Easy Budget Tree Decorations Your Kids Will Love To Make

Holiday time doesn’t have to be expensive with these great easy budget tree decorations your kids will love to make.
We all know that the holidays can be the most expensive time of the year if we let it. There are the gifts, wrapping, turkey, tree and countless other big-ticket items everyone expects you to have. There is a lot of pressure to put together the perfect Christmas Day celebration.
A great way to save some serious money and also fill the house with Christmas joy is to get the kids crafting and use homemade decorations. Avoid the cutter cookie style Christmas decorations, that everyone else has, and put your own unique spin on the holidays with these great budget ideas.
Tree Decorations
Whether you are getting out of the artificial tree or going for the real deal this year, there are tons of great budget decorations your kids can have fun making.
Popcorn Garlands are a fantastic way to bring a little old school country charm to your tree this year. Simply pop a whole bunch of plain popcorn and have the kids help you thread it onto cotton. For some added glitz you could spray the garland with gold spray paint when you’re done.
Dried Fruit Slices are another classic decoration that compliments popcorn garlands really well. Simply slice oranges and lemons then have the kids lay them all out on a tray and dry them on a very low heat in the oven. Once they are done the kids can thread ribbon through the top or even stick on small bows.
Clear, empty baubles can usually be found at the dollar store and the kids will love stuffing them with all sorts of odds and ends. Try pom poms, fabric scraps, bits of tinsel or sequins. Let your kids’ imagination run wild.
Salt dough is an easy, fun way to make ornaments. Young kids will love using cookie cutters to create shapes and once they are dry the fun continues with painting and decorating.
Need some more inspiration? Check out these awesome tutorials:
- These Rudolph wood slice ornaments only need a few supplies.
- This mini Christmas wreath craft is easy for even the least crafty mom.
- Recycled Laundry Scoops make this craft super budget-friendly.
Hanging Decorations
Handmade decorations hanging from the ceiling, along the stair banisters or around the edges of the room will add some extra Christmas sparkle to your home. Get kids involved with some of these great festive projects.
Christmas rag bunting is a great way of using up any old scraps of colored fabric. You could even cut up old Christmas pajamas that no longer fit the kids. It’s super easy and doesn’t require any sewing, basically the same concept as a rag rug.
Christmas wrapping paper chains give you the chance to use up all those old scraps of wrapping paper that weren’t quite big enough for gift wrapping.
Giant paper stars will give your kids a chance to get their origami skills going. Have them paint and decorate the plain sheets of paper first with Christmas colors for some added sparkle.
Prefer some step by step tutorials? Check out these great ideas too:
- This ornament garland is a great way to use up any extra Christmas baubles after decorating the tree.
- These snowman footprints are a lovely way to get toddlers and babies involved too.
If none of these ideas takes your fancy, or you just can’t bear the thought of kid’s crafts hanging all over the house, why not put the kids in charge of the wrapping instead? Buy a huge roll of butcher paper from the dollar store and tell them to let their imaginations run wild.
Over the course of a few weeks get them to paint, stamp, color, glue and bedazzle to their heart’s content. Then use it to wrap your gifts and they will be a truly unique sight under the Christmas tree this year.