10 Cost-Effective Ways to Create a Shine Bright for Bristol Children’s Hospital Display 

We’ve compiled 10 of the best, most cost-effective ways to create a fantastically festive display, drawing inspiration from previous superstar fundraisers.

1. Use scrap wood

Make snowmen, reindeer, Father Christmas and his elves… Whatever decorations you can dream up; you can make from reclaimed wood and wooden pallets you can find in your garden or for free on Facebook marketplace. 

2. Craft with cellophane 

Harness those sunny winter days by creating Christmassy sun catchers using coloured cellophane scraps you might have lying around your home. You could make a range of designs that’ll light up the room. 

3. Battery-powered fairy lights 

String some battery-powered fairy lights up in your window. Make sure you choose the ones with LED bulbs; they’re cost-effective and long-lasting. Only turn them on during certain hours in the evening, when it gets dark.  

Top tip: most people visit Christmas house displays between 5 pm – 9 pm, according to our fabulous fundraiser Trina.

4. Create a path with solar-powered lights 

Line your garden path to create a sleigh runway. These fab lights run solely on the energy they get from the sun during the day, and light up at night. 

5. Draw a winter wonderland scene on your windows

Pick up some easy wipe window markers for just a few pounds, and draw whatever comes to mind on each window. The nativity scene? Your favourite Christmassy Gromit Unleashed figurine? Snowflakes and snowmen? Let your imagination run wild! 

6. Paper snowflakes

Paper snowflakes are not only a super cost-effective decoration, but they’re a great way to keep the kids busy for an hour. Fold a sheet of paper over several times, and cut into it at pretty much any angle… and when you unfold it, you’ll have a snowflake! String them together and hang them in your window or across your gate. 

7. Bottle lights

Next time you finish a bottle of wine, keep it. Clean it out, draw or paint a design on the front and fill it with a set of fairy lights. With a cork or cap, you’ve got a festive weatherproof light! 

8. Floating tea lights

Finished with a jar of jam or mayo? Just like above, clean the jar out. Fill it with water and buy some floating tealights – usually for about £1 – and you’ll have a floating tealight holder you can illuminate your porch with. 

9. Decorate your outdoor plants

If you’ve got any plants, shrubs or trees in your garden, why not string up some outdoor lights and baubles? This is especially perfect for those pesky baubles at the bottom of the box that aren’t nice enough to go on the Christmas tree, but you just can’t bring yourself to throw them away… 

10. Upcycle old Christmas cards 

This one takes a bit of planning in advance, but this year, when you get some gorgeous Christmas cards, don’t throw them away. Cut off the front and you’ve got a pretty Christmas picture. You could frame them for indoor use, Sellotape them somewhere outside or even make some Christmas bunting with them! 

Do you have any creative, cost-effective ways to decorate that we haven’t covered? Send it over to us so we can share it with everyone else! 

Now you know how to create a display that helps you save the pennies, why not become part of Shine Bright for Bristol Children’s Hospital?