Use What You Have Holiday Decorating

by Kathy Wilson

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The holidays often leaves those of us who are on tight budgets scratching our heads trying to figure out how to afford to decorate for the season, without going into debt. Never fear, there are some easy ways you can take ordinary items you already own, and with a few inexpensive tools, turn them into one of a kind holiday decor.

First, arm yourself with a couple of supplies. Get a roll of wide wire edge ribbon in a bright holiday color, scrap holiday fabric or a couple of yards from the clearance bin in holiday red and green, and a roll of narrow metallic ribbon, the kind sold at your local fabric store.

Next, choose a theme. This can be a theme for your whole home or a different one for each room, but make sure you choose a theme where you already have a lot of items. For instance, in your kitchen, you may choose a "teacup" theme, and if you have kids, the family room might be a great place for a "Toyland" theme. Husband love fishing? Guest bathroom…come on ladies, you can let him have this for just a few weeks a year! Boys love sports? Ok, the TV room is just longing for it!

Now that you've chosen your theme, you need to create holiday sparkle with your ordinary items. Anything can be made holiday with a little ribbon and fabric. First create a background. Layer holiday fabric pieces over your tables and shelves, wrap a piece over the top of your dining chairs, make a few throw pillow covers with fabric and safety pins.

Now the trick with turning ordinary items into decor is to make it deliberate. You don't just want one or two teacups in that kitchen. You want all your teacups, tied with holiday ribbon! Have shelving in that Toyland room? Make sure every corner is tucked with a ribbon tied teddy or stacked with wooden blocks. Tie ribbon around every item and tuck into nooks and crannies. Overkill? Nah, it's just good old fashioned ingenuity. Make the ordinary, extraordinary!

Finally, remember that anything lightweight can become an ornament with a little narrow ribbon tied on. And don't limit yourself to hanging ornaments on the tree, either. Hang them from curtain rods, light fixtures, and doorways as well!

Follow these tricks and you can use almost any item you already own to create a beautiful theme holiday, with creativity, not cash!

Kathy Wilson is an author, columnist, and editor of several popular websites including The Budget Decorator and Decorating Your Small Space. For hundreds of free home decorating ideas, visit her now at www.TheBudgetDecorator.com or www.DecoratingYourSmallSpace.com.

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