Today’s Frugal Ideas……….
From Nada
My tip for today is to forgo Christmas wrapping paper. Use gift bags instead. We only ever use gift bags for our gifts because they are so easy to reuse! We have a whole steamer trunk filled with gift bags for all occasions and in all sizes. They are reusable, don’t get torn and just require a clip or two to keep them sealed. Environmentally friendly to boot!
From Sylvia
1.Do as much baking ahead as possible for Christmas. It frees you up to enjoy more time with friends and family.
2.We make our own gift tags using all kinds of materials; old Christmas cards, colorful paper, ribbon and more.
From Gail
I keep the last years Christmas cards and let my Grandchildren cut out pictures and verses from them and I help them make place-mats using construction paper and cover them on both sides with clear contact paper.
From Lori
Yesterday I mentioned making cinnamon pine cones. I have done this many many years and they are wonderful! I get small to medium sized tight pine cones (the tighter the “leaves” are, the better the scent stays) and put them in a plastic trash bag. I add cinnamon fragrance oil (I get it in the candle making section of our craft stores) a table spoon at a time (the amount used really depends on how many pine cones and how tight they are-I do it by scent….and if after they are dry they don’t smell enough, I’ll add more and do them again) and shake it around in the bag until all of the pine cones are WELL coated. I let them hang out in the bag for 24 hours (I do seal the bag), then put them on newspaper on a countertop or tabletop to dry the rest of the way (usually takes a few hours….I usually set them out after dinner, and then put them away the next morning). I store them in a paper bag for gift giving, or to make my own house smell wonderful, I put them in a basket on my hearth or by the front door.
Do you have frugal ideas for Christmas to share?
Hello and welcome! I'm Sylvia Britton, and I've been online since 1996 offering encouragement and help in the spirit of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 at Christian Homekeeper. CHK is the original Homekeeping site on the internet
Oh, very good idea! Thx!
Hi Sylvia,
I want to do as much baking ahead of time as possible, like you suggest. If I wanted to give cookies out for Christmas, how soon is too soon to bake them? Would cookies freeze well or should I try to bake something else instead?
Thx!
I usually start baking for Christmas in late October. Most baked goods will be fine baked up to 3 months ahead. Most cookies do freeze well. Cookies that do not freeze well are meringues, those with marshmallows sometimes become sticky but most are ok. I prefer though to make and freeze cookie dough and then bake cookies fresh.