27 Christmas Decorating Ideas on a Budget (Without Looking Cheap)

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Christmas decorating on a budget can feel impossible. But I’m here to tell you, it’s not.

Use my tried and tested budget friendly Christmas decorating ideas to design a stunning, but inexpensive home for the holidays! (Ahem…without looking cheap.)

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The Foundation of Christmas Decorating on a Budget

To decorate for Christmas on a budget you have to have a certain mentality that is opposed to what the world seems to constantly be pushing.

• You don’t have to have it all NOW
• Time is NOT your enemy
• Creative solutions CAN look high end
• Less actually is MORE
• NEW decor is rarely the solution
• THRIFTED doesn’t mean poor
• OLD doesn’t mean outdated
• ATMOSPHERE is more than what you see
• TRENDS aren’t worth chasing

As you dive into Christmas decorating, I’d encourage you to be intentional in setting your mentality towards the purpose of decorating for the holidays. I’d also encourage you to stop and prepare your mind and heart before opening any social media app.

Social media can be two things: a place of comparison and envy or a place of inspiration and creativity.

Your mindset determines which way you consume what you see. It also determines whether decorating for Christmas is an overwhelming burden or a tradition of joy and service to your family.

So start there. Define your personal purpose in decorating. Choose to consume the trends as just one possible option of inspiration. And vow to create a home you love being in by only adding items that you truly love, fit with your style, and bring you peace.

The Difference Between Decorating v. Styling

Before we move on, I want to lay one more foundational principle for Christmas decorating.

Decorating and styling are two distinct parts of interior design.

Decorating looks at the big picture and how everything works together. This focuses on:

• Furniture layout
• Color Scheme
• Balance
• Textures

Styling is very specific and detail oriented.

• Fluffing garlands
• Trial and error on placement of items
• Tweaking the arrangement of displays
• Positioning items for optimal vantage points
• Grouping items together in ways that are pleasing to the eye

So if you are ever frustrated with how your room looks, chances are you were only decorating. It’s taking time to focus in on the details that creates a curated and high end finished look.

When You’re FEeling Overwhelmed

If you feel overwhelmed with Christmas decor, steal my strategy:

1. Take out every piece of Christmas decor you own.
2. Sort it by category into groups (garlands in one pile, trees in one pile, ornaments in one pile, bells in one pile…etc.)
3. Go through each pile and remove any item that looks cheap, is broken, or you don’t love and place into a donate or trash pile (depending on the item). ONLY KEEP WHAT YOU LOVE!
4. From what’s left, decorate the entire house with the goal of creating something beautiful. Your goal is not to use every item you own.
5. Whatever is not used when you are finished decorating should be evaluated on whether to keep it or not. Will you actually use it next year? Could you give it to a family or friend who hasn’t accumulated as much?

This process helps cut down on your Christmas decor feeling cluttered and overwhelming immensely!

Bonus: If the items you don’t want to keep are in good condition, sell it on Facebook Marketplace to earn some money back to put towards gifts or other needs!

27 Ideas for Christmas Decorating on a Budget

With that in mind, here’s my surface level list for Christmas decorating on a budget that can still WOW. I’ll break each item down in more detail.

1. Create atmosphere with smell, touch, sound and taste to go beyond only focusing on sight
2. Decorate AND style for the holidays
3. Collect over time
4. Invest in items that last
5. Invest in 1-2 statement pieces that carry the room
6. Incorporate non-Christmas decor
7. Invest in strategic color schemes for blankets and pillows that last multiple seasons
8. Add one quality garland or faux stems per year to your stock
9. Less is more…until you have quality
10. Rethink how to use what you already own
11. Use color strategically
12. Add ribbon around the home
13. Clip branches from the yard
14. Use nature for free
15. DIY your own Christmas decor
16. Make your own garlands
17. Use paper to make DIY snowflakes, trees and ornaments
18. Shop at thrift stores
19. Shop Facebook Marketplace right before and right after Christmas
20. Hunt for affordable antiques
21. Repaint thrift store frames
22. Pile thrifted ornaments in a bowl
23. Shop clearance at the end of the season for next year
24. Think outside the box of traditional Christmas decor
25. Choose wrapping paper to fit your style and use gifts as decor
26. Find a dupe
27. Use printables as art

Keep reading to dive deeper into the details on how to create a memorable atmosphere and beautifully decorated home for you and your family and friends.

