1. First things first. Set a plan or a theme for your Christmas decorating. It doesn't cost a thing to have a good plan, and when you are working with budget ideas, this is what pulls your ideas together, and makes everything you do look purposeful, and personal. Some theme ideas for Christmas? The rustic lodge Christmas, a Toyland Christmas, countries around the world, Victorian, country, Santa, snowmen, old fashioned, the list goes on and on! More...

2. Make garlands out of felt scraps. Cut Xmas shapes out of felt in miniature, mini stockings, holly leaves, mittens, and string together with needle and floss or strong fishing line to hang all over the house. Remember when you string each shape, tie a knot on both sides of the shape to hold it in its place. You can add more dimension to the shapes by cutting two of each, stuffing them lightly, them sewing the two together. Glue would work also if you aren't a sewer. Saved used dryer sheets are perfect for this kind of stuffing, or even tiny fabric scraps that are too small for other uses.

3.Drop a tealight candle in your cleaned out glass mayonnaise jars, tie a holiday ribbon around the neck, and you have a beautiful candle with Christmas charm. You could nestle the candle in peppermints, nuts, or even sand if you wish. Try grouping several together for a dramatic evening effect. These also make great luminaries.

4. Start a Christmas collection. This can be a great tradition to initiate in your home. My girls and I started collecting Santas 3 years ago, and it's something they look forward to, choosing our yearly Santa together. I know it will be a fond memory for them, and I plan to let each child choose a Santa to take with them when the day comes that they leave the nest and start their own home.

By the way, this doesn't have to be expensive, or even store bought. Try sewing or crafting a new decoration each year together for even more memories! Or check out your dollar store. they have some really cute ceramic holiday decorations for a buck or two. Remember, it's the memories you're interested in here, not a collectable based on monetary value.

5. If you are looking to do a Toyland theme for your Christmas decorating this year, try searching out teddy bears and dolls at your local thrift stores. Wash them in a pillowcase and put them in your dryer for at least 20 minutes, then dress them up with ribbons and holiday fabrics. Group them under your tree, on mantels, and on windowsills. Stack small squares of cardboard together and wrap as a tiny present, then tuck them under a teddy's arm, or wrap an empty box and use it as teddy's seat by the front door.

6. Place a few inexpensive glass balls in a bowl and embellish with a few sprigs of greenery or some leftover ribbon. If you don't have an extra bowl (it is the holidays, after all!) try decoupaging a box with leftover Christmas wrap, or cover with a little fabric and glue.

7. Take down your pictures and wrap them like a gift, then hang them back on the wall for great holiday cheer! You don't have to do this all around the house, how about just in the entry, or maybe the dining room?

8. Tie greens or ornaments to the chandelier with a little Christmas ribbon, just make sure they don't hang low enough for any candles on the table to catch them on fire.

9. Make your own gift tags out of leftover paper. Ok, this is not a new idea, but try punching it up a bit. Add details by layering shapes over the base paper, use paper punches and scalloped scrapbooking scissors to add style, use a gold calligraphy pen to add names. Or use the scalloped scissors to make old holiday cards into tags.

10. Sponge stars or other seasonal shapes on your window with paint! No, I'm not nuts. Just add a teaspoon or so of liquid dish soap to acrylic craft paint, (I like white or gold metallic) and after the holidays you should be able to wash it off with window cleaner. Use a non-scratching dish scrubber if you come across a stubborn spot.

There it is, the 10 best budget decorating ideas for Holiday decorating! Always remember the most important reason we celebrate, and the reason we take the time to make our homes warm and inviting, our loved ones! Have a wonderful holiday season!

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Decorate Christmas Tree Living Room Decorating Outdoor Decorations House Plan Room Colors Decorating a room or party around a theme has been popular for ages. Each year, department stores choose a theme for their Christmas deocrations. Party planners choose a theme for the focus of big celebrations. The Tournament of Roses President chooses a theme for the festivities on New Year's Day. Parents choose a theme to decorate their child's room.

It's only natural that you'd think of choosing a theme to decorate your home for Christmas. Having a unified theme helps the look to flow from room to room or tree to table.

Choose to showcase a special collection that you can't have on display all year. Christmas is the perfect time to give these items a place of distinction, enjoy them, share them, then put them away until next year.

Plan a party around a theme. Children love a breakfast with Santa, my musical friend plans a dinner around a musical theme each Christmas, and another friend invites her dearest friends for luncheon each hoiday time and the theme is "love." Everything is decorated in red and white with hearts everywhere.

Even if you don't do a lot of decorating for Christmas, it's natural to decorate a Christmas tree with a theme. Place a small Christmas tree in a child's bedroom decorated with small toys, miniature dolls, or small sports items. Add twinkling white lights and you'll have a wonderful nightlight for the holiday season.

