Homemade Christmas

So this year has been a little different. We are living temporarily in a different state, with only the bare necessities. We did not bring hardly ANY Christmas decorations and our budget did not allow for us to go buy new so this year has been mostly homemade. From gifts, to ornaments, to decorations on the house and mantle. It's been fun to come up with ways to make this place feel Christmasy without spending alot! So here's what we came up with: Our Christmas tree

It's starting to die and has lost its luster, I should have taken a photo when we first decorated it but alas I didn't. But here is one to prove that it was once green and lively and has been decorated by Mia using everyday things!

Consists of lights (I did bring those from home), a real Christmas tree (from Lowe's), homemade salt dough ornaments created and painted by Mia, additional ornaments including a homemade nativity and 3 wise men made out of Popsicle sticks, Dollar Tree Candy canes and a Star from the Dollar Tree. Grand total: $4 (excluding the tree-given as a gift!)
Here's an up close of Mia's Manger scene and three wise men (I can't get it to rotate, so you'll have to turn your head!)

Our Mantle:

Homemade Cinnamon gingerbread men attached to a Dollar Tree garland, homemade sparkle twine balls (I love how they turned out!)  and a music sheet wreath that I made at a craft and chat outing! Oh and a strand of lights from the Dollar Tree! I brought the stockings and PEACE blocks with us! Grand total: $2 Please excuse the giant Antenna! (That ugly thing makes it so we can get 2 channels! ugh! and the spots on the wall are where the owners need to paint. Funny you can only really see it in the picture!)

Outside:

I asked the person at Lowe's who cut our tree if I could take some of the Tree scraps. They said to take as much as I wanted! Score! So I made little swags out of the branches and added a bow! Grand total: $2 for bows!

This homemade Christmas has actually been fun, and on a side note: if I had brought my real ornaments, my son would have destroyed them considering he has tried to eat, remove, or break most of the ornaments we have on the tree. I will leave you with a cute picture of him 'helping' make the ornaments. He has no shirt on in the second one because he kept putting the dough down his shirt! Stay tuned for some fun homemade Christmas gifts!