Create Atmosphere

Remember how it feels to walk into a home where you felt Christmas?

Chances are, you saw Christmas decor. However, more than likely it was the atmosphere that you remember.

You create atmosphere with smells, touch, sounds and tastes to go beyond only focusing on sight. Our sight sees decor. Our other senses feel Christmas.

Here are some ways to create atmosphere for the holidays:

• Smell
  • Place a simmer pot on the stove
  • Diffuse peppermint, cinnamon, frankincense, or nutmeg essential oils
  • Light a cozy candle
• Sound
  • Have nostalgic Christmas music playing lighting in the background
  • A welcoming host who puts you at ease
• Touch
  • Invest in high quality extra cozy blankets (use code SYMONDS45) for sofas and beds
  • Have a clean home that is neat and tidy
• Taste
  • Christmas is usually associated with a specific dish for each individual family. Grandma’s roasted duck, Dad’s famous mashed potatoes, Mom’s apple pie. Here are a few to add to your recipe list:
    • Christmas morning punch
    • Santa cookies
    • Crowd pleaser apple crisp
    • Homemade bread
    • Christmas morning cinnamon bread
    • Gluten free cranberry orange muffins
    • Old fashioned sweet potato pie

Collect Over time

Remember, we are tossing out the notion that we have to have it all, right now.

Decorating an entire home for Christmas will take time to accumulate enough decor for each room. These overarching themes will help you in your journey to collect enough decor over the years.

1. Invest in items that last. Don’t waste money on items that look cheap, aren’t built well, or are made of materials that look chintzy. Spending $75 on one garland that will last 10 years is more economical than spending $25 on a garland that will look good for one year.
2. Invest in 1-2 statement pieces that carry the room. A realistic garland can go a long way in making a statement on a mantel, down a stairway or over a door. Swags or wreaths are another great option for rooms like kitchens where you need decor out of the way, but still visually beautiful.
3. Incorporate non-Christmas decor: Don’t strip away your normal decor. Use it! Combine books, pottery, glassware, throws and pillows into your Christmas decor for a collected look.
4. Invest in strategic color schemes for blankets and pillows that last multiple seasons. Swapping out one color can make all the difference. I have these cinnamon colored pillows (color: brick) that I use year round. I pair them with a pop of red for Christmas, bright green for spring, cream for summer and brown for fall. You don’t have to replace everything for every season!
5. Add one quality garland or faux stems per year to your stock. Let’s be honest, greenery can make or break your Christmas decor. This is the one item that I would always encourage investing in. But you don’t have to do it all at once. Each year I invest in one quality garland or group of faux stems. 7 years later, I have a lush and full array of quality greenery that will last the rest of my lifetime. And I only spent $50-$75 a year.

LESS IS MORE Mentality

Remember, less is more…until you have quality.

If you haven’t yet built up your stock of Christmas decor, then go minimal.

Fewer high quality decor looks more high-end than a lot of cheap looking decor.

Re-Think How You Use What You Own

Christmas decor can feel boring and stagnant if you only use it the same way every year.

Decorate for Christmas without buying anything by re-thinking how you use what you have.

Use the wreath you always put on your front door above your fireplace mantel instead. Swap the Christmas village from inside the china cabinet to a display under the tree. Hang your favorite Christmas ornaments as a garland over the kitchen windows instead of on the Christmas tree.

You can get a completely new look year after year, without buying anything, by re-thinking how you use what you already own.

Use Color Strategically

This antique blanket was a $25 antique store find. It was like opening a gift on Christmas morning when I found it.

