Holiday spending can quickly get out of control. Between your shopping list and travel expenses, you're already looking at a hefty sum for this Christmas. One easy place you can save money during the holidays is with your decorating. These seven tips will help you decorate your home beautifully and affordably for Christmas.
Store Decorations the Right Way
Hopefully you stored your holiday decorations properly last year. Otherwise, you might find they've been damaged by months of storage. When packing up decorations this year, be sure to store items safely to spare yourself the expense of replacing them next year. You don't have to spend money on expensive specialized storage systems. You can pack up decorations using items you already own, like egg cartons for baubles and cardboard for light storage.
Stick to a Color Scheme
A simple color palette allows you to create a cohesive decor with fewer pieces. Red and green, blue and silver, and silver and gold are just a few festive combinations you can decorate with. You can even pull off a monochromatic color scheme for an ultra-modern look. Let your holiday colors feature in your table settings, in wreaths and garlands, on your tree, or other focal pieces.
Choose a Statement Piece
A show-stopping statement piece lets you keep the rest of your decorations simple. In most homes, the focal piece is the tree, with bright baubles, ribbon, tinsel, lights, and more. However, if you don't already own a stockpile of decorations, putting up a tree is expensive. For an alternative to the Christmas tree, make a tree out of lights, use a rustic ladder as a clever ornament display, craft a gorgeous holiday wreath, or try another one of Hunker's creative ideas.
Get Down with DIY
Store-bought decorations can be very costly — and frequently, they're not all that well-made. To save money and create something you can use again and again, put together your own holiday decorations. There are so many possibilities when it comes to DIY holiday decorations. Use House Beautiful's ideas for inspiration to get started!
Forage for Decorations
Your own garden is a wonderful source of holiday decorations. You can use evergreen branches to make holiday garlands and wreaths, turn pine cones into ornaments and table decorations, or pot berry-laden holly branches for a centerpiece. While not from the garden, citrus fruits in a decorative bowl also make a gorgeous, yet highly frugal display.
Shop Secondhand
So many people change up their decorations yearly that secondhand shops are full of like-new holiday decorations. Stop by your charity shop to see what you can find. You’ll have to sift through a bunch of tacky or outdated decorations, but you might find some gems in there, like a classic ornament set or fabric for a DIY table runner. If you can't find what you need secondhand, use discount vouchers and sales to get the best prices on new decorations.
Wrap Your Gifts Early
Presents under the tree are a quintessential holiday decoration, so don't wait until Christmas Eve to put your gifts out. Wrap gifts in color-coordinated wrapping paper and place them under the tree for a cheerful display. If you can't risk kids or pets ripping into gifts before it's time, wrap empty boxes and hold off on the real thing.
Whether you're throwing a holiday party, hosting an intimate gathering with family, or just want to get in the holiday spirit, you want your home to look bright and festive without costing a fortune. And with these tips, you can! Start hunting for bargains and planning your DIY crafts so you can get your home dressed up for the Christmas.
Image via Unsplash
This article was written by Suzie Wilson of happierhome.net
