Winner of the Frugal Living Tip of the Month Contest for June, iVillager dianjohn.
While the rest of the world spends the first three weeks of December prowling the malls for the perfect gift, those dedicated to living frugally save money each year by creating their own holiday decorations and presents.

So, we asked our Frugal Living members what holiday crafts, frugal traditions or gift ideas they had planned -- boy did they answer. In fact, with all of our talented crafters, choosing one winner was very difficult.

This month's winner, iVillager dianjohn, inspired us with her simple but creative vision, showing us you can create wreaths, decorations and topiaries from scratch.

Enter the Frugal Living Tip of the Month Contest.

Here's dianjohn's entry:

• Just today I cut several hydrangea heads and hung them to dry so that I can add them to two cedar wreaths.
• I started growing ivy topiaries so that they will look like Christmas trees. I usually decorate with live cedar (we have about 200 cedar trees) to the side of our yard and several arborvitae and juniper in the yard. I use cedar and southern magnolia leaves to make a wreath (it will be huge) that will go on the chimney.
  
  
• We have a live tree, and this year the decorations will be in red since I have acquired a large box of red collectable ornaments.
• I have also wrapped plastic pots in dried grapevines to hold poinsettias, and I have crafted four tub urns in ceramic -- they have a marble finish on them. I will display my miniature roses in the tub urns.
• I will also be drying baby's breath and roses to create a wreath in my dining room that will be backed by a flat type of juniper.
• I am sewing a crazy quilt tree-skirt in red satins and gold thread.
• I have made a ceramic Christmas tree lamp for the bathroom, and I will place the lamp next to the lights and potpourri.

My DH (dear husband) told me, "If you tell those people how we celebrate Christmas they will throw you out of their frugal club!" He doesn't really understand that I grow and make all of the arrangements. Yes, I do buy some fresh flowers for the accents -- but that's all.