With the holidays upon us, you might be thinking of ways to get your home a little more festive without surpassing your holiday budget! Don’t worry, decorating for the holidays doesn’t have to break the bank! We have curated a list of budget-friendly holiday décor ideas for the whole family. Keep reading to learn more.
Salt Dough Ornaments
A great way to add a personal touch to your holiday décor is by making salt dough ornaments. Typically, you will see these ornaments with handprints of the new born baby of the house, but they’re great for creating keepsakes of loved ones, whether they’re two-legged or four! They are also great to use as a blank canvas for kids to paint their own designs on. While they are often more geared toward children, there are a few steps that will require adult assistance.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 4 cups of flour (any flour will work)
- 1 cup of salt
- 1 ½ cups of warm water
Combine the flour and salt until well incorporated and then slowly incorporate the warm water. Once it becomes difficult to stir with a spoon, it’s time to get your hands dirty! Start kneading the dough until everything is well combined and it feels smooth and easy to work with. It’s best to lay down a sheet of parchment paper before rolling out the dough to 1/8”, just like you would if you were making sugar cookies. Pro-Tip: Flour your rolling pin or add another sheet of parchment paper on top to avoid the dough from sticking. Cut out your shape of choice and don’t forget to cut out a small hole at the top of your ornament to account for the ribbon. With the cut dough on the parchment paper, remove the excess dough from around your cut ornaments and slide the parchment paper on to your baking sheet. Now is the time to chase your dog or child down to imprint their little paws (or any other design you might have in mind) into the dough. Set your oven to 300° and bake for about an hour. Once the ornaments are completely hard, they are ready. If they turn a little brown, they are overdone, but it’s nothing a little paint can’t fix! When cooled completely, decorate whatever way you like, attach your ribbon, and display your art piece by hanging on the tree!
Holiday Card Garland
Do you find yourself with stacks of holiday cards from friends and family each year? There is an easy and fun way to display these for all to see. Hang some cooking twine, string, or whatever else you might have around the house in a place where you would like to display all of your cards. We would recommend hanging over a mantel if you don’t use your fireplace, under shelves, or high up in tall doorways. Drape your holiday cards over the twine in whatever order you choose, and just like that, you have a holiday card garland. Pro-Tip: For postcard style holiday cards, use small clothespins to clip them to your string for hanging!
Festive Wine Glass Centerpieces
An easy way to spruce up your centerpiece at the dinner table is by collecting any stemmed wine glasses that you aren’t planning to use. Fill the glass with mini ornaments or leftover ornaments that you might have lying around that will fit. Invert the glasses on your table and arrange in whatever way you would like. Lastly, top with a pillar or tea candle and you’re done! Pro-Tip: Use battery operated candles to prevent an accidental fire in your home.
DIY Recycled Snowman
Bring the fun of a season favorite inside with this recycled-can snowman! Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 large, empty coffee can
- 1 medium sized soup can (smaller than your coffee can)
- 1 small soup can
- Paint & paint brush
- Holiday ribbon
- Hot glue gun or super glue
Start by gluing your three clean, empty cans together with the largest can on the bottom and the can’s openings faced down. Once the glue has dried, paint your snowman whatever color you would like. When the base coat dries, it's time to add the details: coal eyes and a smile, maybe an orange carrot nose, even a corncob pipe if you are feeling adventurous! Grab some leftover ribbon and give your new snowy friend a scarf! This craft would look great on a coffee table, in a child’s room, on the front porch, or even in the kitchen.
Personalized Ornaments
A fun and customizable decoration, or even a gift to a friend, can be made by using clear ornaments. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Clear ornaments (plastic or glass will work, just make sure you can remove the cap)
- Various paint colors that you like
- Dried flowers, coffee beans, tinsel, or any small objects you have around the house that are meaningful or festive that will look nice in an ornament!
DIY Tie Dye Ornaments
Go to a well-ventilated area and place a base of cardboard for easy cleanup. Start by removing the cap from the top of your clear ornament and add paint into the opening at the top. You don’t need too much paint to completely cover the inside of the bulb. Try tilting the ornament all around (without spilling any paint) and maneuver the paint until the ornament is covered with the color you started with, then repeat that step with your next color. Once covered, set the bulbs up to dry completely (if they came in packaging they can dry in, set them back in there. If they didn’t, grab an empty egg carton). When dry, you can pop the metal top back onto the bulb and these DIY ornaments are complete!
Custom Favorites Bulbs
Have a friend who loves coffee? Do you clip and dry flowers and are unsure of where to display them? Clear ornaments are a great way to encapsulate memories and things that make you happy during the holidays! Simply remove the cap of the ornament, and place small trinkets into the globe. Put the cap back on and display or gift the ornaments for the season!
No room to adorn your tree with these new baubles? Try piling a few into a festive bowl for a centerpiece at the table, add to any garland you might have up in your home, or give some pizzazz to your wreath by adding a few homemade bulbs.
Since you’re already in the mood to decorate, you might consider tackling some holiday lighting. Make sure your lighting is safe by clicking the button below to learn more.
