What would we do without Pinterest? We at Cheapism consider it a fount of useful tips for getting the creative juices flowing while saving time and money. So we wondered, can a frugal consumer plan a cheap Christmas by relying totally on ideas from the popular website? After all, Pinterest tells you how to manage everything else in life, from what to wear and what to eat to how to entertain the kids, clean the house, and much more. And while this post focuses on planning a cheap Christmas, the ideas easily transfer to other holidays celebrated throughout the year.
Cheap Christmas Gifts.
Gift giving is a big part of Christmas, one that can get costly pretty quickly. Fortunately, Pinterest directed our attention to plenty of budget-worthy cheap Christmas gifts -- for example, the "25 Homemade Gifts Under $5" pin that's all the rage these days. Pinned from The 36th Avenue blog, the list includes ideas and instructions for cheap Christmas gifts you can make; think earrings, necklaces, coasters, a hot chocolate kit, key holders, and the like.
Pinterest also shows readers how to make various body scrubs, monogrammed towels, and scores of Secret Santa gifts. And if you don't want to take the handmade route but still limit your cash outlay, check the pin "20 of the Best Gifts on Etsy for Under $20".
Cheap Christmas Decorations.
Another Pinterest highlight: Ways to make cheap Christmas decorations that look elegant. There are pins on cheap Christmas decorations sourced from the dollar store, like this one pinned from Babble, which includes a candy cane vase, a floating candle centerpiece, and festive magnets.
Additionally, we found pins covering outdoor Christmas lights created from ordinary objects; e.g., a tomato cage adorned with lights and used as an outdoor Christmas tree. And we spotted a pin of candy canes hung on ribbon bows to decorate windows, as well as loads of mantle decorations that can double as cheap Christmas decorations.
Holiday Baking.
There's no shortage of ideas anywhere for Christmas treats and Pinterest is, of course, brimming with suggestions and recipes. You can start with candies like Christmas bark and peppermint chocolate snowflakes and move on to goodies like peppermint sugar cookies, pinned from Bakeralla, and then over to the so-called best sugar cookie icing. In short, Pinterest shows you how to do your Christmas baking for less and save time with inventive shortcuts.
Christmas Dinner.
When it comes to Christmas dinner, Pinterest is there for you. The site holds pins for common-sense cooking tricks like how to baste a turkey; tips for Christmas dinner shopping; and ways to cut costs when cooking. (The pin from All You, for example, covers cheap ingredient substitutions.) And if you're out of ideas about what to serve, how to use leftovers, or how to set your Christmas table and what music to play as you dine, Pinterest has you covered.
A Few Extras.
We've really just scratched the surface here. There are far more pins on Pinterest that will help you pull off the ultimate cheap Christmas. A few examples: pins that focus on teaching you how to take professional-looking Christmas pictures for cheap holiday cards and ways to keep the kids occupied during the holidays with Christmas crafts and family games that are sure to provide free, quality family time.
Need more Pinspiration for your cheap Christmas? Check out the Pinterest website and follow our Cheapism.com boards.