How to Save Money on Christmas Decor

Learn how to save money on Christmas decor with DIY projects, secondhand finds, and creative tips that help you decorate your home.

The holiday season has a way of making us want to refresh everything in our home. Stores are filled with beautiful Christmas decorations, new color schemes, and glowing displays that make it tempting to grab something new every time you walk past a festive aisle. But decorating for Christmas does not have to be expensive. The truth is that a beautifully decorated home can be created on a reasonable budget with a little creativity, thoughtful planning, and a fresh perspective on what Christmas decor is meant to be. Learn how to save money on Christmas decor this year!

The average American often feels pressured to keep up with trends during the festive season. But Christmas decorations were never meant to be trend chasers. They are meant to be filled with memories, warmth, and the kind of nostalgia that makes your family say it feels like Christmas the moment they walk through the door. This post will guide you through budget-friendly ways to decorate your home using what you already have, inexpensive decorations, secondhand treasures, natural elements, and simple diy projects. With these tips you can enjoy a festive atmosphere without stretching your decor budget or bringing on unnecessary stress.

Below are the best ways to save money on Christmas decor while still creating a home that feels special, classic, and full of joy.

This post is all about how to save money on Christmas decor!

Decorate Before You Shop

One of the most helpful budget-friendly tips is to decorate your home before you even think about going to a store. This single habit can reduce impulse purchases, prevent repeat buying, and help you stay focused on what you actually need.

Check out our post about how to decorate for Christmas no matter your vibe or style. It’s actually good!

When everything is pulled out, scattered across your living room, and spread across your dining room table, you get a full visual inventory of your holiday decorations. It is easy to forget what you have in storage. Every year I am surprised by items I either forgot about or did not use last year. Once the decor is up, I usually realize there is very little I truly need. Sometimes I even find pieces in good condition that I want to use in a new way.

This also helps answer an important question. Do I want new decorations because I actually need something for a focal point, or because the holiday season advertising around me is convincing me that what I own is not enough? Decorating before shopping helps you stay grounded instead of swept up in the moment.

Decorating first also makes it easier to create a clear shopping list. A thin faux garland becomes a reminder to pick up fillers, and noticing tired outdoor decorations helps you decide whether new outdoor lights are worth adding. You might realize your coffee table needs a centerpiece, or another area could use a small accent. By seeing everything in place, you can shop with intention instead of guessing in a store aisle and spending money on items you may not actually need.

This simple shift can save you money every year and help you make better decisions for the coming year.

Choose Nostalgia Over Trends

It is easy to fall into the trap of believing your old decorations are outdated. New color palettes and trendy holiday decorations show up every year on social media and in department stores. But Christmas is not about constantly replacing your decor. It is about building traditions. It is about creating familiar moments your kids recognize and look forward to.

Nostalgia is created through repetition. Vintage ornaments, handmade decorations, and pieces passed down from parents or grandparents carry deep meaning. Many of my own decorations came from my mom or grandma, and the sentimental value inside those items cannot be replaced at any store.

A lot of families have both a real tree and a faux tree. A real tree smells amazing and brings natural elements into your home. A faux tree is often more practical and can stay consistent year after year. Neither one is trendy or outdated. They simply fit the lifestyle of the family who uses them.

Before you feel pressure to change your entire color scheme or buy new decorations, ask yourself whether the desire is coming from you or from outside influences. There is nothing wrong with wanting a small refresh, but you do not need a whole reinvention to enjoy the Christmas season.

Shop Secondhand Before Shopping Retail

Thrift stores, flea markets, local garage sales, Facebook groups, and holiday swap events are often the perfect place to find festive items at affordable prices. Many people update their color palette from one year to the next. They donate or sell decor that is still in good condition. This means you can find beautifully decorated home pieces for a fraction of what they cost new.

Some of the best finds at secondhand places include:

• Faux garland
• Vintage ornaments
• Candle holders
• Faux leaves and seasonal stems
• Gift tags
• Baskets
• Artificial trees
• Christmas tree ornaments
• Wreath bases
• Plaid blankets
• Fairy lights or string lights
• Festive colors you can spray paint or refresh

You can also explore Christmas suppliers or local craft stores that offer clearance sections filled with last year’s items. A lot of ways exist to find excellent deals if you look in the right places.

Secondhand shopping also gives you the ability to mix styles. You can take old decorations that have charm and pair them with updated accents for a new look that costs very little. It is one of the most budget-friendly ways to add personality to your holiday season without overspending.

Make DIY Projects a Regular Part of Your Decorating

Diy projects go a long way in stretching your decor budget. This time of year makes it easy to gather supplies. Craft stores often have sales, and even the dollar store carries festive items that can be transformed with a little creativity.

A few ideas include:

Make Your Own Garland

Buying a complete garland can be pricey, especially the full ones. A smarter approach is to start with a basic faux garland and customize it. Add pine cones, faux leaves, stems, ribbon, or ornaments. Spray paint some pieces to match your specific color palette. Use fishing line or floral wire to attach everything. A little effort can turn a simple item into one of your favorite festive decorations.

Make Your Own Wreath

Having your own wreath on every interior door is both charming and affordable. Instead of paying department store prices, buy a wreath base and fill it with natural elements or artificial ones. Pine branches, leftover ribbon, string lights, or even dried oranges can create a unique look.

