Fabulously Frugal Christmas

Pick a theme you can carry throughout the space, so that when you stand and see other decorations they do not clash in color. For the public spaces in this office, we kept it with silver, bright green, and rich purple’s. 

• Six foot fresh-cut tree from Kula Botanical Garden $63
• Matte Green Balls – Flora-Dec $0.59 each
• Bright Purple Balls – Walmart $15
• Silver Ribbon – Costco $6.99
• Wreath – Cosco $15.99
• Lights – recycled FREE
• Glittered Green Ribbon – FREE – recycled from last year
• Tree skirt fabric – recycled white tablecloth FREE
• Glittery floral stems – recycled from last year FREE
• Lighted sliver and white angel – Walgreen’s $9.99

TIP: Use floral wire to secure balls and decorations to your tree.

Six foot pre-lit tree decorated in black, white, silver, and gray.

• Tree –  Walgreen’s $24.99
• Butterfly clips – Flora-dec $4
• Patterned Gray Ribbon – Costco $6.99 last year
• Black Ribbon – FREE – recycled
• Balls – recycled FREE
• Tree skirt fabric – recycled FREE
• Painted guava branches – recycled FREE

TIP: Matching the colors on the tree decorations to the colors of the space. This office has black desks and gray fabric throughout.

Six foot pre-lit tree decorated in all gold – gold balls (glittered, matte and shiny), gold poinsettia’s, ivory ribbon, ivory and gold lighted angel, and gold fabric for the tree skirt.

• Tree –  Walgreen’s $24.99
• Lighted angel –Walgreen’s $9.99
• Ivory Ribbon – Costco $6.99 last year
• Everything else was from the attic recycled from over the years.

TIP: if you think your balls look cracked or old, use these toward the inside of the tree. You will never notice that they are not brand new.

This tree was being decorated in the Aloha Surgical Center. while her husband was having surgery. She happened to have matching red and gold ribbon, floral wire, and scissor’s in her car and offered to help.

ONE TIP: when the tree is somewhat small for the space, go ahead and put it up on a box or table to add height. Look how great this four foot tree looks in their space. They already had the red wall. The fabric covering the box is a surgical blanket. Love it!

Check out the Tree Top. When you don’t have an angel or a santa, or a star or a tradition topper you can use bows, and in this case a couple of sprigs of glittery matching floral supplies. Place the focal point slightly below the top so it’s not flapping in the wind – see post on tree tops.

Photo by Peter Liu of www.peterliuphoto.com

Found these butterflies this year on sale at Flora-dec (a craft store on Oahu).  It was nice to add something a little different.

Can you find the pink butterfly?

Photo by Peter Liu of www.peterliuphoto.com

It seems everyone’s eye goes to the top of the tree. Try placing the topper down a little from the top so that you have green surrounding your topper. This gives it a bit of drama. By adding bows, and floral pieces around gives it just a little extra attention.

How to put it all together for less than $ 80.

Photo from Peter Liu of www.peterliuphoto.com

Collect all the things you like, separate by color, and put it all together.

1. Select a tree

2. Put the tree together

3. Build the tree

4. Add the top

5. Shape every branch

6. Wire on the angel (slightly lower than the top so you have green showing from above)

7. Add bows, pointsettias, and spray snow over dark areas

8. Finish with balls, light covers, branches, put in place and add some fabric for a tree skirt

Silver Tree AFTER

Added red and silver ribbon, glittered red lillies, red balls and guava branches painted white to fll in this very sparse tree.

Silver tree BEFORE