Dreaming of a Cheap Christmas

Tea Time by Judy Gibson

There are probably a number of young mothers who feel a lot of pressure this time of year and wonder how in the world they can do it all. There really isn't any law, Biblical or civil, that says you have to celebrate this season, but there are a number of ways to enjoy it if it is kept in perspective. Basically, people can do exactly as they please, and if they don't like something about the Christmas rush, they are absolutely free to skip the whole thing, if it gives them more peace. After all, its motto is "peace on earth."


When we were first married, we had no money to spend outside of our normal expenses of food and rent and gas. A friend noticed that we didn't have any signs of the season around our house, and she surprised us by coming over and creating a festive centerpiece for our table. She provided a few gifts and brought us a casserole. I was all for skipping the occasion, but after she had worked in her special way, I loved the effect of the tinsel and lights and the warmth of the table setting.

Our own children had a marvellous time one year just wrapping up their old toys and books, in small baby blankets, and giving them to each other. They had loads of fun discovering what was in the gift, because they had not seen some of the toys in such a long time.

One way to ease the busy-ness of the season is to say "yes" to any invitation of the parents or grandparents on either side, to spend the holidays with them. Everything there is usually all prepared.


There are many ways to create a sparkly Christmas without spending money, or spending very little. Below, you see the card stock weight cut-outs, outlined in glitter glue, with extra glitter sprinkled on. A small hole-punch can be used to provide a place to insert a thread or string to hang the ornaments.

The pattern below can be printed on card stock in any color. I have provided little stands for the candle and the teapot, in case it is to be used for a place card or a greeting card. Put some floral stickers on the teapot to make it look like fine china. Cardboard stands can be made for the other ornaments if desired, but they can also be hole-punched and used for ornaments.
Print this out on cardstock

The house ornament could be cut on a strip of folded paper so that it makes a garland. Some of you who are experienced in drawing houses, can put doors and windows, window boxes, and even candles in the windows, and add white glitter on the roof. Punch a hole in the top for an ornament, or cut on multi-folded paper and make a garland.

Most people already have some kind of paper in the house. We used to save business mail, because one side was always blank. These were used for our paper crafts. If you do not have card stock, you can glue your cut outs to the cardboard from cereal boxes or other boxes you normally would throw away. Glazing the ornaments with a brush dipped in glitter glue makes them look more expensive.

When you read the Little House on the Prairie series, you get the sense that the children were happy with just a pair of hand knit gloves as a gift. In Victorian times, people spent time secretly scurrying about trying to get materials to make little things like handkerchiefs and bags or holders for things.

Sentimental hand made gifts from Ladies Home Journal, 1890

Some of the materials used in that era were not available today. I used heavy brown paper for several of these projects.

One lady in her 80's told me she wondered why people didn't just send her a hand made patchwork potholder trimmed in bias tape, the way they used to. People used to look forward to getting an interesting dish towel or some soap and bubble bath. Christmas used to be the time we received our socks and slippers for the year. In some stores, here in the north, they run a sock sale just after Christmas. People go into the stores and pick out their socks and hide them behind other merchandise so they can go straight to them when the sale is on. I don't know if the proprietors have caught on yet, but this has been a tradition for many years at the local Fred Meyers, a department store.

Old Fashioned Patchwork Potholders With Bias Binding. Two on the right are vintage and the one on the left is an updated immitation. They take only a little time to make, and can be prepared all year long.

This year I noticed more and more hand made cards which are just beautiful. The card companies have to work hard to compete with the dimensional specialness of hand crafted cards. Cards, whatever the season, seem like a very bright and interesting enterprise for young ladies at home.The hand made cards are so special, they are worth saving in a box for someone to find years later. The hand made ones are so intricate, it seems that it would be gift enough. Some of them should be wrapped in paper and ribbon and given as gifts.

The only thing I do is string up some lights, and I put them on the inside of the house, along the top of windows. If someone drops by, they get a cup of hot cranberry-apple spiced punch. I mainly like the sparkle, the lights, and the brightness of the season.

Here you see the glittery chenille wired stems that come in a package of 20 for a dollar, used as initials on small gifts. Inside the packages: a small calendar, and a blank notebook with a beautiful cover, each only costing a dollar. On the left is an icicle ornament made by wrapping chenille wire around a pencil. An entire tree of these is just beautiful.

Wrapping paper can be made by rubber stamping the inside of brown paper bags or any white paper. It is much more challenging to the intellect to think of ways to manage a celebration without spending money.

I Thought That I Might Bring a Basket

Summer Cottages by Gary Shepard

I was amused at the response of the intended recipient of the basket that Margaret Hale, a young lady living at home with her parents, offered to bring. "What would we do with a basket?" she laughed. "We have little enough to put in it!" It might be hard to imagine, but it was actually not so very long ago when women did take food and gifts in baskets when they went out on their regular calls. In Jane Austen's fiction, characters like Emma and Ann were depicted carrying baskets of food and preserves when they made a call.

"Calling" was a normal social event in the past. This was a time when a woman did her rounds of social calls, checking up on widows and mothers with young children, to see if they needed help. Stories of the 19th century often depict young ladies being sent with a basket to someones house. It would be lovely if some of the older girls at home would develop an interest in providing gifts like this. If young ladies would renew an interest in this lovely and worthy custom, we should all be delighted.

