Between the gifts, the decorating, and the baking, the holiday season can be expensive—not to mention hectic! One surefire way to help bring down the costs of the season is by taking a DIY (that is, “do it yourself”) approach to many of your holiday traditions. Read on for a few ways to celebrate on a budget!

1. Turn to natural elements. Instead of rushing to the store to buy holiday decor, see what nature has in store first! Head outdoors to gather branches, pine cones, seedpods, and other natural elements to be repurposed into decor or used in crafts. For example, you could dust some pine cones with glitter and display them in a hurricane vase with fairy lights. You could also try to make your own wreath, bird feeder, ornaments, and luminaries. See this article on Project Learning for inspiration!

2. Make your own gifts. Everyone appreciates a handmade gift, especially those that are useful, practical, or delicious! Instead of spending money on store-bought items they might not even need or want, whip up some cookies, body scrub, lip balm, hot chocolate bombs, no-sew blankets… The options are limited only by your time and expertise, and there are countless ideas on Pinterest to spark your creativity. 

3. Craft your own gift gift wrap. Traditional gift wrap is not only costly, it often has embellishments, like glitter or foil, that prevent it from being recycled. This year, take an eco-friendly approach to your holiday gift wrap by repurposing brown paper shopping bags. Cut the bags along the seams, then decorate the paper using holiday-themed stamps. Alternatively, you could put unwanted scarves and other fabric to good use as a replacement for wrapping paper.