10 Beautiful Christmas Decorating Ideas On A Budget
I don’t know about you but I LOVE decorating for Christmas! However, I don’t like the price tag that can sometimes come with it. Today I am here to share 10 beautiful Christmas decorating ideas on a budget that won’t break the bank.
Bonus: I am also sharing a gift card giveaway that some of my friends and I have teamed up to give away!
A $125 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
Each month I get together with the Thrifty Style Team hosted by Julie over at Redhead Can Decorate and we share DIY projects and decor inspiration that won’t break the bank! Well this month we wanted to make our posts extra special and bless one of our followers with a $125 Amazon gift card!
The rules for winning this giveaway are simple : You must be a subscriber to my blog and leave a comment below with your favorite budget friendly decorating idea for Christmas on this post. The giveaway will run for 1 week beginning Friday Dec. 11th at 8am EST and closing at noon on Friday Dec.18th EST. This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. The winner will be notified via email. Let me know if you have any questions!
10 Beautiful Christmas Decorating Ideas On A Budget
It’s no secret that decorating for Christmas is what I look forward to all year long. Today I am sharing my secrets about how I achieve beautiful Christmas decor on a reasonable budget. They are in no particular order and I am sure I have way more than 10 but these were the big ideas I find myself using year after year.
1. Buy Decor Off of FB Marketplace or At Flea Markets
My two favorite places to shop for budget friendly Christmas decorations are FB Marketplace and flea markets. The large candle holder you see below I scored off of FB Marketplace for $20. It is originally from Pottery Barn and looks great as a centerpiece!
Sometimes you have to be willing to dig and scour the flea markets for items to use in your home around the holidays. My go to’s at flea markets for Christmas are nativity sets, vintage ornaments, plaid blankets and old Santa mugs. Actually there are a million other things but those were my favorites this year.
And don’t forget, you can also sell your items you no longer want on FB Marketplace or at a garage sale to help you stay on budget!
2. Get Creative With Your Wrapping
One inexpensive way to add some color and charm to your Christmas decor is to change up your wrapping paper yearly. I love to hit up after Christmas sales for wrapping paper and I also find some of the best and most affordable wrapping paper at Home Goods and TJ Maxx.
You can even get creative with vinyl words, gift tags and ribbon! On the gift below I added a mini brass horn for some extra charm.
These simple and pretty Christmas wrapping ideas are easy to do especially if you have your Christmas shopping done early!
3. Make Your Own Ornaments
Making your own Christmas ornaments is a great way to save money. I made these blue ones using nail polish the year I decided to go from reds to blues. It was an inexpensive way to add a new color with out breaking the bank!
I was even able to get the kids involved which made it even more fun! If I decide to start decorating with pinks next year I will just make my own ornaments again…I bet my girls would love pink. My husband and boys, not so much! Ha!
4. Buy Faux Garland and Real Garland
I always love using garland at Christmas whether it be real or faux! My secret trick to buying faux garland is to buy it either after Christmas when it is marked down or to buy it in the off season when there are big sales. The garland above our pew was from a local shop here in Northern Colorado and normally it was over $100! I snagged it at their after Christmas sale for almost 70 % off. I love a good deal.
As for my live garland that I like to use on our porch…I buy mine at either Home Depot, Trader Joes or Costco. All of these places sell live gorgeous 25ft garland for under $20. So affordable! Also, places like Home Depot will let you take their tree clippings for free if you just ask!
5. Use A Non-Traditional Tree Skirt or Collar
When decorating for Christmas I like to think outside of the box. I am constantly looking for basket, boxes, crates or anything that a tree can fit in. This year I found this gorgeous square shaped vintage basket that my tree fit in perfectly. It was less than $30 and so stinking cute. I placed an old chenille bedspread in there to soften it up. Sometimes I even like to use tablecloths. Everything is fair game when it comes to decorating my Christmas trees.
For several years I have placed our huge 9ft tree in this old tree crate. I loved how unusual it was! You can see the full tree HERE.
6. Use Books and More Books
Books are my go to when it comes to decorating all throughout the year. I have even made a book garland before! But at Christmas I think decorating with books is a budget friendly way to pop color. I love to look for red and green books at the flea markets all year long and save them for Christmas. To spice them up a bit I also like to wrap them in ribbon like the books you see below.
