How To Make Christmas Magical (18 Budget Ideas Not Only For Kids)

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Just a few days separate us from December, the most festive month of the year. And I don’t know what to do, again.

Since moving out of my family home, I haven’t celebrated Christmas simply because no one forced me to. 

My parents aren’t here to nag me to clean the house, decorate a Christmas tree, or buy presents. 

I have no family to spend this time with. And that’s good and bad at the same time.

There are no arguments. 

No yelling that intensifies every day.

It’s quiet, peaceful, and… sad.

Because Christmas time reminds me that apart from the little family I’ve created, I have no one. It’s a time when lack of family is the most painful and homesickness gets real. 

That’s why two year ago I “cancelled” Christmas altogether and did nothing special at all. Probably spent some time working and pretending that’s another normal day.

But it ends this year.

It’s time to change it. We’re here on a mission to create a life we love, not to whine and complain about things we have no control over. 

We have a family. We’re not alone. 

Even if that’s just you and your kids.

Let’s take control over our actions and figure out how to make Christmas magical so that both we and our kids can have wonderful memories to look back on. 

I can’t imagine anything worse that to realise one day that my daughter’s childhood memories are just like mine, filled with loneliness, sadness, and negative atmosphere.

So, how to make Christmas magical? How to make it the best time of the year? Let’s dive in!

How To Make Christmas More Magical On A Budget?

Here’s the deal. I want to make Christmas magical BUT I don’t want to spend lots of money on it.

Why?

Simple. Because Christmas time is expensive as it is. An average person spends £740 more in December than any other time of the year. It’s 29% more than in a typical month!

One goal I’ve been working towards for some time is embracing minimalism in every shape and form. 

I believe you don’t need to go on another shopping spree in order to make Christmas magical at home. I’d even go a step further and say that doing that would bring exactly the opposite effect! Just thinking about crowded shops, the freezing temperature outside, and early evenings makes my skin crawl. I hate it!

Knowing that I’m more likely to go through something is if I create a list first, I did exactly that. I gathered all ideas I could think of that are both fairly easy, enjoyable for adults and kids, and today I want to share them with you.

So, without a further ado, let’s dive into the ways on how to make Christmas magical on a budget. Let’s go!

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How To Make Christmas Magical

1. Decorate Christmas Tree

That’s an easy one, isn’t it? Every year you decorate the Christmas tree every year, anyway. 

Let’s make it more fun this year, shall we? Mark the date on your calendar and make a big fuss about it. Decorating a Christmas tree is great for setting the festive mood and start official countdown to the Christmas itself.

I remember begging my parents throughout the entire month of December to finally pull it out of a basement and decorate it. My daughter has been talking about it for weeks already!

That’s why I want to create a tradition of decorating the Christmas tree and the entire house on 1st December. I’m a perfectionist at heart, so it’s going to be a difficult task but.. I want my daughter to take control over this process. 

I believe it will be even more fun for everyone if she becomes the boss for the evening and decorate Christmas tree however she wants! (I’m going to “fix” it once she goes to bed, obviously. Lol.)

2. Visit Christmas Market

As you probably already know it, almost every town in the UK has a Christmas lights switch-on event at the beginning of December. You can easily find all the deets on your council’s website or local Facebook pages. And if that’s not appealing to you, what about visiting a Christmas market? I’ve been wanting to see one of them in Rochester and Edinburgh. And in London, obviously!

There are lots of Christmas activities all around you, I’m sure of it. Have a look at Google and Facebook, and who knows, maybe you’ll find something great to see?

3. Make Your Own Christmas Decorations

I remember making a paper chain for the Christmas tree when I was a child. In fact, it’s one of just a handful of childhood memories I have.

I’m not sure how much fun it would be to create one of them with my daughter, but I’m willing to give it a try. It’s time to put all these craft materials to good use, at last! 

Another great idea is to make Christmas ornaments from salt dough. Here’s a recipe I’m going to try this year. I’ll let you know how it went! ==(add link)== I think I’m more excited to do them than she is, lol.

4. Send Christmas Cards

If you haven’t done it yet, it’s time to do it if you want them to arrive on time! 

I’m not sure if we’re going to send Christmas cards this year, but will see, I guess. Time’s almost up!

5. Countdown To Christmas Day

What’s a better way of making Christmas magical if not by having a countdown?! Every supermarket has one and I love this idea. Kids who can’t use the calendar yet can benefit from it, because they will have a visual reminder of how much time left till THE day.

Just think how many questions about it you can avoid!

Advent calendars are one way of doing it, but putting a printed out a calendar for December and crossing out each day can be a great alternative.

6. Read Christmas books

Everyone knows I love reading books. Love with capital L. They’re probably one of the easiest ways to make your Christmas magical. 

If you enjoy reading fiction, simply swap to cosy books that are set at Christmas time. Take a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, a fluffy blanket, and cosy up on the couch instead of scrolling through Instagram or watching YouTube.

The same principle applies to little ones.

If you rotate books, pull out all the wintery, Christmassy ones, and hide those out-of-season books. Make a big ordeal out of reading them. Maybe set out a special time when you dim the lights, sit with a warm drink, and read a few of them every day? I bet your children will love this additional connection time!

7. Burn Holiday Candles

Or wax melts. Use festive essential oils. Whatever you like! They add to cosiness and make this season even more magical. I love them! 

Christmas cookie from Yankee Candle has been my all-time favourite scent. 

Just remember to put them out of reach if you have small kids or pets.