Welcome guests with a small tree in the guest room. Place a small tree in a corner of the kitchen counter, decorated with miniature kitchen items found in a toy store.

As you read about our ideas for Christmas decorating themes, you'll probably realize that you can think of many more, ones that particularly express your interests. Gather up items that are special to you, add a red bow or ornament hook, and get decorating.

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Would you like to add that special little touch to your Christmas tree that will make your guests’ eyes light up and their lips utter that breathless “Wow!”?
Then you might want to try this little trick that I use every year. When decorating my Christmas tree, I never neglect the final touch.
I always hang doves from the ceiling with strings of beads in their mouths as though they were flying in and decorating the tree. I use white thread to suspend the birds and pushpins to secure them to the ceiling. You can attach the beads to the birds’ beaks with hot glue or with straight pins. They can also be attached to the feet. The string of beads should be long enough to drape the end over a limb of the tree. Place the doves at different distances from the Christmas tree.
The end result should look like the doves are decorating the tree with beads. I also like to have one or two of the doves carrying Christmas ornaments attached to their feet. Of course the Christmas tree is already decorated with several well-placed doves among the other Christmas ornaments.
In addition to hanging birds from the ceiling and placed throughout the tree, I place bird nests filled with tiny decorative eggs. Naturally I also put a little mama bird in the nest as well, to keep the little eggs warm and comfy.

Children love seeing the doves "decorating" the tree. Every Christmas it’s a special treat searching for the little bird’s nest with all the tiny little eggs.
And of course, it’s a special treat for me just watching the children expore the tree, rearranging the eggs, rearranging the birds and trying to make the doves really fly.
What you will need for hanging your birds:

• White thread
• Two pushpins for each bird
• Two straight pins for each bird
• Optional hot glue

• Use thread that is the least visible when hanging from the ceiling. I use white cotton thread.
• Attach two strings of thread to the bird’s back.
• Cut the strings long enough to reach from the ceiling to the level you want your bird to hang. Cut twice as much thread as you think you’ll need. It’s easy to cut off extra, but it can be frustrating to have to start over.
• Wrap the first thread around a straight pin with a white ball head. Insert the pin at an angle near the head of the bird. The white head of the pin should be toward the head of the dove and inserted toward the tail. The angle is important in preventing the thread from slipping out when the bird is hung.
• Wrap thread around a second pin and insert at an angle, but this time the white head will be near the tail and inserted toward the head.
• You now have two threads inserted in the back of the dove. Wrap the end of each thread around a clear pushpin to be inserted in the ceiling. You can adjust the distance of the dove from the ceiling by adjusting the number of turns around the pushpin.
• When your threads and pins are in place and the birds are ready for hanging, you can temporarily insert the ceiling pushpins in the back of the birds. When you’re at the top of your ladder and you’re ready to hang your doves, just remove one pushpin at a time and insert in the ceiling.
• After hanging your birds to the ceiling, if they are not hanging in the direction you intended, you can control the direction by repositioning one of the strings.
• Occasionally, repositioning the beads they carry in their mouths or feet, to a different limb on the tree can also help to control the direction.

Where to Get the Doves, Birds and Beads

Everyone loves a white Christmas, but the sparkle and beauty doesn’t have to be confined to the outdoors and we don’t have to wait for Mother Nature.
Decorating your home using a white theme can be dazzling and sophisticated.
I like to warm up the winter look with touches of red, but touches of gold also adds just the right amount of warmth to a winter wonderland. Using only white and possibly blue may leave you cold and disappointed.
Let’s start with the Christmas tree.

• Spray the tree with snow. The amount depends upon your own personal taste. You can give it a light dusting or make it look like a heavy snowfall.
• Use clear lights. Use a combination of standard steady glowing lights along with twinkling lights.
• Adorn the tree with clear, white and silver ornaments, snowflakes and glass ornament icicles. There are many beautiful Christmas ornaments available that have an elegant frosty look including fruit, berries, birdhouses and even flowers.
  You can use white glittery fern sprays and anything that captures the beauty and sparkle of fresh winter snow.
  
• Use garlands or curls of white or sliver ribbon nestled in the tree. A very pale aqua blue ribbon can also be used to emulate the subtle blues of a snowy landscape.
• Drape the tree with clear beads.
• Use sprays of red berries throughout the tree to add excitement to the winter theme. There’s nothing more beautiful than red berries peeking through the glistening snow.
• As a finishing touch, place white doves, red cardinals and any other little birds and perhaps bird nests among the branches. (You might want to check out my unique secret for Christmas tree decorating with birds and beads.)