And sometimes I even like to wrap them up in wrapping paper! So easy and so budget friendly and beautiful!
7. Make Your Own Wreaths
Who doesn’t love a good DIY at Christmas? One of my favorite things to make are wreaths. This large outdoor Christmas wreath was simple and fun and I already had almost all of the supplies. It literally cost me under $30 to make.
I also had fun making this DIY moss and glitter wreath with items from the Target dollar bins!
8. Change Up Your Ribbon
Each year I like to mix things up just a little bit when it comes to my Christmas decor. The first place I start is always my ribbon. My trick for good ribbon is to search for it not in the Christmas section but rather in the normal ribbon section of places like Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Also I have found some of my all time favorite ribbon at Home Goods, like the plaid ribbon you see below!
Mixing and matching ribbons and wrapping paper has quickly become a favorite way to spice up my decor on a budget. In our Christmas home tour I wrapped and placed fake presents in our printers cabinet with different ribbon for some budget friendly decorations. Cute, right?! My kids like to ask each year if they are real presents or my fake ones! They have learned my tricks!
9. Display those Vintage Ornaments and Family Heirlooms
Vintage ornaments and family ornaments are absolutely beautiful and special especially when displayed for the holidays. I love adding them to bowls, trees or centerpieces to make them a focal point! The Shiny Brites on the tree below were my husband’s granny’s ornaments and we treasure them.
The large jar of all silver ornaments on my counter I found at a local flea market for less than $20 for the entire jar! I didn’t have to do anything with them except place them in a wreath on my counter and BOOM…instant centerpiece! They steal the show on their own.
10. Use Free Printables
For me I love to search Pinterest and other blogs for fun and FREE printables. This year I created a Free Holiday Printables Bundle for everyone who subscribes to my blog. You can check those out here!
10 Beautiful Christmas Decorating Ideas On A Budget
Hopefully I gave you a few good ideas for Christmas decorating on a budget. My hope is that you found that it is possible to have a beautifully decorated home for Christmas even if you are on a budget! GIVEAWAY CLODED Remember to leave me a comment below with your favorite budget friendly Christmas decorating tip and subscribe to my blog for a chance to enter to win the $125 Amazon gift card. I appreciate you stopping by by today and I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
I’m a subscriber! And I love using free printables for Christmas! 😉
Woo hoo! that means your chances are real good Julie! I love free printables too!
It is hard to pick one of your ideas. But I think the mini tree in the checkered box is mine. When I was 16, I was home alone for the holidays (long story) and I chopped down the equivalent of a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. It was 2′ tall, and the only thing I had for ornaments were blown out eggs rolled in cake decorating beads. It even tilted a bit like his! This tree reminds me of that one, and I only wish I had a camera for a good memory of that day.
Hi Sandra! I wish you had a picture of that tree too…sounds like you were so creative! Thanks for stopping by and commenting:) Merry Christmas!
I make and design my own Christmas wrapping paper. If you have a cutting machine the world is endless..
hello!!! thanks for this giveaway….could use it for Christmas, for sure!!! I use fresh greens cut from my trees and bushes in my decor, inside and outside!!! I also use store bought (dollar store) garland and use it as a valance (kind of). thank you!! and Happy Holidays to everyone!!!! (I am a subscriber as well)
Angela from NJ
I’m a subscriber and love your ideas for Christmas. I love to stack anything up, books, quilts, pillows, and then tie with a ribbon to make it look like a present. Thanks for the giveaway!
Kelly, everything looks like a million bucks! No one would say the words “budget friendly” when looking at these ideas… but they are just what this frugal Mom needs. I know I have some red and green books around here somewhere?!! Just need that gorgeous velvet ribbon. Thanks for the inspiration. Merry Christmas to you and Yours.
Kelly I found your blog through an incredibly lovely lady, Paula @SweetPea!!!! I think this is such a lovely gift you all are putting out there. God bless your Christmas and love your ideas!!!!
Aww! Welcome, I love Paula!!! God bless you too and Merry Christmas!
