Each Christmas brings with it the new challenge of how to best decorate your home and celebrate the festive season in style.
Alongside the classic decorations of tinsel and baubles for your Christmas tree, there are also wreaths, ornaments and all sorts of items that people place around their homes every December.
Armed with a £30 budget, I headed out into the town centre to test Swindon's last-minute shopping options for decorations to brighten up your Christmas.
Here is what I was able to find...
Primark (£11 spent)
Starting off big, I turned to Primark as my first port of call in the hope that they would have pretty much everything I was looking for.
The retailer's offerings turned out to be slightly more expensive than other town centre outlets but nevertheless had an array of items to help bring the Christmas spirit home with you.
Firstly, I opted for a £5 model of what I can best describe as Santa Claus crossed with one of the seven dwarfs, perched on top of a Christmas present. The ornament also doubles up as a candle holder if you are more prepared than myself and remember to purchase one while doing your festive shopping.
My second purchase from Primark was an ornament of a polar bear accompanied by a silver Christmas tree, priced at £6. Polar bears are the apex predators of the North Pole but have been depicted slightly more favourably in several festive films, and this one looked quite harmless.
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Robert Dyas (£6.98 spent)
After an £11 splurge in Primark, a more practical trip was in order next to pick up some Christmas essentials. I headed out to Robert Dyas at the top of Regent Street to see what I could find.
For £4.99, I was able to purchase 20 warm white LED lights from the store. The 2 metre cable of lights can be used both indoors and outdoors and come with a variety of functions to help light up your homes.
I also took the chance to pick up a festive classic, some tinsel. For £1.99, I was able to buy a smaller set of tinsel but in Christmassy red, providing a low-budget alternative to the swathes of tinsel also on offer.
Looking to spend the rest of my budget wisely, Poundland was next on my list as I searched for a seasonal bargain.
The discount store had a more affordable range of seasonal decorations, including an ornament of a Christmas tree that almost lives up to the shop's name at £1.25. The white and frosted mini-tree will be a favourite for those hoping for a white Christmas this year.
I also invested £5 in what Poundland describes as a 'leprechaun with a fur hat', which can be perched anywhere around the house to bring some more festive red to your surroundings.
My final purchase came in another of the town centre's discount stores, One Beyond, who had a wide variety of reasonably priced decorations.
Of the selection on offer, I chose a pine and berry wreath covered in fake snow, that can be hung on your door as a welcoming sight to all arriving visitors over the holiday period.
After exploring the town centre's festive offerings, I returned to the newsroom with a little over £2 of my budget still remaining.
For those looking to only spend a little on decorations this Christmas, there are several other outlets in town that can cater to your needs; Poundstretcher, Card Factory, Julia's House and the Tesco in the Parade are all still stocked with affordable items for less than £2.
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