Decorating your home can be a big added expense at this already pricey time of the year.

Here are three easy-does-it DIY decorating ideas that use found materials and items from the dollar store.

Nature’s little angel

Interior decorator Brenda Feenstra lets Mother Nature be her guide when gathering materials for this easy angel decoration.

You’ll need:

• A pinecone for the body
• Milkweed pods for the wings
• An acorn for the head
• A golf tee for the trumpet
• Decorative pipe cleaners for the arms and halo
• Metallic gold or silver spray paint
• A glue gun and sticks
• Wire cutter

Directions:

1. Take all the materials, except the pipe cleaners, outside and spray paint. Allow to dry before handling.

2. Use glue gun to join head to pinecone body.

3. Cut pipe cleaner to eight to 10 inches to wrap around body and form arms.

4. Wrap pipe cleaner arms around golf tee to form angel playing trumpet. Glue in place.

5. Glue milkweed pods onto angel’s 'back' to form wings.

Notes:

You can attach wire to head to hang from tree, or add to floral arrangement. Make several to form an angel choir.

Spray paint colour can be adjusted to fit your holiday décor.

Fluffy fabric tree

You’ll need:

• Sheer fabric (Feenstra gets hers at the Dollar Store)
• Styrofoam cone (available at craft stores)
• Selection of coordinating ribbon
• Mini holiday balls/ornaments
• Floral pins
• Feathers and feather topper

Directions:

1. Start a half-inch from the bottom of the cone. Begin at end of sheer fabric and gather into pouf and attach with floral pin. Continue gathering and poufing around bottom of cone.

2. Continue to attach fabric in a spiral pattern going up the cone. As you go up the tree, make poufs smaller as the cone narrows to keep the shape of a tree.

3. Add feathers, ornaments and ribbon bows by pinning them in. Complete with feathered tree topper.

Notes:

Feenstra says this will make an excellent centrepiece for your dining table or a decorative accent on a side table.

Sinamay Wreath

Floral designer Sarah Watkin, of Gammage Flowers, shows how to make a sinamay wreath.

You’ll need:

• One roll of sinamay fabric (better quality fabric can be purchased from your favourite florist)
• One dual frame

Directions:

1. Take edge of fabric and gather into hand.

2. Starting with the inside ring, tuck fabric into ring to form a pouf; secure by twisting pine frond around it.

3. Take eight inches of fabric and create a second pouf; tuck this into the next end of pine fronds and fluff.

4. Continue this around the inside ring until complete, turning fabric as needed.

5. Reverse the fabric direction and continue process around outside ring.

6. Longer pine fronds can be used to attach small ornaments or bows to the wreath.

Notes:

This process can also be used with burlap fabric, which is also currently very popular among DIY decorators, according to Watkin.

She says a sinamay wreath is a great choice to hang on your front door, as it’s a weatherproof fabric that will stand up to Old Man Winter.