On our Holiday home tour I’m sharing some quick and easy ways to decorate for Christmas!

I love decorating for the holidays and each year I try to change it up and come up with different ideas I can share with you. This can include new ways to use things, easy DIY projects and, of course, ways to save money. So throughout our Christmas home tour this year, I’m sharing some quick and easy ways to decorate for Christmas as we go along. 

 

 

1. Get creative when it comes to using greenery. 

I use a ton of faux greenery when I decorate for Christmas because it is such a great bang for your buck. It takes just a few minutes to add larger pieces to a white pitcher or crock by themselves or add some red or white berries for a pop of color. You can also cut them apart with wire cutters and add them to bowls or baskets. Place a few sprigs on top of a stack of books. It’s the perfect festive touch. 

I pick up a few of these branches or picks every year when they’re on sale to add to my collection and they store easily from year to year in a plastic tote. Here I tucked some into the little white pitchers but also into the antique pulley and on top of the old typewriter. 

 

 

 

Another tip: keep it simple by using neutral colors as a back ground. 

I added greenery here in a crock with some berries.

 

 

Plus, unlike real greenery, there is no mess to clean up! 

 

2. Use large picks instead of garland where you can.

An easy way to decorate your mantel – (See #1) Instead of an expensive garland, use large picks or sprays layered together. It’s more cost effective and they are more versatile. You can cut them apart to fill in the gaps and make the shelf or mantel look more full. 

Place one large stem on the shelf.  Secure it with a thumb tack. 

 

 

Since it has wire, you can bend it over the side to hang down just a bit.

 

 

Layer another piece on top of that and secure it with another thumb tack. 

 

 

Keep going until you get the front done and then go back through with smaller pieces and fill in the wholes and the shelf is covered.

 

 

Christmas Home Tour Video…

 

  

 

 

You may also like: Christmas Mantel Decorating Ideas

 

3. What to use to hang garland?

I used to wrap the garland around the spindles of the handrail through ever other spindle and it would take forever.  It would also use more garland but I would only have to attach the ends where I would use floral wire to attach the garland to itself.

 

 

I wanted a simpler look so this year I simple draped it to a few places just on the front of the handrail. This time I used twine to attach the garland to the handrail. Twine is great because you just tie it to a few places and let the garland hang in the other places. Then I went back through and covered the twine with ribbon. It’s much easier to get the ribbon to look pretty when you’re not worrying about securing the garland at the same time. Then you go back and fluff the garland. 

 

 

4. Print your own art work in no time.

You’ve heard me talk about free printables a ton which I still highly recommend but you should check out Etsy as well. They have beautiful art which you simply download, print on cardstock and frame in minutes. I got this vintage Christmas tree print for just $2 from a cute little shop on Etsy called The Famous Prints. Check them out! They have some beautiful things to choose from for different holidays and all year! 

 

This beautiful vintage Christmas tree was only $2 and once you download it, you can print it as many times as you want and it any size. I printed this one in 8×10 and put it in a thrift store frame. It adds such a perfect vintage feel.

Easy, cheap Christmas decorations!

 

 

5. Save money by using your decor in different ways.

Use a small wreath as a candle holder in a centerpiece by laying it flay or use a throw blanket as a tree skirt.

 

 

 

Use your ornaments in unexpected ways. Put them in a bowl, add them to a shelf or mantel for a pop of color or sparkle, hang them from a chandelier, or window. 

 

 

 

 

6. Update/recycle old Christmas decor. 

Add new embellishments to your wreaths, switch out the ribbon to do a whole new color scheme. When in doubt, paint it!! Paint your candlesticks a different color or little houses or bells. 

 

 

7. Use trays and crates for easy vignettes.

Here I created a simple Christmas vignette with three candlestick holders and some greens and pinecones in a small crate. It makes a great statement and take only a couple of minutes.  

 

Like a tray, don’t underestimate the decorating power of a bowl. They can make for quick and easy Christmas decor by simply adding some greens and a few ornaments. Here I added some greens and dried orange slices.

 

 

You can see how to dry orange slices for crafts and decorating here. 

 

8. Use your Christmas presents as decor.

Pick out wrapping paper to match your color scheme to help tie it together. Double duty!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read the fun story behind the sled above. 

 

9. Decorate for Christmas with tabletop or mini trees.

Mini Christmas trees are a great bang for your buck when it comes to decorating for Christmas because they are so versatile and easy to decorate in minutes. They can take up a lot of space, you can leave them plain or decorate them and they are super easy to clean up. They look great by themselves or in a group. I wrote a whole post about decorating with mini trees for Christmas! 

 

 

TIP: Always stick to a color scheme in one space. I will help you save time because you’ll stay on track and save money because you can mix and match the pieces and have more flexibility when you’re decorating. 

 

 

 

 

 

A little Christmas decor in the kitchen…

 

I hope you found some inspiration here today and thought of some things you can use in your home. Happy Holidays to you and your family! 

Col

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