I’m a subscriber all and love your inspiration. To decorate on a budget I find all you need to start is greenery (picks or fresh from your yard) and ribbon. That will make anything look festive. From there you can add fake snow, lights, ornaments and pinecones depending on the budget.
Thank you for subscribing Sherri! I love your ideas! Merry Christmas!
I love the gift wrapping ideas! We love using brown packing paper and decorating it.
Thank you Kylee!
I love the look of twigs in a container painted white and decorated. Love all your ideas.
Janet this is a great idea!
I love being a subscriber!! And I love DIY and saving money! So at my home at Christmas time I love going out around my house in the yard and cutting fresh greenery to use in old junky items that I have had around for a long time! Also love making easy oraments for my grandkids to do and I teach 2- 5 Sunday School so we are making oraments for them to take home! As you and tell I just love DIY! Thanks for sharing your home for Christmas! I love it! 🎄
Thank you MArgie! You sound like an amazing Sunday teacher and grandma! Thanks for reading my posts and Merry Christmas!
I just love all your painted furnitures and all your Christmas trees. I haveade my own decorations this year. Thank you for the chance to win this wonderful prize.
Thank you Cheryl….Merry Christmas!
Free printables are very handy for tags and yours are particularly nice. I make mine large so they are easy to see and read. Sometimes I go a step further and personalize the to and from before printing.
Thanks for sponsoring the drawing.
Sheila
Oh I love the personalization idea! So smart! Merry Christmas!
I love how your little things can make a big impact when you group them together. Over the years I have been given gifts of snowmen and angels. On their own, they didn’t seem to make much of a decoration impact until I gathered the snowmen together and did a table top scape of all of them together. The same thing was true when I gathered all my angels on my fireplace mantle. The variety of their composition makes the display more interesting — from fabric, to wood, to glass to stone, as well as style of modern, to artsy to primitive, etc.
Hi Jody! Such a great tip…grouping like things together DOES make a greater impact! I bet your snowmen and angels are gorgeous together! Merry Christmas!
I’m a subscriber and I love to wrap empty boxes like presents and stack them around…even as a center piece on the dining table.
Oh yes so easy and so pretty!
My favourite thrifty thing I make at Christmas is my homemade Christmas crackers. I use toilet paper tubes and put in a dollar lottery ticket along with a few chocolates and this year I’m including a note saying why I appreciate that person. For my grandchildren I always put in a different pez dispenser every year. Everyone always looks forward to opening theirs at our Christmas dinner.
Oh wow how fun! I bet they love popping them open! So creative…Merry Christmas!
Hard to choose one favorite!
I’m going to try wrapping and using books!
I’m excited for this!
As an aside, I’m also getting ready to paint a chest like your green one!
I’ve been eyeing yours for a while!
Scary tho!
Thanks,
Melanie
Oh so fun Melanie! Let me know if you ahve any questions…it’s my favorite painted piece! Merry Christmas and thanks for subscribing!
I am a subscriber & I love a bargain! I’ve gotten old red & green books, an old green lunch box & vintage ornaments from thrift stores to decorate with! Saved money & beautiful Christmas decor: Win Win!!!
Merry Christmas!
Woo Hoo! I love a good deal too! Merry Christmas!
I love buying the fresh garland and wreaths at Trader Joe’s! They make the house smell so Christmasy!!
I also love the printable tags! Thank you!
Me too, I love that smell! Glad you like the tags….Merry Christmas!
Subscribed. My favorite tip is to use free printables.
Thank you and Merry Christmas!
My favorite budget friendly Christmas decorating tip is to use collect pine cones and cut them in half and paint them to make flowers to decorate your wreath.
Linda what a great idea! So pretty I bet!
I really like the look of your stacked books especiallythe wrapped plad one!
Merry Christmas!
Thank you Margie!
I love the wood crate used to hold Your Christmas tree; I have to admit I may have a box/crate addiction. For the past two years I have put my tree in a copper boiler which looks Great. Thanks for all your creative ideas not just for Christmas, but all year long. Merry Christmas!
Oh Jo a copper boiler pot is such a great idea! Thank you and thank you for being a subscriber. Merry Christmas!