I checked out one of my favorite sites to find out what they might have to offer that would complement this theme.
Here are some little beauties I think you are going to love:
I love these little glistening fairies with their snowflake wings and the look of winter sparkling from head to toe. If you want ornaments that are elegant, I think you’ll really love these. Frosted Enchantment Winter Fairy Collectible Ornament Collection: Set One
This breathtaking 24% lead crystal Christmas tree ornament is 5 ½” of dazzling sparkle with a beautiful and endearing outdoor winter scene from Thomas Kinkade. This unique Christmas ornament is adorned with shiny silverplate enhancements that catch the light from any angle and has a color-matched star topper with nearly 30 sparkling simulated jewels. This captivating ornament is designed with a swag pattern suggesting a traditional holiday garland, snowflakes and impressive diamond pattern facets. This type of glitter and sparkle is perfect for that exciting white Christmas theme. Thomas Kinkade Collectible Crystal Christmas Ornament: Thomas Kinkade Crystal Reflections
This precious 4¼ ”, 24% lead crystal snowman really caught my eye for decorating a white Christmas theme. His intense little face with his carrot nose reveals he’s really getting into Christmas caroling. In one hand he holds a book of Christmas carols and in the other hand a candle. On his head he wears a glistening top hat. His mittens and scarf shine with precious silverplate while the diamond and snowflake patterns reflect the colors of the rainbow. On his belly is the artwork of Thomas Kinkade’s beloved “Sunday Evening Sleigh Ride.” What a wonderful little snowman! Thomas Kinkade Holiday Memories Crystal Snowman Ornament
This collection of three real sleigh bells with a three dimensional scene on top and a beautiful and warm winter scene reproduced on the side of each bell is another first from Thomas Kinkade. They would look great in a white Christmas scene. These are the most unique sleigh bells I have ever seen. On the top of one bell is the depiction of a park scene with ice skaters on a frozen pond. The other two bells are snow-covered Victorian houses with families enjoying the enchantment of a new fallen snow. The tops of all three bells are lavished in a snow covering that looks like icing on a cake. These are perfect for a white Christmas theme. Thomas Kinkade Sleigh Bells Christmas Tree Ornaments
Another set of three sleigh bells that is absolutely adorable is the “Precious Moments” collection and it really jingles. A 3D depiction is on top and a 2D depiction is on the side. They are truly “precious” and of course are perfect in a white Christmas theme. Precious Moments Sleigh Bells Christmas Tree Ornament Collection
Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer also has his own set of sleigh bells. Your children will especially like this one. There is a sculpted display of characters from the movie and another display on the side of the bells. The bells also ring. This is part of a collection that comes in three issues with three bells in each issue. You can keep the whole collection for your white Christmas theme or you can give them individually as Christmas gifts. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Sleigh Bells Ornament Collection
My last suggestion is this elegant 41/2” tall Crystal Angel from the Bradford Editions. She’s quite beautiful with touches of gold on her wings while finishing touches of platinum and simulated crystals add to her sparkling beauty and serenity. This is the premier issue in the Reflections of Faith Annual Crystal Ornament Collection. This Angel is the 2006 edition and is the very first in the collection and still available. I’m sure 2007 will be available soon. Crystal Blessings Collectible Keepsake Angel Crystal Christmas Ornament

• Use a white tablecloth.
• Decide on a theme. Use one to three decorations to be repeated throughout your table decoration. You could use white doves, white and silver flowers and berries, little snowmen, white glittery pinecones, snowflakes, silver bells, angels, etc.
  Differing shades of blue, aqua and purple Christmas ornaments can also be used.
  
• Use white or silver candles in candelabras for a formal look or in small candleholders for a less formal look. Hurricane lamps can also be used. If hurricane lamps are used, tie white and silver ribbons around the base to dress them up.
  The lamps can also be sprayed with Crystal Frost, which replicates the beautiful look of frost crystals on glass.
  
• Use greenery sprayed with snow. The greenery can be placed down the length of the table or it can be made into a candle wreath to be used in the center of the table. Decorate the greenery with your theme decorations. Add touches of elegant, white glittery ribbon to complete the look.
  If placed lengthwise down the center of the table, it should be placed around the candles, but beware of fire hazards. Do not let the candles burn too low or come in contact with the greenery or decorations.
  

If you want something simple, elegant and impressive and don’t mind paying a little more for a centerpiece that will last a lifetime, then you might want to check out this showstopper.
This gorgeous tabletop Christmas wreath from Hawthorne Village is 14” in diameter and displays four Thomas Kinkade Victorian homes and the beloved town Church. There are 50 characters and four 10” tapers. The scene is so beautiful and nostalgic, that you will find yourself captivated by it’s Christmas magic as your eyes roam from house to house and character to character. When using this collectible Christmas wreath, you may want to complement it with single tapers up and down the table or you may prefer using a scattering of votives to add sparkle and punch. This tabletop setting can be used on the main dining table as I have suggested here, or it can be used in any room in the house to add to the joy and festivity of the Christmas season. Thomas Kinkade A Holiday Gathering Christmas Centerpiece With Candles

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