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Preparing for Xmas on a Budget - DIY to The Rescue!
Christmas only comes once a year, but always takes such thorough organizing and processing that we need to start planning for next Christmas immediately after the last one - which is great news for the toy manufacturers. In what will seem like just a few days, we will all be bemoaning the straightforward fact that there are no longer enough hours in the day to complete all the christmas preparations and even less to do any gratifying handicraft work.
So, lets take the time to tackle a key issue whilst Christmas is still far enough away, is it in reality advisable to have a D.I.Y. Christmas?
I'm sure there are some parts of Xmas where 'hand-crafted' is a good thing, but perhaps not all. For starters, we should address some basic safety issues and also consult with our loved ones.
Holiday Decorations
Making your own Christmas ornaments to decorate your Xmas tree is a truly great suggestion that can also save you cash. Just avoid any decorations that need to have electricity (eg., fairy lights) or, worse still, candle lights. Therefore, the short answer here is, providing that we avoid electrics and candles, we will save money and create a good look also! It is safer and cheaper to buy your lights from a professional online Christmas Lights supplier.
Making Your Own Xmas Cards
When crafters think of the holiday season, the initial thought that springs to mind is hand made Christmas cards - but is this truly a good idea? In fact, this will depend. Much like making your own Christmas presents, this can go wrong. Not everyone really likes being sent handmade christmas cards. To some people a hand crafted card can appear to be a stingy alternative, and to them suggests that you think they are not important enough to waste money on. Obviously, one way to prevent this is to choose better friends, but with family we don't have that alternative.
Make home made greeting cards for those that you know will appreciate it. Even a store bought greeting card can be improved somewhat by adding some additional glitter and a bit of foil . There are many craft stores selling the little stick-on odds and ends that you need to personalize your store bought card - you can even purchase tiny recording devices that let you record a festive message. If that isn't impressive, I have no idea what would be!
There are so many areas where our crafting knowledge can be utilized at Christmas that I cannot go into detail on every one of them, but here are two more that I practice myself.
Festive Music
Get your family to suggest a selection of their most liked christmas tunes and record it to a CD or Tape (or for those of you with an iPod, a playlist). Of course, it may end up driving you insane if you play it all the time, but it can be enjoyable if you just use it on Christmas Day,.
Make Your Own Xmas Crackers
Making homemade Christmas crackers is also very easy. Handmade Christmas crackers have the advantage that you can direct the contents at the the specific family member or friend, so that the clever one with the large head can finally get a hat that fits them (in our family, that is me !).
Okay, that's my take on a homemade crafter's DIY Christmas. Best of luck with your own handicraft projects, and do keep me informed as to how you get on.