You can find inexpensive packages of red, green or Christmas decorated baby and toddler socks and/or booties on sale now. Purchase a couple of packages and just sew a loop at the top of them to hang on your Christmas tree or you can just use standard ornament hangers.
These are lot less expensive than standard pre-made stocking tree decorations and would be especially nice if you or someone you know has a newborn or toddler to be able to reuse for the wee ones to wear on or after Christmas Day or simply save for next years decorating ;-)
Source: Just thinking about how expensive Christmas tree ornaments are and thinking of less expensive solutions.
By Deeli from Richland, WA
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I need ideas for thrifty Christmas tree decorations this year. I would like to try a different theme, such as country, etc.
By ER
I love country, when I used to decorate for Christmas, the more "countrified" I could get, the better.
Cloth yo-yo's are easy, quick to make if you have scrap fabric. Can add alittle cotton and sew a button in the middle, and yarn for a hanger. I found rag wreaths on here, where you take scraps and tie to a ring for a wreath. I made a tree shape, and tied scraps with red,green and gold (not even holiday fabric) in them and then made a holiday bow.
In the south, we have sweet gum trees that drop "millions" of sweet gum balls. They can be sprayed gold or other colors and hung on the tree. There is a website called favecrafts.com, that have an enormous amount of crafts. The magazine Christmas trees are popping up on there and maybe here, too.
Even old Christmas cards can be used for ornaments, or glued to just about anything. You could decoupage a dish or can with old holiday cards.
Hope these few ideas will inspire you. Our thrift stores have alot of decorations to choose from,too.
Good Luck and Happy Holidays!
Gingham fabric torn in strips and tied in bows, pine cones tipped with white craft paint, cinnamon stick log houses would all make nice ornaments for a country tree. String popcorn and cranberries for garland. I actually used packing peanuts in lieu of popcorn and red wooden beads to make a longer lasting garland.
String popcorn...used to be you could even buy colored popcorn. Glitter on small pine cones.
I love ripped rag balls. I sometimes make them into ornaments. You can make them country fabric or all holiday.
When you are done, you can add buttons or bows made from ribbon or more ripped fabric. If you don't have styrofoam balls, you can simply make the center out of old balls of yarn you can't use.
I use cool temp glue to keep them in place, making sure that the strips cover the strip under it so nothing in the center shows through.
You can of course make them from nothing but strips, but the center you can't see is lost so I make "faux" balls. I put them on wreaths, too.
I hope this helps.
Try an Asian tree, make colorful origami ornaments.
We use to make ornaments for our "Elf Shop" and one that was a favorite was using the lid from the frozen orange juice can and taking a nail and outlining a picture in a Christmas theme, like a wreath, candle, etc. (tin-punching). We would take white ruffling and glue around the edge of the ornament, add a string for hanging and you have an inexpensive ornament with a country flair.
When those little colored beads that children use for their birthday parties break, don't throw them away...you can cut them into little pieces about four or five inches long, more or less, and then hang them on the branches, they make little candy cane shaped ornaments when you hang them on the end of a branch....
I am 52. When I was very young my mother and I had the most beautiful glass ornaments with a filigree design along the outside of the ornament. Over the years they have disappeared. Every year as we decorate our tree I think of these ornaments. They were very special to me.
By Mary Steger
Hello Mary - I'm round about your age and I think I know what you are talking about? One place you might begin searching is www.etsy.com in their "vintage" section. I've not seen exactly what you are talking about (and some of the things individual shops list as "vintage" are what I would classify as only a decade or so old) but there are a lot of vendors with very interesting and truly vintage &/or antique items on the etsy.com site.
(Note - I have no known affiliations with any of the vendors - I just enjoy the site.) As well, each shop vendor gives contact information so that you could contact them with specific questions or requests.
Do you remember any brand names or where your Mother (her parents, other relatives) might have obtained the ornaments? Any information you can include in requests will help the vendors help you, so be specific with your requests. Pictures might help, too, (with the diligent and honest vendors - and of course, use your best instincts in sharing detailed info) if you have such. Good Luck! :)
Etsy.com is a great idea but don't over look eBay. By putting in "vintage filigree Christmas ornaments" I found six. You can also look on your local Craigslist and keep an eye out for the thrift shops. I hope that helps. I am 57 and love them, too.
If you are interested in vintage Christmas ornaments, I have a boxful that are approximately 70 years old. They are very delicate and worn.
Go to local Goowill Stores and second hand stores. Have seen lots of them there. And at yardsales.
