Author: Robyn

The scariest thing about Christmas is not all the money you spend on presents, food and alcohol but the cost of wrapping paper and cards. I can’t believe it costs $30 for some bits of paper and gift tags that literally end up in the bin.

Here are my tips on how to save myself a bucketload of cash this year and have a bit of fun with the kids.

Make your own wrapping box

Buy or make yourself a box with a lid that you can store all year round and keep all your gift tags, ribbon, scissors, tape (I like regular and double-sided tape) and other little embellishments like stickers or plastic holly. I also stash Christmas stamps in there too.

Buy plain wrapping paper in bulk

You can buy recycled paper on a 10m roll, ask your butcher or delicatessen if you can buy some from them. You can also buy brown paper in commercial quantities from packaging wholesalers . You can jazz them up with my decorating ideas below!

Buy coloured wrapping paper in red or green

If you really can’t resist the gorgeous colours of shiny Christmas wrapping, buy plain wrapping paper in bulk in Christmas colours like red or green which can be used to wrap all kinds of presents year round. Make a ribbon-width band of a more expensive wrapping paper to give the plain parcel a more expensive look, for just a fraction of the price.Odd shaped presents can be neatly stuck in a recycled shoe box and cover in your wrapping paper.

Make your own cards

Make your own christmas cards, gift tags and even stickers on your home computer. For the amount of actual cardboard you get, cards and tags are hideously expensive in the shops!

Kidspot has a range of cute Christmas card ideas which are easy enough to make yourself. More advanced crafters can try making these Christmas cards. The kids will probably enjoy helping out too. Whilst you are at it, make some matching Christmas crackers .

Make your own potato stamp wrapping paper

What you’ll need:

• Paper – either butchers, recycled or brown paper
• Paint – acrylic works well, just water it down with a few drops of water until the paint is a thick runny consistency
• Scissors
• Large washed potatoes, cookie cutters and a small paring knife to make potato cutter
• Stamps if you have them

To make potato stamps:

• Cut your potato in half and press down your cookiecutter until it’s about 2cm into the flesh of the potato.
• Remove the cookie cutter.
• With the paring knife, carefully cut away the edges until the just the shape is left
• Place diluted paint on a paper or plastic plate, and dip and stamp on paper as you like!
• Allow the paper to dry and wrap gifts for family and loved ones.

Making your own Christmas decorations can be so rewarding and with the huge choice of ideas there will be some that really appeal to you. Take a look at our selection.

Christmas wreaths

The tradition of hanging a wreath on the front door in the run-up to Christmas comes from an old Catholic ritual. The advent – or the season prior to Christmas Day – is a significant time, and a circular wreath is hung on the door. The circle symbolises that there is no beginning or end and that God is eternal. A more traditional advent wreath contains four candles in the circle and one candle in the middle.

• Make your own wreath with these instructions for a button and ribbon wreath
• Make edible Christmas pastry wreaths

Christmas garlands

A garland is a decorative string used during festive times which can be hung around a person, over a mantel or around an inaminate object like a Christmas tree. Originally garlands were made of flowers or leaves and in countries like India, garlands have an important role in spiritual festivals. Garlands can be created from flowers and leaves, fruit, vegetables or even dollar notes but at Christmas time the garland is used to decorate a home. Tinsel and other types of garland or ribbon used as decorations that can easily be strung up for a short period of time.

• Make this paper bauble garland
• Create your own Christmas greetings garland with these instructions
• Thread cooked popcorn onto a long piece of cotton with a large needle and create popcorn garlands

Christmas lighting

Christmas lights give decorating a fairy-like quality and who doesn’t like driving around and seeing the neighbourhood lit up at Christmas? Every year fire fighters end up rescuing unprepared householders who use lights dangerously for Christmas decorating. Try to follow these safety tips for Christmas lights:

• Only use transformers and decorative lights that have NewZealand Standards approval. Be extremely cautious of cheap lights bought at markets or on sale.
• Don’t use damaged or broken switches, power points, plugs or leads.
• If you are reusing Christmas lights, check their condition and replace any broken bulbs with those specified in the manufacturers instructions.
• Don’t overload your power points or power boards and avoid piggy-backing double adaptors.
• Use weather proof, energy efficient transformers that generate low heat.
• Attach cords and lighting strings to fixtures with tape, cable ties, clips or clamps. Never use nails.
• Keep all electrical connections away from areas that may become wet.
• If there is no safety switch fitted to your home, use a portable one at the supply.
• Put your lights on the tree first followed by other decorations, making sure they aren’t touching each other.
• Keep tinsel and other decorations away from lights, power boards and sockets.
• Position your tree away from curtains and other soft furnishings that may be flammable.
• Turn your Christmas lights off before leaving home or going to bed.
• Don’t move or adjust lights while they’re switched on.
• Make sure children are supervised around Christmas lights at all times

Christmas ornaments and tree decorations

Germany is credited with starting the tradition of Christmas trees and decorating back in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles.But 19th century England brought Christmas decorating into the mainstream when Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria made Christmas ornaments popular by decorating the first English Christmas tree at Windsor castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread in 1841.

• Advent pinatas
• Advent calendar
• Triple star decoration
• Heart angel

Christmas table decorations

Turn your table into a hand crafted masterpiece by using Kidspot’s Christmas craft ideas as decorations. Try these:

• Santa serviettes
• Make your own Christmas crackers
• Christmas meal invitation
• Christmas meal menu card
• Christmas table placecards
• Christmas table centrepiece decoration

Christmas wrapping decorations

Nothing makes Christmas presents seem even more thrilling than when they are beautifully wrapped. It can be expensive to wrap all those gifts, but Kidspot has plenty of advice on wrapping gifts on a budget, as well as these projects you can make yourself.