Woven wicker baskets are not expensive, and can be purchased at second-hand stores and yard sales. They can then be painted, lined with a towel, and stuffed with a batch of fresh scones and jam.

In a pinch, a basket can actually be made from a heavy brown paper grocery bag. These bags hold up to 30 pounds of groceries, and sometimes more, so they must be useful for other things. I have been enjoying finding different uses for these sturdy bags, and have come up with a makeshift basket, just by cutting along one of the creases on the folded up bag. It will not have to be returned, and it can be made quite quickly when there is a sudden need to make a call on someone, or if someone drops in for a brief visit. Sending something home with a visitor is a real treat for them.

The handle is a wide strip of the brown paper, folded over several times and glued together. There is a strip of paper doily, and the markings are made with the puff paint that has been shown on other craft posts here. This basket is lined with tissue paper for padding, and will hold a few lightweight items. Any number of colors and designs could be used on a paper bag basket like this.

If the paper bags you normally get are not as sturdy as the ones I am using, you can cut a cereal box, cracker box, or any other kind of cardboard box in half and use as a basket. Here is one decorated with little bits of things that you can make yourself. The handle and bow are wired ribbon from the dollar store, threaded through punched holes, but any kind of rope or ribbon will work. It also might be possible to make a handle out of some of the cardboard. The other half of the box can be taped shut at the end, and used for another basket. Fill it with home made baked goods. If your paper bags are too thin, you may find a sturdier type of bag in your kitchen, such as one that holds flour. This can be covered with decorative papers and scraps and made to be quite a stunning gift bag.

These are things in the brown bag basket: an old tea cup, a loaf of scone bread wrapped in a hand made towel, and a box of homemade tea made from fresh spearmint.

A small wicker basket (about a dollar at any yard sale or used store) painted, is just the right size for a loaf of nut bread or a few of your own jams. A gift basket does not have to be food. I have received delightful baskets from people who simply went to the dollar store and got four votive candles for a dollar, added a candle holder, a card (cards are 50c there), a doily, and a few other things, in a gift bag purchased at the dollar store. The ideas presented here are ways to use up what you have, when there is no time to shop, or gas is high and the funds are low.

This is one of those very strong cardboard boxes that Satsuma oranges are packed in. It seems like such a shame just to toss them out. They can be used one more time as suitcase baskets, and they hold far more weight than the paper bag basket.

This one is painted with a craft paint. There are plenty of holes in these boxes to thread wide wired ribbon through them to make a handle. I did not have time to really embellish this box, but someone with a great imagination could pull out all the stops and make one of the mandarin orange boxes look like a suitcase. Try the shabby chic technique of painting it with white folk-art craft paint or similar paint, add some glitter and scraps, and see what you can come up with. These boxes are so durable, made of corrugated card board, that it seems like we could get more uses out of them before they are thrown out.

These examples are just the primitive ideas. I am sure if someone had the time, they could think of all kinds of spectacular ideas for using these kinds of bags and boxes. There are some absolutely beautiful art gift bags at the dollar stores these days. I do not see any point in paying more than a dollar for a gift bag. What if, for some reason, you did not have the money to even shop at the dollar store? It is good to know how to use what you have when you cannot buy something, or when you have nothing on hand to give.

Dollar Tree has beautiful bags.

In a previous post about charity from the home ("Charity Begins at Home") I mentioned how easy it is to for young women at home to be distracted by great ministries and neglect their own homes and families. The gift basket would be a wonderful project for young ladies who, like Margaret, the preacher's daughter, want to make a difference in the lives of others. There is always a need for such sweetness, and a girl at home could build friendships by developing a talent for giving, in this way. This kind of generosity brings out her creative abilities and helps her think outside of her self to the needs of others. If a girl put her mind to it, she could think of a long list of things to include in these benevolence baskets.

Dollar Tree bags are high quality works of art, worth framing. This one features a painting by Richard Burns, a contemporary artist. I have featured some of his cottages in past posts.

My daughter stayed home and had many different interests before she was married. Her time was always filled up, and when she was not working in the home, getting meals or cleaning, she found all kinds of projects to get involved with. Young women living with their parents have a great advantage. They can develop a service to others that will never end, by reviving the idea of delivering baskets to others, any time of the year. If girls ever get to wondering "what they are going to do," they would be wise to remember the opportunity to cast a light toward someone who could use a bit of cheerfulness in their day. Just imagine what colorful things could be done with bags and boxes, and what wonderful things could be tucked inside of them---from handmade stationery supplies, to bath products, to tea cups. I have saved old calendars that have marvellous art that I do not want to throw away, so I cut pieces from them and paste them on gift boxes or bags, along with other decorations. It is also possible to make a pattern on poster board, for a bag the size of your own preference, just by tracing another bag. You then can use scrapbook papers or any other kind of paper, to make your own bags. I am certainly not saying that we should be too absorbed in making every single thing by hand, but I believe our sons and daughters should be able to figure out where things come from, how they are made, and how they can make it themselves. This is one way to be resourceful and rise above any financial difficulties.