Saving money on decorations during holiday season

With the holidays vastly approaching the best way to save money and also the easiest way to save money on decorations is to decide you will not be spending money on decorations.

But you ask "Why not?" and "How will this work for me?" I understand we all want our homes/parties to look festive during the holidays for our guests, so you ask, "What do we do then?". 
Turn on the fireplace, make some hot chocolate, throw some holiday music on and roll up your sleeves cause I have 10 ways to keep that holiday cheer for less than you expected.

1)Plain and simple use what you have
Think about it do you really have to bring more stuff into your home? Go to your storage room and make an inventory of all you have. After all you maybe pretty surprised by all the stuff you already own. Think about how you decorated in previous years and change up your ideas you can mix and match as much as you need to after all how did you make it in previous years?

2)Use as minimum as possible for a chic style. Sometimes you don't have to over do the decorations especially if your dealing with financial issues so there is absolutely no way you should feel bad.

3) Use nature to help you this year! Go outside and gather up sticks and pine cones or whatever you desire and spray paint them. This make for a cheaper way of decorating.

4) Make your own garland. This you can do using cranberries and popcorn. Make sure the popcorn is a day old because fresh popcorn breaks easily.

5) Bake and decorate a gingerbread house. This is fun for the whole family and is also delicious. This also requires some time and planning. This helps teach children the value of time and preparation. 

6) Sew your own stockings. This is very fun and crafty. Your kids will absolutely enjoy this also. You can get about any kind of fabric you already own or even old clothing and use. However, felt is the easiest to use because it cuts very easily. You tube has several ways they can show you how to create your own stocking. 

7) Cut out snowflakes using paper. This is also very fun and exciting for kids. Many kids love to cut up paper anyhow so why not let them create snowflakes with you. You can hang the snowflakes virtually anywhere you desire to create a festive look in your home. 

8) Use old holiday cards for decorations. You can line up your mantle, bookshelves,stairs, or tables. Punch holes in the cards also and string them up along your doorway or etc. like a banner. This is very easy and very cheap especially if you kept cards from previous years. 

9) Set a budget if you simply must shop. If you must shop decide what you plan to buy and what is your limit before you step foot inside a store. Go to the store with a set dollar amount you are going to spend and do not go over your budget.

10) Shop at discount stores. Check out your dollar stores such as dollar tree for holiday decor. You will be pretty surprised at what you can buy for a buck. Also check out yard sales and flea markets too. Many times people get rid of perfectly good holiday decor because they simply want new items. Hey they say one man's trash is another man's treasure. So go treasure hunting!