• Christmas shapes
• Gum leaf gift tag
• Marbling Christmas shapes
• DIY jingle bells wrapping paper
• Make your own wrapping paper
• Make your own cards

Many families are wedded to the tradition of buying and decorating a live Christmas tree in the heat of summer. In some places around New Zealand, you can even go to the plantation and select your own tree and have it cut to your specifications.

But real Christmas trees require more planning and care than an artificial tree – they need to be purchased wisely, transported and cared for before being discarded thoughtfully after December 25.

Before you buy a real Christmas tree

Make sure you follow these tips before splurging on a live Christmas tree this year:

Measure the space

Before you go shopping or hunting for that “perfect tree,” you’ll need to decide where it will fit in your home. Once a spot is chosen be sure to measure the ceiling height and the width of that space. You will also need to measure your front door width and any other narrow spaces the tree needs to get through before you take it to the required space. Write these numbers down on a piece of paper. Take the tape measure with you when you shop. You’ll need it to measure the trees you consider so you don’t take home a 3 metre tall tree if your ceilings are only 2.5 metres.

How will your tree stand up

There are all types of tree stands you can buy, but most people try to cobble together a heavy bucket or pot that will hold up the tree. The taller the tree, the bigger diameter of the trunk and the sturdier the stand needs to be. New Zealand doesn’t have a wide variety of live tree stands on the market, but the best will have some water which the tree can absorb over the Christmas summer to keep it looking fresh. Place a plastic or other waterproof covering on the floor where your tree will stand so you don’t ruin the carpet or get watermarks. If you have a very large tree or are worried about it tipping over, you could attach the tree stand to a large, flat piece of plywood to broaden the base of the tree, give it stability and further protect the floor.

Choosing the right real Christmas tree

You want a tree that offers some space between branches for decorations as well as sturdy branches tohold heavier ornaments. The tree looks better when ornaments hang straight. To test a tree, take an unbreakable ornament with you and hang it on several branches to see if there is room for it to hang straight.

How can you tell if a tree is fresh? The needles should look shiny, green, and fresh — not dry or brown. They should not fall off when you pull on a branch. Once you are home, saw off at least 2cm from the bottom of the trunk so the tree will begin to soak up water immediately. Your tree should stand perfectly vertical. When Christmas is Over, Recycle – Call your local council to find out how to recycle your tree for mulch.

How to care for your real Christmas tree

Live trees need to be replenished with water to keep them fresh and stop the leaves dropping off, in much the same way you need to keep cut flowers in vases of water. The trees tend to absorb more water in the first week or so after being cut. Place the real Christmas tree in a stand that can hold at least 4 litres of water. If the water drops below the trunk, the trunk may seal itself and not be able to absorb water. Place the tree away from sunlit windows, television sets and other heat sources as they will dry out your tree prematurely. If properly cared for your real Christmas tree should last at least 4-6 weeks before drying out and turning brown.

The Christmas tree is the centrepiece of decorating the house at Christmas time. Summertime New Zealand is an odd backdrop for the bushy alpine trees that suddenly appear in living rooms across the country, but tradition is a powerful force and there won’t be many families without some type of Christmas tree this year. So how do you choose the right Christmas tree for your family?

Will you celebrate Christmas with a fake or real tree?

Using a tree to symbolise life is strongly associated with Christmas but has been going on since before Jesus was born. Egyptians brought green palm branches into their homes on the shortest day of the year in December as a symbol of life’s triumph over death. In the Middle Ages, the Paradise tree – an evergreen hung with red apples – was the symbol of the feast of Adam and Eve held on December 24th.

But not all of us have space in our house for a huge Christmas tree. The first thing your family needs to decide is whether you want to go fake or real. Not all of us want a northern hemisphere alpine tree that wilts in the New Zealand summer heat and drops needles all over the floor.

Most of us will choose between a cut pine tree and an artificial tree. It’s hard to decide the better option in terms of decorating, cost and environmental concerns all of us have different tastes, budgets and desires.

Fake or real: the eco Christmas tree option

Most live Christmas trees come either from small plantations dedicated to growing trees just for Christmas or are the rejects from large pine plantations. Using pine plantation “thinnings” (as the rejects are known) for Christmas trees could be considered a form of recycling.

Another option is to buy a live tree that’s used indoors for Christmas decoration and either kept in a pot to be re-used every year or later planted outdoors for landscaping. The trend is driven by people that like to watch their tree grow with their family and see it as a reminder of special Christmas occasions.

Artificial trees are easy to store and use year in year out, but most fake trees are made from PVC. G magazine says one kilo of PVS gobbles over a kilo of fossil fuels plus half a kilo of minerals and 10 L of water. The process also releases about two kilograms of CO2 – which contributes to climate change – and eight grams of hazardous waste. Not ideal if you want to be a good eco citizen.

However, a fake tree can be used year in and year out, making it a one-off cost that services a family over and over again.

G magazine says real trees are the way to go for families who want to make an environmental contribution to Christmas, as real trees use fewer resources, create less pollution and can be recycled.

When buying a real tree, try to make sure it has come from a local farm and hasn’t been transported a long way on the back of a truck. Trees that have come from timber plantations are the best because no extra resources were used to grow them.