The colors in it are magical to create a color scheme that is flexible, yet defined, for my Christmas decor this year.

When you decorate for Christmas, use color strategically. Choose 1-2 main colors to incorporate alongside your greenery and neutrals. This will elevate the look of your entire home and create a cohesive look from room to room.

Using ribbon is an amazing affordable way to do this.

This year, I wanted to incorporate red into my color scheme, but I owned ZERO red Christmas decor. I spent $14 on three spools of ribbon (comes in multiple colors).

That $14 was stretched to add touches of red to my mantel, china cabinet garland, coffee table moss tree, mini pine tree, deer on my kitchen shelves, and a pottery vase. And I have more leftover!

Now I’ve sprinkled red throughout my home for less than $15 and without buying any new decor that I will have to store.

Use Nature for Free

Yard clippings are your best friend.

Pine, juniper, and cedar are the three best evergreens to plant in your yard for all future Christmas clippings!

A close second is simply cutting bare branches from any tree to create a large arrangement.

A huge bonus is if you have berry branches that you can dry for added interest!

I also love to use items like fallen pine cones in a bowl on the coffee table.

Similarly, you can cut a real Christmas tree as opposed to buying faux.

While investing in a quality faux tree that will last for years has some advantages, cutting a real tree for a fraction of the cost spreads out your investment. It also provides you with a unique tree year after year.

DIY Christmas Decorating on a budget

Making your own Christmas decor is not only budget friendly, but also a creative endeavor that is sure to make family memories.

I found an outdated and smushed wreath at the thrift store for $5.99 this year. I stripped it bare of all it’s gaudy embellishments and added a few picks and stems I already owned to create the wreath you see above my mantel.

It cost me $5.99 and only a little bit of time. Upcycling items like this is a great way to get an affordable look while keeping items out of the landfill.

You can also:

1. Make your own garlands from yard clippings
2. Dry orange slices for a festive touch on the tree or in the kitchen
3. Use paper to make DIY snowflakes, trees and ornaments

Shop Secondhand Christmas Decor

There are many ways to shop second hand for Christmas decor.

My biggest tip is to shop year round and after Christmas when items are on clearance. If you only shop right before Christmas, the items you find will be priced the highest.

1. Shop at thrift stores starting in November and for a few weeks after Christmas.
2. Shop Facebook Marketplace right before and right after Christmas when more items are listed.
3. Hunt for affordable antiques throughout the year.
4. Repaint thrift store frames that are the right shape and size and just need a color adjustment.
5. Pile thrifted ornaments in a bowl with some greenery.
6. Shop clearance at the end of the season for next year.

Think Outside the Box of Traditional Christmas Decor

We all know what Christmas decor looks like:

• Santas, snowmen, gingerbread, reindeer, nutcrackers
• Pine trees
• Garlands, wreaths and stems
• Ornaments

But what if we thought beyond traditional decor?

Try using your actual Christmas gifts as decor. Choose a beautiful wrapping paper that goes with your color scheme. Instead of placing all gifts under the tree, tuck a few around the house.

Use printables as art. Remember those thrift store picture frames? Find free or affordable printables online and print them yourself for unique artwork.

Use pottery that is a rich tone and pair it with winter scenes and a tuft of greenery.

Find Dupes

Lastly, find a dupe.

Sometimes, you just can’t afford to invest in specific items. Chances are, there is likely a dupe out there.

My favorite norfolk pine stems are a great example of this.

My top recommendation for these types of stems is flat out expensive. But there are many dupes that will get a similar look for less.

More Holiday Decorating Ideas

What I hope I conveyed today is that Christmas decorating is a mentality of creativity, creating atmosphere, and being intentional in design. You can accomplish this over time and on a budget!

I hope that these tips are helpful as you tackle Christmas decorating on a budget. I always love hearing what others do to stretch a dollar during the holidays. So feel free to leave a comment with your tips too!

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today. You can read more Christmas decorating tips here!

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~Sarah