Three of the Best Free Holiday Decorations

Use Natural and Homemade Items to Decorate Your Home

© Alina Bradford

Nov 2, 2009

Homemade holiday decorations can reuse or repurpose items that may otherwise end up in a landfill. Since the clever crafter is reusing cast-offs, there’s no need to spend large amounts of money to decorate the home. Plus, homemade decorations add a unique touch to a home that store-bought holiday decorations can’t match.

How to Make Pine Swags

Pine swags are a traditional holiday decoration that can be made for free. Here’s how:

1. Cut some of the lower, younger branches of a pine tree.
2. Cut the branch into 2’ sections. Each section should be a smaller off-shoot of the larger branch. See the first photo, below, for an example of what the smaller pieces of pine should look like.
3. Lay two pine pieces on a table so that the stems overlap.
4. Lash the two stems together with twine or twist ties.
5. Decorate the pine swags with red ribbon, old ornaments or pine cones.

How to Make Ornaments with Old CDs

Don’t throw away old computer games, installation CDs or scratched music CDs or DVDs. Instead, make free ornaments with old CDs. Here are two ways to make interesting Christmas ornaments from old CDs:

1. Spray paint the printed side of the CD in red, green, silver or gold paint.
2. Cut 1 foot of yarn, ribbon or string. Loop it through the CD and tie it in a bow. This will be the ornament’s hanger.
3. Hang them on a tree outside or on your Christmas tree.

Or

1. Find some old holiday photographs or holiday cards.
2. Cut the photos so that only the most interesting part is left.
3. Glue the images to the printed side of the CD. Make sure to leave a hole in the center of the CD to loop a piece of ribbon or yarn through for a hanger.
4. Add glitter, buttons or other decorations to the CD ornament to make it really special.

Make Your Own Snow Village

Quilters and crafters often have leftover stuffing, quilt batting or fabric laying around. Instead of tossing it out, make your own snow village.

1. Lay the white fabric, stuffing or batting on a tabletop. Arrange it so that it makes hills and valleys.
2. Spray paint old coffee cans, milk cartons and other containers. Then, with enamel paint, paint windows and doors on the containers to make them look like buildings.
3. Place the containers around the homemade snow village.
4. Add roads by making trails with small pebbles or strips of black or brown cloth.

These free holiday decorating ideas will not only make the house look great, but they are also a great way to spend time with the family. Make making homemade holiday decorations a tradition every year to reap the benefits over and over. For more tips on making a homemade holiday see: How to Make Gift Jars and How to Make Thrifty Gift Baskets.

HOL101

Example of a Pine Swag Cutting

Example of a Homemade Snow Village

Ornament Made from a CD

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