Fru-Gal Friends

Very Valuable Member Joined : 13 Oct 2006 Posts : 260

decorations for tree

homemade decorations can make for a beautiful tree
even using lights alone with one other decoration will make a beautiful tree( such as icicles)
use what you have...

candy can be hung
cereal, popcorn, beads, paper, buttons and cranberries, etc can be used to make a garland.

bows made with curling ribbon, fabirc or raffia

artificial flowers , birds, fruit etc can be used

hats gloves mittens and scarves can be used

cookie cutters can be used or instead use the cookie cutters to make decorations : ie: use them to cut out pretty parts from the front of old cards or magazine pictures, or use them to cut out two matching pieces of fabric scraps to glue or sew together into pillowed ornaments, use them to cut out clay or applesauce ornaments. or simply cut out sugar cookies and hang them on the tree

cover small boxes or decks of cards with old gift wrap scraps

sea shells

collect pine cones and add paint or glitter attach a ribbon and use them as ornaments

use jewelry, costume jewelry works great for this

use old cd's,juice lids, anything shiny

make pom poms with yarn scraps or out of tissues

a box or two of candy canes

fishing lures

stuffed animals
dolls
matchbox cars

pop bottle lids

family photos

the list really is endless....

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outside decor

have a childs wagon?? fill it with gift wrapped boxes. shoe, cereal and cracker boxes will work for this....use fabric, chip bags turned wrong side out to the shiny side, posters, etc for the gift wrap.

tomato cage trees
turn an old tomato cage upside down and tie the legs together into a point resembling a tree top
wrap lights around cage
wrap cage with garland( i used the pine garland but any kind will work)
thats it!

fill lunch bags, milk or juice jugs, jars, etc. with an inch or two of soil or sand, then set tea lights in them, light the tea lights....they will usually burn 5 hours

a wreath can be made out of just about anything...from fabric to paper, to pine to pine cones...add a bow and thats all you really need- don't over do it for a classic look

or use big bows, these can be made from scraps of fabric too, if you dont have ribbon

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wrapping gifts
tissue paper, recycled gift wrap, magazine pages, wall paper,brown paper bags, newspaper, end rolls from local paper company, chip bags turned wrong side out and cleaned and dried, aluminum foil scraps, fabric scraps, fabric gifts bags, recycled paper gift bags, posters, and even part of the gifts, such as towels or a pillow case.
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DEBBY/OK

DOMESTIC ENGINEER... I work in the field of love and guiidance of young children;.

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Sun 05 Nov 2006, 2:03 am

our tree is full every year with decoration the kids have made from the star that James made when he was 3 to the pinecones the grandbabies made last year I love them to make things for the tree and outside I love it when Daddy and the boys put up the lights then we got out ooohhh and ahhh... we still go out 1 night look at decorations come home for hot chocolate and cookies... I love this time of the year can you tell
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Sun 05 Nov 2006, 3:09 am

I LOVE Christmas also! DH doesn't though, I call him Mr. Scrooge...lol. I always remember Christmas as a happy time throughout childhood though and for DH it wasn't Crying or Very sad

I try to get him into the Christmas spirit and he's tried for DS. They even have bus tours here for anyone who wants to go see all the house-lights in the yearly competition. I just love it, many are so beautiful. DH & DS just roll their eyes at me Rolling Eyes

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~ By sowing frugality we reap liberty, a golden harvest. --Agesilaus ~

Moderator Age : 27 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 1790

We also LOVE Christmas! This year I am going to make things really special around here! I am going to focus on "smells" alot...so when we all come together at the end of the day I want the house to SMELL like Christmas...like a sugar cookie candle..this will help ease us all and calm us all so we can think about our blessings! We love to decorate, eat, and all the family things! We are trying to look for a simple and calm holday this year. With so many kids it can get loud, crazy, and hectic, which is not enjoyable!

kim

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Sun 05 Nov 2006, 6:30 am

Growing up - my mom went all out for the holidays (she still does). But, being on my own and dating someone in the past who did not believe in holidays, I have gotten away from a tree and decorations.

This year - Todd and I are going to be putting up the tree, and I cant wait. Between his ornaments and mine, we should have a beautiful tree.

