Christmas decorations on the cheap

HOUSTON Last week we had some of our ABC13 Facebook friends chime in on some of their favorite inexpensive ideas on how they decorate for the holidays. Even the designers say you don't have to go out and buy fancy ornaments.

At the Hobby Lobby in Meyerland, shoppers are looking for new and festive ways to decorate their tree.

"I am trying to decorate our tree and get decorations from around the house and on the table and that's why I came here. They have a 50 percent off sale," shopper Brittany Turner said.

But instead of buying a whole bunch of new ornaments, we turned to our ABC13 Facebook friends for some ideas.

Mary H. Casas says she is doing a Christmas tree out of a phone book and using spray paint and glitter to complete the decoration.

Shawntel Hilton says you can make cinnamon and applesauce ornaments. "They smell great and are easy to make."

Another way to decorate your Christmas tree is to use Christmas cards you have collected over the years; it's fun and festive.

Just place Christmas cards on your tree and be sure to scatter a variety of cards throughout the tree.

Our Facebook friend K.C. Taffinder she likes to collect pine cones from her backyard and use a little spray paint to make it dazzle.

For this project, gather your pine cones and use glitter spray paint. Spray sparingly to get a more natural look or use a lot more to create more bling.

Cellophane is a great material to reflect light and you can use this in your Christmas tree. Our Facebook friend Dale Hyde says you can use old CDs and DVDs to create that same look.

If you use cellophane, take sheets of cellophane in any color you like and cut up pieces then stick those in your tree, and instantly, it looks like your tree has a lot more light.

Designer Regina Dorsett says a great way to decorate your Christmas tree is to used stuffed animals, she says it will quickly fill up the space.

Dorsett says for this project, gather all your stuffed animals -- and it's not limited to just Christmas -- just be sure to use different sizes throughout the tree. You can add ornaments to the tree or just leave it on its own.

If you have any ideas on how to decorate on a budget, be sure to post your ideas on our ABC13 Facebook page.