Decorating for Christmas can be such a fun family tradition. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. Here are some frugal Christmas decorating ideas:

• Use what you have: do you have old pinecones stashed away?  Do you live in an area where you can go trim some branches off of cedar trees?  (They usually have the blue berries on them this time of year, and they make for beautiful arrangements and garlands).  Do you have all sorts of craft supplies stashed away, but you’re just not sure how to use them?  Get them all out, spread them out on the kitchen table, and start thinking creatively.  What can you make snowmen with?  Can you make little trees or ornaments out of those pine cones?  Can you string that popcorn that’s been sitting in the cabinet waiting for you to eat it?
• Get a can of snow for just a little over a dollar, and maybe a snowflake stencil….or just spray the edges of your windows.  It’s easy to clean off later on, and it makes for a nice, wintery effect.
• Get to your local dollar store.  We have Dollar Tree here, and I was pleasantly surprised to find some really classy ornaments and decorations there the other night; some ornament packs had 6 or more ornaments.  Some of the ornaments and snowflakes I saw looked the same as things I wouldn’t ordinarily be able to afford in a regular store….and everything was $1.  They have tons of great decorations, including snowcloth that you can put down under a village; that saved me $3 right there, since it’s $4 in Walmart.
• Just a string of white lights and some simple garland can make a world of difference in your decorating and make any room feel cozy.  Break out the candles as well; there’s nothing like sitting down on a cold night with the Christmas tree lit and a candle burning.
• Most of all, make memories with your kids by making ornaments together; take pictures of your kids, and make them each a special ornament out of them.  Maybe start a holiday journal with your kids that comes out every year to sit on the coffee table.  Each night of the holiday season can be spent just adding in one special memory from that day.  This will give you all something to look back on when it’s harder to get together for the holidays, and it’s a special keepsake that can be passed down in your family for many years to come.

I know there are many more frugal decorating tips I could give, but I want to leave with that because we are going to have a Christmas tree contest right here on MamaBuzz!  Yes, and there will be prizes!  We will award prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places!  If you would like to be entered into this contest, all you have to do is take a picture of your tree, and place a post with that picture on your blog by December 8.  Tell a little bit about your tree, and be sure to link back over to MamaBuzz in your post.  Then come sign Mr. Linky below, and you will be entered.  If you don’t have a blog, never fear; you can still enter.  Just email us your picture, and we will add you into our queue for the contest.

From there, Melissa J. and I will pick the finalists, of which there could be 10-20, depending on how many entries there are, and I will post pics of those trees in a separate post right here on MamaBuzz on Tuesday, December 8.  That way you have a whole week to get your trees up, get pictures, and link them up.  We will then give you, our readers, an additional week to cast your votes; the final votes will be up to you, depending on which trees are your favorites.  The winners will be announced on Tuesday, December 15.

The prizes for this contest will be:

1st Place-  From The Simple Stencil: a $50 credit or any of the products on the site up to that amount as well as free shipping, a free practice word, and a free professional application tool.  The Simple Stencil offers decorative wall lettering and graphic transfers that you can add to any room to spruce it up and make it your own.  Their designs can really add a beautiful touch to any room.  Just browsing through their site could take hours, as they have so many beautiful designs to choose from for any room in your house, including babies’ and children’s rooms.

2nd Place: Two 1/2-pound boxes of Bella Toffee, valued at $9 a box.  Bella Toffee specializes in making milk chocolate almond toffee.  They make the toffee out of high quality ingredients and ship it right to your door.  Bella means beautiful in Italian, and that is what Bella Toffee strives for, in both taste and the beauty of each piece of toffee.

3rd Place: This prize is sponsored by Sent From Heaven.  They are offering one winner a set of 4 handsewn Christmas bowl fillers or tree ornaments.  There are a gingerbread man, a star, a snowman, and a Christmas tree included in this set, and they are made out of felt or cotton.  They would make an adorable addition to your holiday decor.  They are valued at $8.00.

Since I won’t be entering the contest, I thought I’d still show a pic of our tree (Mel’s) this year….

In all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, sometimes we just need a little bit of fun.  Merry Christmas, everyone!  Post your pics, and link up below!