Cheap and Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas for Your Home

It's the holiday, and we all want our homes to be decked out with holiday spirit. However, we want to save our bank accounts as well.

Here are some great ideas that anyone can use to decorate your home for the holiday season and still be able to buy gifts for under the tree.

Create a Theme. Have a theme for your holiday decorating. This keeps you from blowing your budget on impulse purchases. It will also keep your decor tied together for a more elegant, and streamlined look. The theme can be anything from a color to a decorating ideas as a woodland theme.

Use what you Have. The holidays are about making memories. Use mementos from past memorable holidays as anchors for your newer decorations. Our family nestles the first doll each member of the family received as a baby in our Christmas tree. You could also hang Grandma's cookie cutters on the tree or even baby booties. Whatever brings back memories as you decorate with your family./

Focus Your Decor. Since most of us do not have enough decorations to decorate every corner of our homes, so concentrate your holiday decor on the focal areas of the room. Focal areas can bee the fireplace, entryway, or the tops of cabinetry. Keeping the decor in one area of the room will also save you the trouble of un-decorating the whole house after the holidays.

Light up the Night. Adding lights to your holiday decorating will add warmth and fantasy. Use inexpensive light strands to dress up windows and doorways, as well as the tree. Use candles to add sparkle to the room.

Dress the Tree. Instead of investing in expensive designer ornaments, create your own elegant look this year. Fold decorative paper into fans, and tie them on the tree with ribbons. We did this when we were first married because we did not have many ornaments. The tree was beautiful.

Wall Art, Holiday Style. If you are throwing a party and don't have much in the way of Holiday decor, wrap pictures on your walls with wrapping paper like a present and add a large bow...re-hang the "present". This is a great way to add instant holiday impact!

Quick Tips:

* Use wire edged ribbon to add bows all around the house. Choose gold or silver and you can reuse the ribbon through the New Year.

* Add Epsom Salt to glass containers to resemble snow. Tuck in pillar candles for a winter wonderland effect.

* Make inexpensive holiday wreaths by cutting a base from cardboard, and use a glue gun to completely cover the base with wrapped candies.

* Create holiday glassware by using glass paint from the craft store on clear glass. Stamp or stencil on your favorite holiday motif.

* Make paper trees our of a square of pretty paper, preferably use a paper that is a little stiff. Roll the paper into a cone, and glue the edge with a hot glue gun. Add some gold glitter or swirls of paint to dress them up. They will be beautiful on your mantle or as a centerpiece with greens.

No matter what your holiday budget this year, you can make your home a warm, welcoming place for your family and friends. So, pour the hot cocoa, stoke up the fire and start dreaming of sugar plums!