On average, people tend to spend $1,000 every year on Christmas. Of that budget, people will typically spend $650 on gifts.

Here are a few ideas to keep your bank account and loved ones happy. You can start by making do-it-yourself ornaments for your Christmas tree, taking your loved ones snow sledding, using coupons on last-minute gifts, making Christmas stovetop potpourri and baking homemade Santa cookies.

Make DIY ornaments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year to do a DIY project. Christmas ornaments can get pricey, especially if you are someone that likes their tree decked out. Bring your friends together one night to not only make lasting memories but to make your tree look like it came straight out of a Christmas movie.

There are many different types of ornaments you can create at home. Start by creating a trendy paper-clay botanical ornament. Here is a list of supplies you will need: 

• Paper-clay modeling material.
• Acrylic paint.
• Natural-cotton twine.

You can get most of these supplies from Michaels for about $17 altogether.

Go sledding

“Sleigh” the holiday season by taking your family to a nearby park with hills. Going sledding on a cold, snowy Saturday in December really brings out everyone’s holiday spirit. You can purchase a sled for as cheap as $10. Here are some tips to make sure your snow day goes off without a hitch: 

• Choose from a tube, plastic sled or a hybrid sled, depending on your level of experience. 
• Dress warmly. 
• Bring insulated cups for warm drinks.
• Wear sunscreen.
• Make a plan B if the hills get too busy. 

After your day of freezing fun, make sure you warm up with some hot cocoa by a fire. 

Use coupons

It’s the busiest time of the year, which is why 51% of people will still be shopping on Christmas Eve. Don’t let that be you this year. Shop online a few days before Christmas and save money on discount websites like http://JoinHoney.com. If you do find yourself in a store, make sure to look for coupons ahead of time on the store’s website or websites like http://BeFrugal.com. 

Make Christmas stovetop potpourri

Your house will be the place to be if you make Christmas stovetop potpourri. It has senses of warm cinnamon, orange and cranberry. The best part of making stovetop potpourri is it takes less than five minutes to prepare, and it costs less than buying luxury candles. Here is what you will need to make your whole house smell like Christmas:

• Orange slices.
• Rosemary.
• Apple juice or water.
• Cranberries.
• Cloves.
• Allspice.
• Cinnamon.
• Star anise.

You can customize this recipe by adding or taking out ingredients. An extra tip is to add all of these ingredients, minus the apple juice and water, into a plastic gift bag and tie a bow on top with instructions on how to prepare it on the stovetop. You can hand these out to your neighbors for an affordable gift. 

Bake homemade Santa cookies

Since many of us are not rolling in the dough during the Christmas season, you can save your money by baking your favorite holiday treats from home. Before Santa comes on Christmas Eve, gather your family around the kitchen table to help you make Santa some double chocolate chip M&M cookies. Here is what you will need:

• Butter.
• Brown sugar.
• Sugar.
• Vanilla. 
• Eggs.
• Flour.
• Instant pudding.
• Salt.
• Baking soda.
• Semi-sweet and white chocolate chips.
• Green and red M&M candies.

Spend your last few days of the season celebrating Christmas with your family and friends on a budget. Everyone will be blown away by the amount of detail and extravagant experiences you prepared for them, from DIY-ing ornaments and sledding to making Santa cookies and Christmas stovetop potpourri. And don’t forget to use your coupons while you’re at it!

Lindsey Certonio is a project manager at Stage Marketing, a full-service content marketing agency based in Provo.