Oh me too Jo! SO creative to use a boiler pot! Thanks for reading the blog and subscribing…Merry Christmas!
Love adding bowls and vintage boxes filled with old ornaments…the old ones have the prettiest patina.
Oh yes! I love the old ones too!!!
I am a subscriber and I love to use handmade ornaments.
Thank you Debbie! Merry Christmas!
I am a subscriber and I absolutely love the big berry wreath. So beautiful!!
Thank you so much Victoria!!
Awesome post, Kelly! Merry Christmas
Aww thank you Starr! I so appreciate you subscribing and reading my posts. Merry Christmas!
I’m a subscriber and I love finding items at garage sales and market place. You can find unbelievable items.
Yes you can! Have a Merry Christmas Linda!
I am a subscriber and I love buying Christmas paper goods – plates, napkins, cups, etc at the after Christmas sales and having them ready for entertaining the next year! Thank you for all of the great budget friendly ideas….Merry Christmas!
Thank you for being a subscriber…Merry Christmas!
The nail polish ornaments were so pretty, I wasn’t expecting them to be that simple.
Happy to be a subscriber!
Thank you! I know, easy and fun! Thanks for subscribing!
Hi! I use vintage wooden sugar molds as a stand for multiple brush trees. Merry Christmas!
Such a cute idea!
You have such great ideas that it’s hard to narrow it down to one. I love to read and what a great way to get a little extra bang out of them when you wrap them. I really like the idea of finding antique books in green and red covers to display. I will be looking for some to use in 2021! Loved the added touch of a velvet ribbon. Thanks for sharing. I am a subscriber!
Hi Sylvia I am so glad you like the book idea! Thank you so much for subscribing!
I use the branches from an old artificial tree and use it to fill containers
Oh love your idea!
Holiday Greetings Kelly~ I have been a subscriber……..although there are several budget ideas I have re this topic, I like framing the right kind of holiday card that has a snowman on it. The frames can be those I have around the house or purchased and redone from thrift stores. They’re placed about where a touch of holiday is needed!
Hi Julie I am so thankful you are a subscriber and I appreciate you reading my blog! Such a great idea framing holiday cards! Merry Christmas!
Christmas decorating always includes faux greenery…everywhere!! And, you can leave some of it up after the holiday as the winter moves forward! Create arrangements with balls and bows, tuck behind other decor on shelves, and wreaths on every door!
Oh YES! I leave mine up all through January…and sometimes my tree in our bedroom stays up through February! HA!
Subscriber. After Christmas sales are a sure way to save money.
Yes me too Elizabeth! Thanks for being a subscriber!!!
Hello, I am a recent subscriber and I’m so glad I found your website. I have gotten so many ideas to try next year. I say next year because we’re in the process of selling our Victorian home right now but I couldn’t let Christmas go by without decorating some. I am a yardsale, dollar store. Charity store buyer. I couldn’t take my decorations out of the building to decorate with all the boxes sitting around but I still managed to put up a tree, decorate some areas around the room we live in. I found lights and bulbs for my tree and the Salvation Army store and greenery from outside. You inspire me to create items for next Christmas during the coming year so I can be ready to decorate a whole different style of home. Thanks for the ideas. I am saving them on my home screen so I can start making our new home really special next year. So happy I found your site.
Welcome Betty! Good luck selling your home and I appreciate you stopping by!
Wow, you have so many great budget ideas! Some so easy and really transform room to a Christmas wonderland. I find just changing out my throw pillows and throws makes a complete change for the season. You can always find great throw pillows on Amazon, Target and at Pottery Barn when they are on sale 🙂
Thanks Pat! I love your ideas too…I LOVE changing my pillows! Merry Christmas!
I like using free greenery clippings from our local hardware store…
Oh me too! Great one! Thank you!
This year I placed the tree in a large ceramic pot. Everyone who visits me tells me that that idea would not have occurred to him and they admire how beautiful it looks.
As a book lover and big reader, I really like using books as decor! A great idea I haven’t seen before.
Thanks Janet! Have fun decorating with your favorite books!
