Welcome!

I am glad you chose to visit! My blog is a compilation of the many hats I find myself wearing. On any given day I may be an encourager, an instructor, or just a lady who is venting. You, dear reader, will probably identify with my triumphs and my tribulations! These snapshots fit into my Life Scrapbook I have named A. McInnis Artworks. I hope you will find something worth your while.


Thursday, November 18, 2010

Need To Decorate the Tree, but Don't Have Much Moola?











Well, this is your lucky day!! Because I am the Queen of Inexpensive...(I dare not call myself "Cheap!") However, last year I needed decorations for a school tree on the cheap and so I resorted to my favorite place for such items...$ Tree. I am the only person on earth who can come out of $ Tree with $500 worth of merchandise in my shopping bag. I've been known to wipe out entire sections of items in less than 30 minutes.
Problem at hand was: Candyland themed tree...my themes have themes. In the first picture I photo'd some of the handmade items. Second picture is an upclose of the ice cream cones, third pic are some of the suckers and last, the paper "gumdrops".
Now let's get down to business. Ice cream cones: simply buy any one of $ Tree's small cone Christmas trees, turn it upside down, hot glue an ornament into cone, top with a "cherry" (pom pom) and hang...I also added some fluffy yarn for added detail and to hide where the two items were glued. Amount spent: $2.25 at the most...$2.00 at the least. Try getting that at a big name retailer for $2.00. They are a good size and take up lots of space on the tree...lots of bang for the ole buckaroo.
Suckers: simply buy a round ornament that has as its base,a Styrofoam ball and hot glue a sucker stick to it. I bought the ornaments six for $1!!! Put 18 or 24 on a large tree and watch the kiddos eyes light up!! (Husband will probably begin cardiac arrest...tell him to "cool it", the 18 ornaments totaled $3)....now that's what I'm talking about!!
Gumdrops: simple pieces of cardstock or scrapbook paper glued (not hot glued) together. I sold these at a bazaar for $4 each. You could use school colors, animal prints, old Christmas cards, anything...great for using up scraps and the favorite at the bazaar was the hot pink and zebra ones. I made these in the "candy" colors to carry out the color scheme. If you want the pattern, comment below and I'll post it.
BTW: My tree skirt was a fluffy hot pink throw I found at Big Lots for $5. I also had BIG silver glittered discs that I made into suckers and tied with a hot pink and white checked bows and notice in the first two pictures the little cupcakes...those were little boxes I found at Michael's for $1. I glued them shut and viola....cupcakes to add to the tree. Also used cellophane wrapped peppermint sticks....there you go....cute, cute tree...cute, cheap tree ornaments!! Now go forth and decorate!!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

So cute! I am also a big buyer at $ Tree! I love these ideas, Angela!!!

Peggy H. said...

You are so creative. Loved your $Tree creations. You should send pictures, etc. to $Tree. I got a kick out of your "helpers." Took me back to the days when I was a school librarian.

grey rose (they/them) said...

Super cute! Always on the inexpensive track here so love these ideas! (I want that pattern!) xo

Anonymous said...

You are amazing! These are so cute. When are you teaching classes in shopping and making these.

Angela McInnis said...

Thanks, ladies! I haunt $ Tree! When they see me coming, they always smile...they know "the old lady gets a buggy and can hardly carry everything to the car!"

Sharon @ Crooked Creek Studio said...

So much fun! I do love a bargain and you make me want to go back to $Tree to see what else I can find. I'm lucky to have a $Tree AND a BigLots right across the highway from where I work. Yay! Thanks for the ideas.

Angela McInnis said...

Yes, anybody can live anywhere in the US as long as there is a Big Lots or a $Tree close by!! Love your potato soup recipe, Sharon!