finished snowflakes!!!!

Our paper Angels were the last addition to our tree and house decor that cost around 50 cents.  These were a little harder to make than what I expected... and a lot of it had to be done with a glue gun, which ment KJ couldn't do it.  So she wasn't as interest in the project as I had hoped.  I would recommend this for children over the age of 9 who are able to use a glue gun by themselves. Click here for step by step instructions  

So our total spending for all of our tree and home decor this holiday season was..... $3.70!!!!!!  Much cheaper than anything we could have bought at the store.  Below are some more DIY holiday crafts for those who want to try them!!

Cinnamon Dough Ornaments

Martha Stewart Ideas

Ornament Ideas

Kid's Christmas Crafts

Christmas Crafts