Much though I love Christmas Day, preparing for it can be as much fun – or sometimes even more –than the actual 25th itself.

Making and buying decorations is a big part of it and this year, I want to make my home look festive without spending much money.  Charity shops are often a treasure trove of sparkly things. I bought a box of vintage 1950s decorations from a charity shop a couple of years ago; it cost me about two quid and the tree was laden. This year, I’ll be looking for wall decorations and glitter balls (people often sell them off after parties, and a bunch of glitter balls tied with tulle or ribbon (from the market) can look fantastic).

Sell before you buy

Auction site’s like eBay aren’t bad for decorations either. There are lots of ‘Buy it now’ offers for shabby chic decorations – tastefully painted wooden signs and retro stockings – while boxes of baubles and tinsel have 99p starting prices. If you’re going for an all-silver theme this season, why not first flog your multi-coloured glitz on the site, before buying someone else’s shiny silver hoard?

Homemade

A few homemade decorations can make your home more individual and can cost a lot less than buying the lot. If you have any oranges shrivelling up in the fruit bowl, slice them and dry them out in a low oven (or near the fire, on a radiator on the laundry cupboard). Then string them up with ribbon and hang them on the tree. Whole oranges (buy the reject ones at the market for a few pence) look great with a ribbon tied round them and lots of cloves pushed into the rind – cover the whole orange.

Bake them

I’ve just made some gingerbread and baked it in the shapes of bells, angels, Christmas trees and stars, then sprayed the lot with edible gold spray. A bit of paper ribbon and they’re ready to hang on the tree. You can also ice people’s names onto them for edible gift tags. Money saver: don’t use organic ginger or the finest flour; cut costs by using budget supermarket ranges (a bag of plain flour can cost only 30p). Or you could use salt dough (they wouldn’t be edible but would last for years) or fimo.

Gingerbread shapes to decorate your Christmas tree

Get the kids involved

If you have children, making decorations gets even easier because they can make them for you, for example try this easy wreath.

Or cut out simple star shapes and get little ones to paint them, or make snowflakes from white or silver paper and hang them from the ceiling. Everyone can join in: even a toddler can shake glitter over a pinecone to hang on the tree.

For homemade decorations without the hassle, try craft websites like Etsy.com, these cute felt Christmas trees and embroidered Christmas puddings will look lovely on the tree, and also make great stocking fillers.

Now onto the presents…