THE festive season can lead to one very unhealthy bank balance come December 26.

But some in Gwent are still enjoying Christmas though they have a tight budget as RUTH MANSFIELD and KATH SKELLON find out.

WHILE we are happily overspending on presents for the children, ordering enough food to feed Santa and his elves for the next year and trying our best to outdo the neighbours with the decorations, the thought of the effect it will all have on our bank accounts is not quite as exciting.

But that sinking feeling you get as you check the post-Christmas funds need not be a reality this year as with a little pre-Christmas preparation the festive season can still be enjoyed even if it is on a budget as Swffryd’s Bethan Brunell shows.

Mrs Brunell, 34, of Rectory Road, has saved in excess of £150 this year by making all of her own presents and decorations.

Wanting to share her tips with others, she has now created a consumerism blog at consumerliberationblog.blogspot.com which has already gathered 350,000 followers.

In the blog, she explains her useful money-saving tips such as making decorations from scraps of fabric and spare buttons found around her house.

This includes ideas such as stitching squares of fabric together stuffed with bubble wrap to use as a tree decoration.

Mrs Brunell has also added vintage buttons to some which she has then given as small gifts to people as an alternative to a card.

The part-time carer, who is Wales’ youngest Women’s Institute branch president at the Crumlin branch, has also made hampers up to give as gifts to family.

These are made up from old apple and orange boxes covered in fabric which are then filled with food items such as Christmas cake, chutneys and flavoured oils.

She said: “I wanted to give presents that actually mean something and have more of a personal touch.

“It is important to remember that Christmas gifts are not meant to be life-changing. They are just a token to indicate how you feel about a particular person.”

Doing Christmas in this way has meant Mrs Brunell has only spent around £34 on presents this year.

She said: “It has taken more time but it has also saved a lot of money.”

Natalie Eaton, 31, runs Chepstow event management business Not Enough Hours in the Day.

Ms Eaton has also made her own Christmas decorations and cards this year using materials such as ivy and fern collected from the outdoors to give her cards that extra festive feel.

She also cuts up old clothes and uses the fabric to make decorations as she says this can also add some extra fun to the festive season.

She said: “Long, dark nights can be filled with the whole family making decorations in the run up to Christmas.

“Home-made decorations can be really effective and as the years go by you will feel sentimental towards these little works of art.”

Another way to get the young ones involved while adding that personal touch is to wrap presents in brown paper and then get the children to decorate the paper.

Home-made gifts such as miniature Christmas cakes or making a donation to a charity on behalf of someone can also provide that extra-special gift.

When it comes to making the most of the party season, Ms Eaton suggests staying in with friends to catch up and reverting back to the traditional ways of having fun with some board games can be just as entertaining as a night out.

Getting everyone to contribute to the food and drink also reduces the cost for each person.

For the children, she suggests that tradition can also be brought back by holding a party full of the old favourites such as pass the parcel and using items such as cheap books for prizes.

When you need to walk off the Christmas dinner, Ms Eaton suggests reintroducing yourself to the local area with visits to parks and lakes. As an alternative to expensive days out, she suggests trying libraries which are much friendlier on the budget.

So, with a little careful thought it seems Christmas doesn’t have to be all about going into the overdraft and that doing things the cheaper way can in fact lead to a more festive season where the whole family can have fun together.