Growing up - my mom bought us all an ornament each and every year from her and my father's travels. She still does that with her new husband. So her tree has ornaments from 25 years ago on it from when I was first born, and then for every year after that (there are 22 for my brother, and then 25 for the family). It is a hodge-podge of ornaments, but every year, I can stand at the tree for hours and remember when mom and dad gave us most of the ornaments. Even though I come from a divorced family - the tree has stuff from both my mom and my dad - and that means alot to me.

When will everyone start putting up their tree?
I think we will try to do it the first week of December.

~M

Moderator Age : 27 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 1790

We put ours up the weekend after Thanksgiving Smile

So probly Nov. 25 or so !!! We also buy our kids an ornament each year, so when they move out they will have a start on their own tree decorations! My family did this for me as well Smile

kim

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Sun 05 Nov 2006, 12:02 pm

The day after Thanksgiving the boys go out and ball our tree and then they bring it down off the mountain according to the it the best tree every so our is usually up Thanksgivng weekend... Frank is going to make the wreath for the front door I am making a calico wreath for inside ...

like you Kim to us there is a Christmas smell it starts soon here my we have the fall table things out now
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Mon 06 Nov 2006, 11:23 am

We love Christmas here also. We will start decorating the week after Thanksgiving. All our stuff is still stored in out trailer til my brother gets all his stuff out the shed. I am doing simple this year and focusing on time spent together and not objects. We told the kids they could each ask for 3 things. We did that last year and still went overboard but not this year. I am really enjoying the unplug the Christmas Machine Book and enjoyed the Hundred Dollar Holiday book. All focus on a simple Christmas!!
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Vicki

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Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Mon 06 Nov 2006, 11:36 am

that us we are going simple everyone must make one gift for the person who name they drew my husband got John Franklin he made him a set of wood blocks he is lettering them .. I got my Dil Emily I am making her afghan ( granny square ) DS got my other DIL she making her a lovely hooked rug .
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Mon 06 Nov 2006, 11:40 am

Gayla, I wish I was talented like you guys. I would love to receive and give homemade gifts like these.
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Vicki

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Moderator Age : 27 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 1790

As for homemade gifts...for my little girl (she's 6) I am sewing her and I matching aprons and I am going to line a basket with pink material (her fav color) and put a cake mix, brownie mix, wooden spoon etc. in there so we can bake together! The whole thing will cost about $5-10 and this will be her big gift! I am SOOOO excited!

kim

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Wed 08 Nov 2006, 12:56 pm

I wish I could sew. I would love to do this for my dd.
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Vicki

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Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Wed 08 Nov 2006, 6:06 pm

Michaels has child size apron ( I seen them at Walmart too) I am making them for all the girls my Grandaughters my DD my DILS soon to be DIL and my two niece and my SIL it such a cute idea we are having a baking day for our family in December .... such fun...
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Thu 09 Nov 2006, 6:41 am

Kim - what a great idea.
How thoughtful.

Frugal Christmas?!?
I wanted to think so, but then every year, I go a little overboard.
I like the sounds of the One Hundred Dollar Holiday!
I should look to see if our library has this book for next me to take notes next year! Smile

My mother always made Christmas so special for us. She said her mother did as well. Even though they were extremely poor, she said no matter how poor they were, her mother always went all out for Christmas for her husband and 5 children. Whether it be for a few gifts, or just her cooking and everyone enjoying the day together as a family.

My mother tells me stories about how they did not have running water in the winter because the pipes always froze. They had no heat in the house other than the living room... the stories just boggle my mind.

~M
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"It is not how much money you make - it is how you spend it."

Group Weight Loss Goal for June (updated as of Wednesdayd, July 2nd):

Moderator Age : 27 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 1790

Wow M~ how amazing! I wish I could bring that kind of joy to my family! That is inspiring!
I have come across another cool idea for kids...my sister just gave me these ideas...
1. make personalized stationary with stamps or stickers
2. decorate a big box and then get all the supplies you would need for many crafts and put everything for each individual craft in a zip bag..so they has endless crafts all ready to go!
3..this one I saw in a book...take a flat, white bar of soap and put a sticker, picture of some sort on the front with hot glue...the melt parafin wax and dip the front of the soap in the wax and you can use the soap with out the picture coming off!

kim