8. Listen To Christmas Music

Although you can hear festive songs on the radio for some time now, listening to Christmas music whenever you can make this time even more special. 

Here’s my favourite LoFi playlist I listen to every time I work. It’s been working like a treat!

9. Go See The lights

Kids, especially young ones, love this tradition. They’re mesmerised by the amount of different fairy lights, shapes, patterns, everything really. 

Take a stroll around your neighbourhood or go for a drive. It used to be our daily routine and my daughter, who was one-year-old back then, loved this. She would stay all night long just riding around in her pushchair if she could.

I bet it will help you feel more festive and magical, too. I know it motivates me to decorate my house if I haven’t done it earlier 😉

10. Watch A (Classic) Christmas Movie

There is something magical about watching the same Christmas movies you watched as a child with your own kids. Honestly, I can’t imagine Christmas Eve without watching Home Alone or The Santa Claus.

I know, it’s might not be a choice of movies you’d go for, but hey, everyone’s different! There are tonnes of classic Christmas movies so I bet you find something for yourself, too. 

11. Make Christmas Treats For Animals

One interesting activity to consider during the holiday season is making Christmas dinner for the birds. Living in rural areas provides an opportunity to witness a variety of animals, and this year, I have decided to make it even more special by preparing festive treats for them.

So, together with my daughter, we’re going to make edible Christmas ornaments for birds, to put around the garden. Since I already have a feeding mix, I’m going to add coconut oil to it, let it sit for a few days and put up on a fence. We’re also going to look at the idea of making a bird feeder out of an apple, which could be another enjoyable project to do.

12. Try A “New” Tradition

There are hundreds of different Christmas traditions all around the world. What do you think about trying something new this year?

Since I’m not British but live in the UK, all local traditions are foreign to me. It can be a great learning opportunity for everyone to research how people in different countries celebrate Christmas and try it for yourself.

13. Bake Holiday Treats

I don’t enjoy baking and cooking, but my daughter does. Probably most kids like it, as they view it as time to connect with us. You can find baking kits in supermarkets and that’s what I also got this year. I wanted to have a foolproof backup option in case I mess up a “normal” recipe, lol.

There are also gingerbread house kits to buy and although they might be an interesting activity idea for kids, I don’t think it’s as easy and it looks like so I might skip this one once again. Just to prevent any opportunities for arguments, ya know? My perfectionism mixed with severe anxiety and depression might not handle it this year.

14. Track Santa’s Progress

Did you know you can track Santa’s progress all December long, not just on Christmas Eve? Just go to the official NORAD site and enjoy! It’s not the option for families that don’t “believe” in Santa, though. 

There’s also a Santa Tracker on Google, where you can play games all month long and track his progress on Christmas Eve.

15. Prioritise Family Time

We’re busy all the time with work, chores, all the responsibilities… To add to that, the average person spends 3 hours 15 minutes on their phone a day. It gives 4 days a month and almost 49.5 day a year! That’s A LOT. 

Period leading up to Christmas Day is a perfect time to change your habits. 

Ditch your phone. 

Focus on yourself, on your family. 

Create memories with your kids so when they look back on their childhood days, they won’t remember just you sitting with your phone all day. 

Mobile phones weren’t popular during my childhood, but all I can remember is sitting alone in my room reading books and feeling extremely lonely, while my parents paid little attention to us and most likely watched TV. 

The last thing I would want is for my daughter to have similar memories to mine.

16. Elf On The Shelf

Elf on the Shelf is one of those things I love in theory, but I don’t feel like doing it at all, haha. 

It’s too much work. Too much stress to add to this already stressful period. 

Anyway, I felt like I had to include it here as I know many people love Elf – I’ve seen too many Instagram posts to know otherwise! It’s a perfect budget way of making Christmas more magical. 

I tried to implement Elf on the Shelf last year but my daughter was terrified by him. Who knows, maybe we’ll try again in a few years’ time?

17. Celebrate St Nicholas day (6th December)

Did you know that another way to make Christmas even more magical is by participating in the tradition of exchanging small gifts with others? This tradition, often celebrated on St Nicholas day, is practiced in many countries and adds an extra touch of festivity to the entire season. Not only does it bring joy to children who have another exciting event to look forward to, but it also enhances the overall holiday spirit.

18. Buy Special Ornament Every Year

I love this tradition but haven’t really implemented it yet. 

Having moved from place to place almost every year, we haven’t really spent two Christmases in the same house so far. Because of that, all the decorations we have come from many different parts of the country. Even though they’re completely basic, sometimes one of the cheapest decorations we could find, unpacking them feels special and brings back lots of memories. 

I’d like to be more intentional with it and get one special ornament every year for my daughter, so that one day she could have her own little collection of decorations filled with (hopefully amazing) childhood memories.

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Final Words On How To Make Christmas Magical

Christmas lost its magic somewhere between childhood and adulthood, do you agree? Every year I keep imagining how great it would be to live in a cosy hut in the mountains, with a fireplace inside and lots of fresh snow falling every day.

A girl can dream, can’t she?

Instead of dreaming, let’s make this season special to our best capabilities. It won’t be perfect,but that’s not the goal here.

The goal is to feel amazing. To feel calm, at peace, and fulfilled.

Because kids can sense our emotions. They understand more than we think. And they copy us. 

Let’s make new memories everyone will look back at fondly.

And don’t forget that you deserve to feel festive. You deserve to feel special and amazing, whatever situation you’re in.

Merry Christmas 🎄 
M.