Getting ready for Christmas

One of the best bits about Christmas is the build up to it.

It’s exciting to decorate our homes and think of lovely gifts for our family and friends.

My childhood Christmas memories that are strongest are of sparkling lights in the dark evenings, the transformation of home into something quite different, for just a little while, and the smells of candles oranges and Christmas trees and special food.

This year this is a little bit different for us all. We may have more time than we usually do to spend at home and we may also find that we have less money too.

We have collected a few ideas together of Christmassy things to make and do that will cost as little as possible, using some of the things that we find around us or can buy cheaply.

You have probably heard stories from back in the day about how it was perfectly normal to make your own decorations and presents and how much fun that was. This seems like the perfect time to try out some of those old ideas.

Over the next few weeks we will share some of our ideas with you.

Let’s make this an extra special holiday time that we can all remember fondly and one which will be good landmark end to this strange year for our children. One that is not about having a lot of money to spend but is about doing beautiful things for each other.

Baubles

One really lovely thing to do is sort through the old Christmas tree decorations and find any of the plastic ones that are looking a bit tired.

Using a permanent marker pen or a white correction fluid pen, you can decorate these with little messages as Christmas thoughts for your home, for the wreath on your door, or even as little gifts for people. You can buy the medium nibbed marker pens and the white correction fluid pens in pound shops. If you like this idea, you can also but cheap plastic baubles there too and decorate them to give instead of cards.