Christmas Decorating Ideas that Cost Next to Nothing

It’s nearly Christmas, and maybe you’ve run out of time or money to decorate the house.  Here are some great Christmas decorating ideas that cost next to nothing, and will give your home some festive spirit.

Tree Branches

Look in your backyard or the local park for some good shaped tree branches and use them to hang Christmas baubles or decorations from.  The table setting on the left was styled by Sweet Paul magazine.  Use fishing wire to hang the branch from your ceiling, then hang pretty decorations that you are not using on your tree.  Alternatively, you can arrange small tree branches in a vase and hang decorations from them, as in this mantle display styled by Canadian House & Home magazine.

Pinecones

While you are foraging for tree branches, find a pine tree and collect some of the fallen pine cones to use in your Christmas decorating.  You can paint pinecones white, or silver, or just add glitter to the edges.  Find instructions for how to make glitter pinecones at Miss Mustard Seed blog.  Place pinecones on a tray with candles, under a cloche, in the fireplace, or on the dining table.  See more inspiration at German blog White Living.

Baubles

Plastic and glass baubles can be purchased inexpensively from many stores, even the supermarket.  To get some more bang for your buck, use baubles around your home and not just for hanging on the tree.  They look great hung in a cluster from a chandelier or light fitting such as in this picture from Real Simple, or even above the kitchen sink like this picture from Country Living.  In my old house, I hung plastic baubles from pretty ribbon up my staircase to decorate the entrance foyer.

Baubles look great displayed as a collection in a vase, bowl or under a cloche.  Use complimentary colours and vary the size or shape of the baubles to add interest.  Silver baubles in cake stand from Lilla Blannka blog.  Baubles under cloche from Better Homes & Gardens.  Baubles in footed bowl from Style at Home magazine.  Baubles in trophy from Country Living.

Fairy Lights & Candles

Battery operated fairy lights and string lights are now widely available and reasonably inexpensive.  Add them to bowls of decorations, inside lanterns and cloches (like this image from Restoration Hardware), tuck them around a Christmas wreath or even wrap them around a hula hoop to make a large chandelier.  Pillar candles are also an inexpensive way to decorate and create ambience at Christmas time.  Simply add some ribbon or foliage for decoration then place them on a tray, plate or in a hurricane lamp.  See Stone Gable Cottage blog for instructions to make the candle pictured in the centre.

We hope you give some of these ideas a try.  If you do, send us a picture so we can see your great work.

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I'm Kylie, and I love to share practical home decorating and styling tips. I'm a qualified interior designer and self taught crafter and DIY'er. I'm addicted to decorating, and can't walk past a homewares shop without going in for a look. I live in a 1930's Queenslander in Brisbane's inner suburbs which I'm turning into a home one project at a time.