Christmas Decor on a Small Budget.
Between HGTV and Pinterest the temptation is overwhelming to go out and buy all new everything for Christmas every single year.
But calm down!
You can make your home cozy and Christmasy without breaking the bank.
The key is to add a little each year and work it in with what you already have.
Here are a few of the ways that I make my home Christmas-ready without regretting how much I spent...
1. Kid's Crafts
Whether they make them at home with you are at school, odds are that your little people are making a few special holiday crafts this time of year.
I absolutely LOVE displaying the cute things my boys have made these past few years as decor in my home. They get the biggest kick out of seeing their work on display and love to show it off to any guests we may have during the season.
TIP: It is worth it to go ahead and laminate some of the special paintings your children do! You can enjoy them much longer this way!
This year we got together with some of our family friends and had the boys make ornaments out of cinnamon, apple sauce and Elmer's glue. They turned out so cute and smelt amazing!
I decided to put these in the mantle garland to add a unique touch as well as let the cinnamon smell take over the living room. My boys loved that their handmade ornaments were out for everyone to see. There were extremely inexpensive to make, made for a fun activity and add a little something extra to our home this year.
2. Keep it simple.
So many people, way more creative than me, have paved the way on Pinterest with simple and inexpensive decorative crafts for the rest of us to enjoy! And most of these do not actually have to take forever to put together.
It seems as though right now the more simple decorative items are in, so less appears to be more these days. You'll also notice the sweet footprint one of the boys made at preschool last Christmas. I love it.
This farmhouse window stays in my living room all year but I wanted to add a some Christmas cheer to it. I found this VERY cheap garland at Wal-mart for $4. I was able to easily cut it and place it all over my home this year. I simply took ornaments I already had along with some regular ol' yarn I also already had and strung this other garland together.
I love the simplicity and pop of color it all gives this corner!
3. Look Outside.
Our first married Christmas we were starting from scratch when it came to Christmas decor. We only had an apartment at the time, so it did not take much, but still we did not have a large budget to work with.
We had a really pretty mantle in our apartment that I was DETERMINED to decorate with garland. Instead of purchasing garland. I was able to go use some ivy, spruce and magnolia leaves from my grandparent's yard as well as some clippings from our Christmas tree. I also found tons of pine-cones outside our apartment. I spray painted these gold and tucked them randomly into my fresh garland and our tree.
I still use these til this day! I love the way the pine-cones have lost some of their gold in places and look "aged" (mostly because at this point they really are!).
You would be surprised how much touches of greenery from outdoors can really add to a space - get creative and check online for ideas!
4. The Dollar Store.
Seriously! The Dollar Tree had some SUPER cute decorations this year. I invested a whopping $5 this year at the Dollar Tree and got a couple of Christmas signs that I was able to place all around my home to add a little spirit this year.
This "Welcome" sign caught my eye at the Dollar Tree in November - I love the small touch of burlap at the bottom and felt as through it really had the same vibe as my other kitchen Christmas decor. Again - just $1!
Walmart has lots of options each year for around 99 cents. The Target Dollar Spot doesn't ever disappoint. My only problem with Target as of late is that their "Dollar Spot" seems to consist of more $3-$5 items now ... and not so much of the awesome $1 deals they used to have.
5. Ribbons and Deco Mesh
Simple; yet they can add SO much, especially when done correctly. I am a big fan of the deco mesh used in the Christmas tree and as garland. It adds so much color and volume to a space with little effort.
Ribbon and mesh can run you a lot of money if you run out and buy it all at once and pay full retail. Take advantage of sales on Christmas ribbons AFTER the season. It will all be marked down and you will have a huge savings!
Don't forget about the coupons... Hobby Lobby has a 40% coupon that you can use to buy a new ribbon or mesh set on each visit. Take advantage of it as well!
Wrap small pieces of ribbon after decorative items you have in your home all year around. I took very small pieces of the gold ribbon and use thumb-tacks to add a bit of sparkle to my plain candles I have on my mantle all year. This gives it a little something extra and can easily be taken off when I am ready.
6. Thrift Stores
Typically, right before a season really gets going, local thrift stores will put out all of their holiday items. Now, you can usually find a Christmas item or two in thrift stores during the entire year. However, it seems as though the bulk is set out right after Halloween.
Take advantage!
Ornaments, decorative plates, flags, wreaths.... I have seen it all! And don't forget about the infamous tacky sweaters for any parties you have coming up. One man's trash can really be another's treasure.
Take the time to browse a few thrift stores before going to the stores and pay full retail. The odds are much better that some of the older trinkets you find will actually hold up much better than a lot of the newly made things we have in stores today. Plus the savings is tremendous!
7. Make Your Own
Look to Pinterest for inspiration and step by step instructions to make your own decorations for a fraction of the price in a store.
But before careful... sometimes all the supplies cost more than just buying the item itself, so do your math before diving in to a new craft.
I decided this year to cut up my stairway garland from last year and completely change the set up. Itself of the garland going horizontally across the handrail, I decided to make six separate vertical pieces. I used items that I had already collected to make these happen. Most of the smaller items I got from Hobby Lobby after Christmas last year. The garland came from WalMart.
A friend of mine saw similar items at Hobby Lobby and sent me a picture .. they were $60 each! That would have cost me about $360 to have a total of 6 on my stairs this year. But, nope. Not me. I totaled up what I had in supplies in my DIY pieces... roughly $50. TOTAL. That means I made these for less than $10 each. Definitely worth the hour and a half it took to complete them.
8. Add Slowly
As mentioned in the beginning, don't let the TV or Internet get you to feeling inadequate - ever. Definitely don't allow it to convince you to go spend a ton of money on Christmas decorations - it'll add stress to your life during a season that is supposed to be fun!
Add Christmas decorations to your collection a little every year. Whether it be something your child made or something that you found at Goodwill. Maybe it is something sentimental that was passed to you from a grandparent. Maybe budget a little each December to get a few things.
But most of all...
This season is not about stuff! Even though it's fun to have a nice cozy and Christmasy house - it is not important. Don't stress over it and DEFINITELY don't go into debt for it. Have fun & make memories.
Christmas is supposed to be fun!
Don't let it overwhelm you! Have fun and be creative.
It's your home - make it your own.