We are all aware of the cost of Christmas, everything is getting increasingly more expensive. Kids don’t just want cheap toys or presents, they want what all the other kids are getting. The Xboxes, the iPhones and the expensive laptops;which is why we have to find ever more ingenious ways of making the pennies stretch further at this festive time of year. It often leaves most of us praying for payday at the end of January.

But what if you could save yourself a little bit of money here and there…

Might be a tad difficult…(but maybe not impossible) to set up the table for Christmas lunch like this at campsites in Devon !

Most of us will just go out and buy Christmas decorations, there are hundreds of styles to choose from, but what about making your own for a change? It could save you a lot of money… And if it’s good enough for Kirstie Allsopp from Location Location then why not!

She even has her own show highlighting these easy crafts called Handmade Britain on Channel 4, which have some wonderful ideas for fab decorations to add a little festive cheer to your home.

You don’t need to be a whizz at sewing or art either, there are hints and tips for those of you who can’t or won’t sew and templates for you to follow too!

So why not have a look at our Festive decorations

Beautiful Heart Garland

These look lovely hung over a fireplace and they are so simple and inexpensive to make. You’ll need scraps of pretty materials, coloured cord and thread or wool, glue and bells or pretty buttons, plus some pinking scissors (to stop the material fraying) and some stuffing to pad the hearts out.

For instructions, see ‘How to make a string of hearts garland’.

Pine Cone Wreath

These make a wonderful adornment to your door at this time of year, plus they will only cost pennies to make. All you need are pine cones or evergreen foliage, a wire frame, floral wire and some pretty ribbons.

For instructions, see ‘How to make a Holiday wreath’.

Homemade Christmas Crackers

These are a touch more fiddly and you need to buy little gifts for the inside but they work out much nicer and are more cost effective than shop bought Christmas crackers!

You will need loo roll or kitchen roll tubes, glue, ribbons, stiff wrapping paper, cracker bangers plus a special little gift (for each one) and, of course, you can write your own joke message too!

For instructions, see ‘How to make Christmas crackers’.

Christmas Baubles

These look really pretty on the Christmas tree and can be made with either fabric or even paper!

What you will need is fabric, wrapping paper or tissue paper, Styrofoam balls, PVA glue, ribbon, gold markers and something to protect your table from the glue.

For instructions, see ‘How to make Christmas baubles’.

Pretty Pine Cones

Pine cones just scream out Christmas don’t they? Here’s an easy way to decorate your tree with pine cones. All you need are various pine cones, wire, glitter, glue and a small fake Xmas decoration from a craft store or Christmas stall. Wire your fake decoration to the top of the cone and, hey presto, a beautiful ornament for the tree!

Home-made Christmas Trees

These look fantastic and are great for smaller rooms or even as a table centrepiece. Perfect for all you people on caravan sites in Devon for Christmas!

Here’s what you need: green, yellow, white and red felt, various colours and sized buttons, Styrofoam cone, wire, cotton wool ball, thread and needles, plus a glue gun.

For instructions, see ‘How to makea felt Christmas tree’.

Simple Christmas Centrepieces

These table centrepieces look fab and are ever so simple to create, with a little imagination!

All you need are a few pretty vases, glasses or Christmas coloured bowls and cheap various sized baubles. You can work to whatever colour theme you like… bright colours, silvers and golds or even the traditional festive red and greens…

Salt Dough Tree Ornaments

These are great fun for the kids to make, but they can be a little messy so a pinny is recommended! What you need (most of which you will have in your cupboards already) is flour, salt, olive oil, water, rolling pin and a variety of different shapes and sizes of pastry cutters.

For instructions, see ‘How to make salt dough Christmas decorations’.

Have a Merry Christmas everyone and good luck with the homemade decorations!