I have a question 🙋🏻♀️. How do you get your Christmas tree to sit in the boxes/baskets? I cannot wrap my head around it. How does it stand up! I have tried all kinds of things, metal tubs, baskets, etc, but I can never seem to have room with the “feet “(stand) of the tree. Please explain? This has been a mystery to me 😁🤓. Also, love your holiday decor, it’s perfectly enough and not overwhelming.
Hi Crystal! The trick is measuring the base of the tree stand before you buy or pick your tub, basket, box, etc.! My tree literally sits in this basket so it works perfectly! Now our big tree that I place in the old tree crate I literally had to shove in and wedge it in! It made me a bit nervous! Hope that helps:) Thanks for your kind comments about my decor too….means a lot to me! Merry Christmas!
This helped me. Thank you for replying! I think I am going through the “40 something brain”, where sometimes things that are so simple do not compute..haha. Your blog has been an inspiration for me , I pray you and your family have a Merry Christmas!
Oh good I am so glad! Girl I can relate…I turn 41 in a few days and I swear I am losing my mind most days! Ha! Thank you so much for your prayers they mean a lot. Merry Christmas to you and yours too!
I think the best budget decor for me is sharing with my sister. We swap decor items all year, really. And when we are finished we send it back. No need for storage. Win Win.
Oh I love this! I do the same with my mom and sister!
Hi Kelly, I love your blog, and I’m subscribed to it. My favorite budget-friendly decorating idea for Christmas is using items found in nature. I’ve been finding lots of tree bark this year, which I’ve put in my dough bowl with found pine cones, leftover greenery from our tree, and some sparkly ornaments. Beautiful, simple, and fun. Thanks for the give away. Merry Christmas!
Oh I love all of your ideas! Thank you so much for subscribing to the blog, I am so thankful!
This lady buys only fabric ribbons to tie on presents and then collects it when the presents are opened and uses it again next year.
As for decorating…shopping after Christmas sales, ebay, and facebook marketplace. Flea markets!
I basicly copy whatever my daughter does!!!
So smart to reuse those ribbons each year! I learned from the best!
Love reading your blog. And I love the green colour on your dresser. I am a seasonal decorator and enjoy seeing how you make simple changes to the top of the dresser with such impact! Always inspires me!
Sharon
Well thank you so much Sharon! I always look forward to the challenge of styling it! Thank you for reading the blog:)
I love all of the antiques you use in your house! Your trees are beautiful and I can wait to try the nail polish ornaments. I’ve been a subscriber for several years and just look forward to see what you come up with next. Have a very Merry Christmas!!🎄🎁
SO thankful for you sticking around all these years! Merry Christmas and have fun making the ornaments!!
I like to mix live and faux greenery (garlands, picks, etc) together. It makes the faux greenery look more realistic and adds a wonderful scent to the house!
Oh yes I love doing that too!
I love the books covered in plaid paper to add a extra sytle of decor. Can’t wait to get my books covered.
Isn’t that a fun and simple way to change up your decor? So glad you liked it! Merry Christmas!
I love the suggestion to search FB marketplace for Christmas decorations. I never thought of that. Love the PB candle holder for $20! Also, to use it for selling my Christmas stuff so I can make room for new old finds! Love the plaids!
Thank you Pam! Happy shopping on a budget!
I love cutting greenery and red berries out of the yard and incorporating them around the house and over cabinets.
Oh yes, me too! I wish I had red berries to cut! Merry Christmas!
I have just become a subscriber, and I am really enjoying your post. There are so many good ideas, but my favorite is the creative ways that the packages are wrapped and the suggestion to purchase paper at Home Goods or Marshalls. Adding natural elements to the packages is inspired. I found myself purchasing papers that coordinated to tell a story beneath the tree. All of your ideas are lovely!
Hi Karen thank you for subscribing! I love that…telling a story under the tree! Merry Chrstmas!
I can’t believe it took me this long to subscribe to your fun blog!! I love your tree in the basket and wood box idea! I also love decorating with vintage ornaments and books!! I love using books year round and Christmas is no exception! Thanks for all your fun ideas and letting us see inside your beautiful home!
Merry Christmas, Kelly! 🎄
Welcome Vicki I am so glad you are here! It sounds like we have a lot in common. Thanks for visiting and Merry Christmas!