Going Chipipay is Chic this Christmas

December’s here! No matter where we are in the world, Christmas always brings this special excitement. Families get together and enjoy a sumptuous feast, exchanging gifts and showing sincere gratitude to loved ones.

We always tend to splurge on the last month of the year… but how about this year? Women are turning into artists, magicians or cash contortionists. We make cheap things look chic, magically produce feasts out of simple ingredients and stretch the cash to as faaaar as it can go.

This year, we don’t have to buy new Christmas decorations for the home. Just breathe some new life to those balls, Santa caps, and Christmas bells. If you’ve got the itch to spend, check out second-hand shops, trek to the market for some candy or ask family members to swap some goodies with you. And for that extra oomph, bring out the pretty ribbons you’ve saved throughout the year from birthday gifts or Mother’s Day presents.

Check out what I’ve done at home for the holidays:

Christmas wreath

I found this wreath of fake greens at our local kringloop (this is where the Dutch buy previously owned stuff).

The little wooden toys were once owned by someone else and I found this at a second-shop close to our home. The silver stars were a gift to me. The most expensive I think, is the golden ribbon, which was brand new when I bought them.

Total is less than 4 euros.

Coffee table centerpiece The black tray is part of a zen-like candle holder set with smooth stones. I replaced the stones with red and white mints from a candy shop. I kept the candle holders and randomly set clear Christmas balls containing tiny red balls that dance when you shake it. These are actually name card holders bought after Christmas, so I got it at 75 or 80% off (8 euros) and the candy for 69 cents.

Recycled candle holder My son, Kevin, created this. He used an old CD, empty tea light holders which he shaped into leaves and arranged like flower petals above the CD. At the center, he glued a tea light. To add some cheery color, I placed it on top of a small wreath that I bought from my Rumanian friend (2.50 euros).

Lamp décor I almost threw this lamp stand when its cover cracked from age. Luckily, a lamp store was having a sale on lamp covers and I found one with beautiful animal print design that fit my lamp stand! For the yuletide season, I just took out the lamp cover and slid in a small wreath with tiny gifts wrapped in gold and pine cones. Lamp, 5 euros; wreath and gifts, 50 cents from kringloop; pine cones, free! There were rotten pine cones but I threw them away and I picked new ones up during one of our bike rides to my mother-in-law’s house.

Different Santa Claus figures  

Santa Claus goes vintage Charming pieces! I saw these vintage-like hand made Santas at, you guessed it, my favorite hang-out… the kringloop. Sometimes, you find little colorful treasures abandoned by other people. I think these are quite charming. I forgot how much these were but both just cost a few cents.

My Laughing Santa Oooh, this is my adorable laughing Santa. Made simply of ceramic. I got this little fellow while going through the stalls at the Christmas market in Deventer. Last year, the city transformed a charming little alley into lovely scenes of Charles Dickens’ the Christmas Carol. There were people in period costumes, too! Beautiful! I’m just changing the topic because I forgot how much my adorable little laughing Santa cost. I’ve added golden brown Christmas balls and a golden strand in front of him because he happens to be standing in the prosperity corner of our home, according to feng shui principles.

Santa and Mrs. Claus caps I’ve hung santa caps on a knick-knack I received several kris kringles ago! The cap with braids was given to me by a wonderful friend. The other cap I got from a store two Christmases ago and the Christmas boot with the chocolate covered teddy bear silhouette was made by Kevin. Santa cap, 1 euro and Kevin’s Christmas boot, priceless.

Christmas Bell I found this bell in an interesting stall at the Christmas market in Munster, Germany, a short train ride from the Netherlands. It was very cold but my friends and I combed the stalls for pretty gifts. I don’t remember where I got the ribbon. Must have been recycled from a gift. Hang interesting ornaments in unexpected places. Here, I hung it on the wooden frame of a mirror. Bell, 5 euros (I think).

Sinterklaas Sinterklaas isn’t Santa Claus! He arrives by boat and is greeted by children who hand him drawings of what they want as gifts. He then comes over to visit the kids and checks a big book that journals the actions of kids during the course of the year. He instructs his assistants (Zwarte Piet) to hand the presents out. I have here a figurine of Sinterklaas that I bought at Our Lord in the Attic in Amsterdam (10 euros). I placed the red and white mints in wine glasses and placed them alongside Sinterklaas.

These are just some of my chipipay tips. They may be cheap but they turned out pretty chic! Have a Merry Christmas!

Mica K is a Filipina living in the Netherlands with her husband and two teenage sons. She loves visiting antique shops, second-hand shops and markets during her free time.