Trim the Cost of Christmas Decorations -- Savings Experiment

Christmas decorations can be tough to budget for when you're already spending a lot on presents. However, there are ways to cut corners when making your home festive for the holidays.

First, while no Christmas is complete without lights, using incandescent bulbs can really inflate your electric bill. Try using LED bulbs instead. They'll last 50 times longer and use much less energy.

For instance, a mini-incandescent bulb uses approximately .41 watts, while a mini-LED bulb uses around .07 watts. If you were to run an identical set of each lights from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, the incandescent bulbs would cost you about $20.40, whereas the LEDs would only total about $3.60.

Do the math and you'll find that LED bulbs offer 80 percent in savings. Additionally, LED bulbs also don't get nearly as hot, which make them safer for you and your family.

Next, when it comes to dressing up other parts of your house, it pays to be creative. You can make a "hurricane vase" from a glass candleholder, vase, sandpaper and super glue, all of which can be found at the dollar store.

Simply sand the bottom of the vase and the top of the candlestick holder. Wipe off any dust -- this gives the glue a better surface to hold on to. Glue the two pieces together, set it aside for a day to dry and fill it with some ornaments and/or pine cones.

The total cost for this easy DIY project is $7. Not bad, considering home decor stores can charge up to $89 for similar items.

So, while you're decorating your home for Christmas, keep these ideas in mind. You can create big impact without spending big dollars.