Oneupweb : Creative and Non-Traditional Christmas Decorating

With the holidays fast approaching I decided to put together a few Christmas decorating ideas. Every holiday I always look for some kind of cool craft or Christmas decoration, and lately I have been getting extremely inspired. There are so many ways to decorate for the holidays and many of them don’t cost an arm and a leg. When I was in high school we didn’t have much, and one year my mom regrettably had said we didn’t have the money to purchase a tree as they can be quite expensive. Then, at the age of fifteen-years-old, this was quite the blow. Everyone else had trees and I was severely disappointed, and I wasn’t going to be the only kid in my school to not have a tree. So I decided that situation was holiday atrocity and it just wasn’t going to happen! My mom went to work and so did I.

Now this is where a little creative ingenuity came in. I scrounged out all of our holiday decorations and got to work. I had numerous wire coat hangers, a couple bags of green and red garlands, tinsel, and numerous Christmas bulbs. I fashioned three rings out of the wire coat hangers and covered them with the garlands. Then I hung them together with fishing line from smallest to biggest and attached it to the ceiling by a plant hook. I then draped as much tinsel as I could over each of the rings and hung lights from the ceiling down. I then hung the bulbs at different lengths with fishing line. The tree was fantastic, recycled and didn’t cost a thing.

When my mom returned that evening and walked in, I had decorated the entire house with homemade baubles. She was so shocked that I had created something and was overjoyed at the work I had done. It’s hard for a mother to not be able to provide such a simple thing as a Christmas tree. Turns out that this year was one of our most cherished holiday memories. Tight and limited holiday budgets happen more often than you would think, so make sure to help out a needy family this holiday season.

On another note below are a few ideas for your holiday creative needs. Just don’t be afraid to make mistakes and get a little crazy with your decorating ambitions this Christmas.

These hanging vintage ornaments would make a fantastic addition at the top of a landing or above a dining room table or even tucked away in the corner of a room. It makes quite a statement and is easy to create.

This is an awesome idea! The only problem would be patching all of the holes after Christmas unless you created one that you could leave up all year. You could even try creating something else like a reindeer or snowman perhaps. The ideas are limitless.

This is a classic take on the Charlie Brown Christmas and could be done in so many ways. The branch could be spray painted a solid color or left as nature intended it. You could use pine cones and berries for a more natural look, or use feathers and bold colors for a more modern approach.

Simple post it notes can become a centerpiece. What a fun way to celebrate without the fuss of a tree. This would work great for someone who travels a lot or is working in the office over the holidays. You can write notes and holiday sayings to family and friends. You could even save them for the next year.

Paper crafts are my favorite and are so easy. Make paper cutout banners or hang hand made ornaments at different heights. You can use all white for a more classic look, or change it up a bit with vintage papers or magazine cutouts. Recycling papers is always good and there’s so much you can do with this craft. You can even decorate your table top with paper luminaries.

More paper inspiration! Create snowflake curtains or a table cloth. You could even use an old white sheet, cut them out and sew them together like a quilt.

Why not paint a wall with chalkboard paint and reuse it every holiday? You could illustrate your Christmas tree or draw a bunny on Easter. You could even get crafty and tape paper ornaments to your chalk tree.

This may not be a Christmas image but when I saw it, I had the best idea!  Why not use wrapping paper to create a focal point on one wall of your home? It doesn’t have to be permanent, it could be fashioned with masking tape. You could use all one pattern or mix it up for a more funky look. The next year you could reuse the paper to wrap gifts with.

An easy way to create garland is to use what you have at home…try this idea on for size.

Everyone has a few old vases or crystal pieces sitting around, so why not use them? Create a focal point by layering your crystal with found objects such as pine cones, ornaments, candies, or whatever you have on hand.

Christmas doesn’t have to be pricey and neither does decorating. This year don’t be afraid to try your own ideas and get your hands dirty.