Avoid blowing your budget this holiday season by incorporating these ideas for inexpensive Christmas decor.
Tis the season to get into the holiday spirit without breaking the bank! Looking to spruce up your home for Christmas, but don't want to spend a fortune? Good news - there's plenty of ways to create the perfect festive atmosphere without you needing to spend extra money. Find out how to use affordable decorations to make your home cozy and merry, while still staying thrifty.
From creative DIYs to simple store-bought pieces, you don't need to go overboard to transform your living space into a winter wonderland. Learn all about how to incorporate affordable Christmas decorating to help you design a beautiful and budget-friendly holiday home.
Inexpensive Christmas Decor Ideas
Looking for a few ways to spice up your holiday decorations on a small budget? The Christmas season is already costly with gift giving, so it is hard to justify lavish expenses for home decor. But if you are anything like me, you still want your house to feel festive for the most wonderful time of the year. Here are a few thrifty ways to ramp up your own Christmas decor without going overboard.
Add Greenery
It's simple and timeless, but it does the job and will never go out of style. You can never go wrong adding a flair of green to your home, whether it be fresh greenery or artificial. Using winter stems, evergreen branches, mistletoe and garland are all an easy way to add Christmas spirit for cheap.
TIP: Using natural elements can help to eliminate cost.
Do you have pine tree branches needing a trim or pine cones dropping into your yard? These are easy to trim and bring indoors for decor. I have also done this with branches and used them for holiday vases.
TIP: You can find good options in places you wouldn't normally look for decor and embellish on your own.
I picked up this small tree for $7 at Home Depot and then used leftover ribbon and material to add a festive flair. Don't forget to look at places like a dollar store, a thrift store or even your local craft store. You can find marked down items that you can embellish with supplies at home.
TIP: Make an investment upfront and reuse.
If you want to cut down on cost in the future, investing in faux garland can be the way to go for longevity, but may require a little more upfront.
Ways to Use Greenery
- Put it on your fireplace mantel in your living room
- Use it over a doorway entrance into a room or even over your front door
- Hang it over a mirror
- Make a winter vase with branches and stems
- Use as a centerpiece on your dining table
- Wrap around your staircase banister or any railing that is vertical or horizontal
- Use it to make your Christmas tree more full or to add to your tree topper
- Add hand-made tags and an accent piece to your Christmas gifts in place of a bow or ribbon
- Make an easy centerpiece on your coffee table with green stems
Use Wreaths for Inexpensive Christmas Decor
Because wreaths are so versatile in their utility, they are one of my favorite things to display. The best part is that they can be used all year round. Use wreaths for both doors and wall decor.
TIP: Use an everyday green wreath and accent with seasonal decor.
Whoever said that Christmas wreaths actually had to be made from evergreens? One of my best hacks is to use your same green wreath that you use all year long and simply add holiday decor to it for each season.
Kari from Clock Work Design added a cute bow on hers and one of my merry and bright cutouts to greet all of her visitors.
TIP: Use a DIY ornament wreath.
If you really want a wreath but don't love the green look, why not try out a DIY ornament wreath? It's a great way to incorporate a color scheme using limited supplies. This inexpensive Christmas decor only requires a wreath base, cheap Christmas ornaments and a hot glue gun.
I bought these ornaments from a Dollar Tree store, but you can also use any unused ornaments you already have. There are lots of way to make these wreaths - here are a few of my favorite tutorials: Sweet Pickins and The Happier Homemaker.
TIP: Try a wooden wreath.
Another great option is a wood wreath. Sometimes they are able to hold up to weather better than green ones. I used this wooden Joy wreath for several Christmases.
Whether it be green, ornament, or wood, wreaths are always a great way to go for inexpensive Christmas decorating.
Accent the Decor Already in Your Home
One of my least favorite things about putting up holiday decor is removing my usual decorations. So I started changing my method of decorating. Instead of putting away your everyday decor when you starting pulling out seasonal items, just add to the existing decor that is already on display. This will help to eliminate the need and cost for a ton of extra holiday materials.
I filled my wire basket with cinnamon pine cones that I bought for $4. I also added a few of my ornaments in my milk glass dish. And I couldn't resist getting fresh flowers in holiday colors for my vase.
Leave out vases and baskets and fill them with seasonal items. Exchange covers on throw pillows for holiday ones and maybe toss in a throw or two. You can see some of my favorite holiday pillow covers and throws here. Swap out candles for ones with holiday scents and seasonal colors. Add a few cheap Christmas decorations to your already decorated shelving.
Instead of taking all my dishes off the open shelves, I added some fresh cedar I bought at Costco for $15. Then I placed some leftover ornaments on there too for a pop of beautiful color.
For another idea on inexpensive Christmas decor, you can take one of your decorative lanterns and fill it with pine cones, ornaments or even a strand of fairy lights to brighten the space. Achieve a similar look with a mason jar.
Use Different Types of Garland
Although we already touched on green garland, it's important to remember that any type of garland is easy to use for thrifty decor. Garlands can be made out of practically anything - food, greenery, paper, fabric, felt (though I don't suggest food for decorating).
I added a book page garland to my tree. It adds a fun element to the tree and this garland only cost $1.50 to make for the WHOLE tree. Purchase an old book at a thrift store and then use twine or something similar to string your pages. To make this garland I cut out triangles and then hot glued the back to the twine. Simple, easy, and effective.
Another easy Christmas decoration is to make your own DIY felt garland. This can be a great addition for any tree, mantel, staircase or tabletop decor. Make your own and customize to how you want it.
See some of my other favorite decorative garlands below.
Inexpensive Christmas Decor - Make DIY Ornaments
It may sound difficult, but one of the best ways to cut down on cost is by making your own DIY Christmas ornaments. Trust me, this is easier than you think with all the varieties there are.
Most of these ornaments came from a dollar store. But I bought the big red ones on clearance after Christmas. They used to be orange! I spray painted them red and added glitter. The big balls are nice because they take up lots of space on a tree while also providing extra dimension.
Another option includes these DIY metallic ornaments I made using Rub n' Buff. Mercury glass ornaments can be very costly, so I mimicked the look instead and they turned out beautifully for significantly less cost.
Using Inexpensive Christmas Decor for Your Home
As we near the holiday season, think about decorating for Christmas. Get creative and consider a few DIY methods to make your space festive without compromising on style. There are plenty of options that don't bring significant costs. Have fun with it and be imaginative! Make this Christmas a magical one with the perfect blend of stylish and inexpensive decor.
Happy Decorating!
Brooke
Lori Caldwell says
Very cute idea with the book page garland!