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When DS was small, I didn't have many decos (nor money), so I took Christmas cards I had received and cut out the designs (church, Santa, Elves, etc...) and hung them on the tree with red yarn. I may have added some additional glitter.

I bought inexpensive ornaments - lots of plastic that I replaced over the years with after Christmas sale items, found items, and special ornaments from our travels.

Ths year I'm actually making some ornaments from printouts of Playbill covers of Broadway plays we've attended. I've already tracked down all the covers and I will print the smaller than the original then laminate each separately.

My parents continue to use some of the glass globe ornaments from their early days together. They are sort of mottled and missing some of the color, but they still look great on the tree. Only recently, did they stop using the construction paper and school photo angels that we children made in elementary school.

In 1984 we had just moved out here from the Chicago suburbs. DH had made a HUGE career change, going from 11 year suburban cop to first year teacher. We had 3 kids 6 and under and were living on his substitute teacher pay.

We had some basic ornaments, typical "kid" stuf, balls, baby's first and stuff made in nursery school.

I went out and made an angel for the top of the tree. I bought one of those little hard plastic craft dolls, a 12 inch square of white felt, half a square of plastic canvas and 3 pipecleaners. I spent $1.79

I cut out wings and wove into the canvas the blue metalic pipe cleaners. I created a blue halo, and a silver belt.

Out little angel was wired to the top of the tree, and being very busty, my mom said "she looks like a little 'floozie'!" So for 30 years nearly she has been out floozie angel and is always always on top of the tree.

There are 3 other early ornaments, but she is the most loved.

My favorite early years ornaments are those fashioned from our DS in elementary school and those I crafted with him in his youth. One of our son's work of art is a clay cookie cutter shaped Christmas ball with blue glitter edges and red yarn tie. Another is a tin painted angel DS made in school. Two I made are: a clothes pin Rudolph and a bread dough gingerbread man with DS's initial. There are a few others and they remain our most prized ornaments.

Late reply, but the first year we were married, we were broke as all newly weds are so I did an "old fashioned" tree. It was a small "Charely(sp?)Brown" tree, bought on Christmass eve for 50 cents. I had some construction paper so I made several of the colored paper chains(remember those?) that we used to make in our early school years, made some popcorn and strung that in long "ropes", did the same with some cranberriers(they were cheap back then), I also had some Victorian Paper dolls clothes that I cut out and taped a peice of ribbon on to hang on the tree. I also had found some milk weed pods that I had decorated with gliter and broken jewlery that I had.For "shine" I taped some ribbon onto some of the peices of Sterling Silver silverwear that we had gotten as wedding presents as well as some metal measuring spoons and measuring cups from my kitchen.And we added the 2 strings of white lights that we could afford to buy.And you know what, even tho times have changed and I have bought or made a ton of decoration,and given all my decorations to my daughter, because I no longer put up a tree,the tree that I remember and charish (sp?) most is that one!
Mary

When my DD was about 4 or so we had very little money and were living in a third floor flat (nice and roomy) I had very little money for anything including decorating and Christmas decorating.

The l.r. had windows that overlooked a sun porch. I bought red felt at the dime store and fashioned curtains for the bottoms of these windows and then put white candles in the upper section. A pending move right after the new year meant a tiny tree too. That was the year I made all the bedding (quilt, pillows, sheets etc) for a little iron doll bed DH had bought DD

When our kids were little, I made ornaments from little wooden toy soldiers & blocks.
I spray painted acorns gold & glue-gu nned a hanger on top. I added red gingham bows & gingerbread cookies.
I baked the gingerbread cookies right after Thanksgiving so they would harden, but even so, many fell off the tree. Each morning, we'd get up & see which cookie we'd share for breakfast!

My favorite ornie when I was a kid was a Santa Claus waving & still have it although its. A bit chewed up its dearly loved.