With just over a week to go until December, and less than five weeks 'til Christmas Day, there's no denying that the festive season is on its way. It's almost time to deck those halls, trim the tree, eat your body weight in mince pies, rewatch Home Alone for the millionth time, and get well and truly hammered at the Christmas party. Who's excited? I know I am! I'm fully intending to fill the next four and a half weeks with as much festive cheer as possible!
Like most people, I never have much money to spare at this time of year for Christmas activities and entertainment- not with all of those Christmas presents to pay for and festive food to buy- but you don't need to spend a fortune to be able to fill your time with fun and memorable moments this Christmas. In fact, most of my favourite Christmas activities are the ones that cost very little or nothing at all, like decorating the tree with my family, baking yummy treats on Christmas Eve, going to see the Christmas lights being switched on, and settling down for a festive movie marathon or two. The best festive things in life really are free!
I know I'm not the only one who has to watch the pennies in December, and if you're looking for some fun and inexpensive ways to enjoy the festivities with your family and friends this December, never fear; I've compiled a list of 101 ideas to give you guys a little inspiration. Many are completely free, and the rest are budget-friendly, but all 101 will help get you in to the Christmas spirit without breaking the bank, and make this Christmas memorable for years to come.
Here are my 101 inexpensive things to do this Christmas:
1. Spend a day / evening decorating your tree and home for Christmas with festive tunes playing, and a few tasty treats and drinks.
2. Have a Christmas movie marathon with plenty of snacks and cosy blankets to snuggle under.
3. Go to your local turning-on-of-the-Christmas-lights street fair. They're usually free to visit.
4. Spend an afternoon baking and decorating delicious Christmas treats in the kitchen.
5. Host a Christmas cookie decorating party. (Have everyone bring supplies, and a few nibbles).
6. Have a board game night.
7. Go to the cinema to watch a festive film. (Sneak in your own snacks to keep the cost down, if necessary).
8. Go for a long drive to spot Christmas lights.
9. Go for a walk to spot Christmas lights in your neighbourhood.
10. Go out for hot chocolate- or make your own at home. (Don't forget the whipped cream and marshmallows!)
11. Spend a cosy day reading a festive book like Little Women or A Christmas Carol. (Borrow books from the library or from friends to read for free).
12. Visit your local garden centre or department store to browse the Christmas department and soak up the festive atmosphere. It costs nothing to look.
13. Go to a local Christmas market. The ones in the UK are usually free to access.
14. Wrap your Christmas presents as beautifully and creatively as you can while listening to some Christmas tunes.
15. Sit and write your Christmas cards, and a personal Christmas letter to go in them, if you like to write one.
16. Make and decorate a gingerbread house- and then enjoy eating it!
17. Listen to a brass band playing carols.
18. Go to your kid's nativity. Or watch a public nativity in your community.
19. If you have a good stock of craft supplies, have a Christmas craft afternoon / evening at home with your craft-loving friends.
20. Make paper snowflakes and paper chains, and hang them all over your house.
21. Go scavenging for natural decorations for your home, like holly and pinecones.
22. Make your own wreath using natural decorations, pom poms, or even old decorations.
23. Set up your own festive photo booth at home with a fun backdrop and festive props, and take silly photos for Instagram / Facebook / your family photo albums.
24. Dress up your pets in silly Christmas outfits.
25. Volunteer your time for a worthy cause- such as helping out at a soup kitchen for the homeless, a food bank for those in need, or an animal rescue centre for injured and abandoned animals. You'll have fun doing something worthwhile for others, and the atmosphere will likely be super festive, too.
26. Learn a piece of Christmas music on an instrument.
27. Have a go at creating a festive make up look.
28. Attempt some festive nail art. You'll find heaps of inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
29. Go out for a turkey roast dinner (or veggie equivalent) at your local carvery.
30. Do some Christmas journaling to record all your favourite festive fun times.
31. Spend a day watching cheesy Christmas TV movies.
32. Put your feet up and enjoy some festive TV. Don't forget to rewatch festive classics like The Vicar of Dibley's Christmas Lunch Incident, and The Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special!
33. Relax and destress with an adult Christmas colouring book. Trust me; it's extremely therapeutic.
34. Make old-fashioned popcorn and cranberry garlands to sting up on the tree.
35. Have a Christmas carpet picnic by the tree with lots of delicious festive nibbles and drinks.
36. Go ice skating.
37. Make a Christmas cake.
38. Blog about all the fun things you get up to over Christmas.
39. Have fun taking lots of creative festive blog photos for your festive blog posts, whether at home, or going out and about to shoot some festive scenes.
