"Shop" Your Home: 9 DIY Holiday Ideas

It is not yet Halloween, but I know many of us are already planning ahead for the holiday season. And if you go by the displays in the stores, the holidays are already here. This has been a really challenging year, and if you can treat yourself with premade holiday sets, go ahead, but for those of us who can't afford to do so, one lovely alternative is to "shop" our homes for items we can set aside for an affordable and festive holiday season.

Donations:

I tend to do a lot of fall cleaning and organizing to get my spaces set for the New Year. As I sort categories of items, I am planning on putting the equivalent of one item per day aside to donate to various good causes or to simply give away. I will end up with a more manageable space, and others will get holiday treats.

Warm Beverages:

Many years ago during a post-holiday sale, I got a countdown to Christmas tea box. Now it is my tradition to refill the box each year with assorted tea I have. If you don't have a fancy box, you can still choose to mindfully sip the tea, coffee, or hot chocolate you do have.

Sweet Treats:

As I am going on my various Halloween adventures, I am going to set aside some of the candy I collect, so I have small sweet treats all holiday season. Knowing I get a couple random surprise pieces of candy each day is something I am looking forward to.

Craft Supplies:

If you are a crafter, you are likely to have lots of craft supplies you have forgotten about. You might color one page in a coloring book each day, do one craft kit per week, or just look at a different craft book each day for inspiration.

Seasonings:

I happen to have several unopened spices on my overflow shelf. I plan on grabbing one per day during the holiday season, both to have neat little surprises and so I have a better sense of what I have. 

Creative Cooking Projects:

I have a lot of shelf-stable staples from various places, including random items from my local Buy Nothing group, and my plan for this holiday season is to actually use some of those items in creative cooking projects.

Read/Listen/Watch:

We all can read one holiday story, listen to one holiday song or podcast, or watch one holiday special each day to feel festive.

Use Scented Items:

I have a number of scented items—candles, room sprays, air fresheners, etc.—that I plan on using throughout the holiday season because I should enjoy them now, not just save them for "someday."

Bath and Beauty Samples:

Over the years I have collected a number of bath and beauty samples, lotions, creams, etc., and since I find Nov and Dec tend to be very outward-focused and social, my plan is to use them in January when I can focus inwardly.