Check out a few of our Christmas wreath DIYs here

Use Tissue Paper and Wrapping Paper for Decor

Tissue paper and wrapping paper are some of the easiest budget friendly materials to repurpose during the holiday season because they can instantly add color, texture, and height to your displays without requiring any new purchases. Tissue paper can be crumpled or folded neatly to fill vases, glass jar arrangements, candle hurricanes, or bowls, and it works especially well for tying in a specific color palette or highlighting festive colors you already have in your home.

Wrapping paper is just as versatile because you can use it to cover books, small boxes, trays, or even shelves to create simple focal points throughout your living room or dining room table. You can wrap faux gifts to style under a faux tree or real tree, line baskets, create paper chains, or use leftover scraps for table settings or gift tags. These inexpensive decorations often come from supplies you already have on hand, and with a little creativity they allow you to create cohesive and beautiful Christmas decorations on a very reasonable budget.

Refresh Old Decorations With Spray Paint

Spray paint is one of the quickest and most affordable ways to refresh old decorations and instantly update your holiday decorations without replacing everything. A single can of spray paint can transform candle holders, picture frames, ornaments, baskets, figurines, vases, and even faux leaves or stems that no longer match your preferred color scheme.

If you want to shift to a new look for the festive season, you can unify mismatched ornaments, add metallic touches to create a warm glow with your christmas lights, or brighten up worn out pieces that would otherwise sit in storage. Spray painting is also a great option for refreshing items you found at thrift stores, flea markets, or garage sales, especially when they are in good condition but simply not the right color. This simple update goes a long way, keeps you within your decor budget, and helps you build a beautifully decorated home without spending extra money on new pieces.

Let Your Kids Help Create Handmade Decorations

Letting your kids help create handmade decorations is a fun activity that brings meaning and joy to the season while also helping you decorate your home on a realistic budget. Children love being part of the process, and they can make simple ornaments, paper snowflakes, pine cone crafts, popcorn or bead garlands, and holiday artwork that you can proudly display throughout your home. These handmade decorations use inexpensive materials like wrapping paper scraps, tissue paper, glue, ribbon, and natural elements from outside, and they fit beautifully into garlands, wreaths, or table settings. Including your kids not only gives your home a personal touch but also teaches them that festive items do not need to come from a department store to be special. These pieces often become the sentimental decorations you treasure most, and they help your home feel warm, personalized, and full of heart during the Christmas season.

Repurpose Everyday Items as Decor

Sometimes the most beautiful decorative items are the ones you already have. With the right combination of natural elements and festive colors, everyday items can become stunning Christmas displays.

A few examples:

• Use a glass jar filled with pine cones, pine branches, or ornaments.
• Repurpose baskets to hold blankets, faux trees, pillows, or gifts.
• Use plaid blankets as table runners or woven through a centerpiece.
• Turn an old wooden tray into a holiday coffee table display.
• Use books wrapped in wrapping paper to add height and texture.

This inexpensive way of decorating helps you create a festive atmosphere without spending extra money on new pieces.

Invest in Fillers Instead of New Decor

Fillers are inexpensive decorations that instantly enhance the look of your holiday decor. This includes ribbon, floral stems, faux leaves, pine cones, berries, and ornaments. These items help your garlands and wreaths look fuller, your centerpieces feel more intentional, and your rooms appear more finished.

Using fillers gives you the flexibility to refresh your decor without replacing the main pieces. Instead of buying a new wreath, add a few ornaments and ribbon. Instead of replacing your centerpiece, add fairy lights or seasonal stems.

Fillers also store easily and take up less space, solving storage space issues many families face after the holiday season.

Shop Sales Thoughtfully

If you enjoy shopping retail, you can still save a lot of money by watching for the best deals. Stores like Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, Home Depot, and craft stores often run sales leading up to Black Friday. Many also mark down seasonal decor right after Thanksgiving and again after Christmas.

A key tip is to create a wishlist that fits your realistic budget. Add items you would love to have, then check for sales before buying. This helps you avoid impulse buys and stay focused on your decor budget.

If you prefer to buy pieces for next year, after Christmas clearance sales are an amazing time to stock up. The coming year always arrives faster than you expect, and you will be grateful to have already purchased the items you wanted for affordable prices.

Get Organized to Prevent Overbuying

A label maker is one of the most useful tools for organizing your holiday decorations. When everything is sorted by room, color scheme, type of decor, or theme, it becomes easier to recall what you own and avoid repurchasing.

Clear storage helps you plan more intentionally for next year. You can see what needs refreshing, what needs replacing, and what is still in good condition for the Christmas season ahead.

Sell or Donate What You No Longer Use

If you find items you have not used since last year or even longer, it may be time to let them go. Selling unused decorations on Marketplace or local groups helps fund new pieces. Donating items is also an excellent way to help other families decorate with less stress and lower budgets.

Clearing out unused decor creates more storage space and keeps your home from feeling cluttered.

Make Decorating a Family Experience

Saving money can be part of the fun. Kids enjoy being involved in the decorating process. They can help you craft gift tags, organize ornaments, or create handmade decorations. Involving them helps build excitement and keeps the season grounded in meaning rather than material things.

Focus on What Matters Most and Learn how to save money on Christmas Decor

At the end of the day, Christmas decor is not about perfection. It is about creating a home that feels warm, welcoming, and filled with cherished memories. You do not need expensive decorations or the newest trends to make that happen. With a little creativity and thoughtful planning, you can create a beautifully decorated home on a reasonable budget year after year. 

As always, thank you for following along with me in my creative journey. Be sure to tag me and use #meagannicholedotcom when sharing your DIYs! Do you have any other ideas for this How to Save Money on Christmas Decor post? Thanks for stopping by MeaganNichole.com

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