Inexpensive Junk Tree and Decor Ideas

We all know what is going on with our economy so I thought I'd share a few inexpensive and simple ideas to enhance your holiday decor this season using my fascination with junk.

To begin, cigar boxes have wonderful design and color. Add a ribbon and you have yourself a sweet little package!




Use old folding carpenter rulers as garland. I found these two at a flea market for $1 each and love the way they actually resemble a star shape when circling the tree. I added vintage silvery Christmas balls that were 4 cents each, tied with leftover ribbon from previous projects.

Remember my previous post regarding free vintage books from the library? Use pages from old non-collectible books to roll up and tie off with ribbon.

Old commercial cheese grater parts were purchased for $5 for the lot at a thrift store. Insert a light in the bottom and your grater will be illuminated perfectly!



Punched out old vintage Bingo cards make easy-peasy ornaments. You can see a peek of my feathery tree topper in this photo as well.




And this is my tree topper! I used a $1.00 vintage feather duster as a nest to house my 10 cent little birdie. Isn't it tweet?



Another library book freebie. This time I didn't want to damage the book so I made a little flower-type look by rolling the pages inward. When the holiday season is over I can just unfurl the pages.

Below is a candle that was embellished with a page out of the library book. Tied off with jute and a bit of moss was placed in it.





To cover an ugly tree stand, use an old wire lamp shade frame with a remnant from a canvas drop cloth.



To wrap my gifts I was able to get an enormous roll of butcher paper for free from a company that does not use the ends of their rolls. It slows down their production time. Woohoo for me! I tied my packages off with pretty ribbon provided me by my mom that got it free herself. Can't beat that! Ask around. Don't let friends and family throw things out that can be used by someone else.




Vintage sleds are easy to find at places other than antique shops that may cost a fortune. I found this one for $4.99 at a thrift store and my other two which are much larger were free on the curb. It's so sad people actually throw these away. Vintage wood skis may be a little harder to find but I did manage to find this pair at a thrift store.

And if you're going faux tree...don't forget to buy it on clearance at the end of the season or purchase one from a garage sale or thrift store. Lots of savings there!



So there you have it! My own little rustic-elegant holiday decor that can be accomplished for a fraction of the cost of what all new holiday decor would. I hope I've provided a few ideas you can use on what you can do in your own home.

Thank you all and keep on junking!