40. Make your own Christmas cards.
41. Take your kids / grandkids / nieces / nephews to see Santa.
42. Visit some reindeer. (Try to find out if the animals are well cared for first, if you can).
43. Recreate an old family photo taken at Christmas time.
44. Make a Christmas cross stitch or embroidery.
45. Throw a festive girls' / guys' night in.
46. Visit a Christmas craft fair.
47. Go to a Christingle service.
48. Make your own Christmas crackers for your family Christmas meal.
49. Make your own sloe gin, egg nog, mulled wine, or cocktails.
50. Go to a Christmas church service, learn the true story of Christmas, and enjoy the carols.
51. Go late night Christmas shopping (or window shopping).
52. Go Christmas shopping somewhere local you've never been to before.
53. If you have kids, create daily escapades with Elf on a Shelf.
54. Organise a Secret Santa.
55. Visit family and friends locally.
56. Make a Christmas pudding.
57. Have a festive pamper day / evening at home. Put on a face mask, give yourself a mani pedi... the works!
58. Try a festive meal, dessert, or snack from another country or culture.
59. Try a festive tradition from another country.
60. Light an Advent candle every night to count down the days 'til Christmas.
61. Make your gifts this year.
62. Do a random act of kindness for a stranger, or a good deed for someone you love.
63. Help an ill, injured, disabled, or elderly friend, relative or neighbour with any Christmas preparations they may need help with, like decorating their home for Christmas, picking up some Christmas shopping, or wrapping presents. (Please ask if they actually want help first, though- everyone values their independence!)
64. Go to a Christmas craft class, and learn something new.
65. Make a yule log.
66. Write some festive creative writing.
67. Make a festive centre-piece for your Christmas dinner table.
68. If it snows, have a snowball fight, build a snowman, make snow angels, go sledding, and walk in the snow.
69. If you're in a book club, have everyone read and discuss a festive book.
70. Knit or crochet something festive.
71. Take photos in front of the Christmas tree with your family and friends.
72. If you're talented with a paint brush or a pencil, make some festive art.
73. Have a sleepover underneath the Christmas tree, and sleep in the glow of fairy lights.
74. Buy hot roast chestnuts and mulled wine from a street vendor.
75. Visit a local museum or gallery and see what festive exhibits and events they have to offer.
76. Watch a Christmas film you've never seen before.
77. Go the Christmas party. If you're lucky enough to work for a good company, food and drinks may even be on them.
78. Make your own mince pies.
79. Sing along to your favourite Christmas tunes.
80. Go carol singing or listen to some carol singers singing.
81. Try making your own Christmas decorations.
82. Fill your Instagram feed with festive photos.
83. If you have little ones, leave cookies and milk out for Santa, some carrots for the reindeer, and don't forget to leave some reindeer food on the lawn for when they stop by.
84. Customise an old jumper in to a new Christmas jumper.
85. Have a Brussels sprouts eating content รก la The Vicar of Dibley. (Contestant Vixen; you will go on my second whistle).
86. Go out for a couple of drinks down your local with friends.
87. Make Christmas cookies and have fun decorating them as creatively as you can.
88. Organise a White Elephant gift exchange with your family.
89. Look through old photos and home videos taken at Christmas time.
90. Go for a Christmas / Boxing Day walk in the countryside with the family.
91. Donate a few cans of food to a food bank while you're doing your food shop.
92. Invite your friends over for a festive meal.
93. Make a batch of gingerbread men.
94. Watch The Queen's Speech.
95. Make a pom pom garland using red and green wool- or whatever festive colours you like.
96. Check out what festive events are happening in your local area.
97. Put together a Christmas Eve box to enjoy on Christmas Eve. You don't even need to buy all brand-new stuff; make the perfect night-in kit using things you already own!
98. Make foodie gifts for your family and friends.
99. Have everyone unplug from technology for a day, and spend quality time enjoying the festivities with your family and friends.
100. Have a clear out to raise some extra funds to do something special like see a play at the theatre, or visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for Christmas in the Snow.
101. Perfect the world's best Christmas dinner.
What are your favourite things to do at Christmas time that don't cost the Earth?
101 Things To Do This Christmas
Great ideas Louise!
ReplyDeleteI literally want to do every single thing on this list. I'm the biggest Christmas fan EVER! We're hoping to start a family in 2019 and I'm not going to lie, part of the reason is for all of the Christmas traditions we will get to create!! Nikki x
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