I can’t believe we’re only ONE week away from Christmas! This is our first Christmas spent in the new house and I couldn’t be more excited for it! Before we were even done with construction, I pictured every inch of our new home decorated for Christmas. This day has been a long time coming! Today I’ll be taking through our home decorated for holidays and sharing 15 Easy & Affordable Holiday Decorating Tips!
15 Easy and Affordable Holiday Decorating Tips
TIP 1: USE FAUX GARLAND
One of my best tips for holiday decorating is to use FAUX greenery. Real greens are beautiful but not practical. Faux greenery is easier to decorate with (more pliable), less maintenance (doesn’t shed) and lasts for years. I’d much rather invest in quality faux greens than have to buy real greenery every year. It can be difficult to find good garland that looks real, but it’s out there! When you’re shopping, look for ‘real touch’ or ‘natural look’ greens. I linked two really great options below.
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TIP 2: HANG WREATHS INDOORS
Some people think wreaths are only for outdoors but I love bringing them inside too! Hang them on the interior of your windows, doors, glass cabinets, stools or on mudroom hooks! I suggest buying ‘real touch’ wreaths that you can use year after year (I have some great options linked above!) Hang them using festive ribbon fastened with tacks or command hooks. I’ve linked a few of my favorite styles below in different sizes.
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The wreath linked below is 24″ and perfect for doors and windows.
This wreath is 8″ and perfect for cabinets, stools, chairs, mirrors, etc.
TIP 3: HANG YOUR WREATHS WITH RIBBON
My favorite way to hang wreath is with decorative wire RIBBON! If you have wood doors, you can simply nail the ribbon to the top of the door. If you don’t have wood DOORS, you could use a strong adhesive tape. For more info on how to hang wreaths with ribbon on EXTERIOR WINDOWS click HERE.
TIP 4: DISPLAY SENTIMENTAL DECOR
It’s easy to get wrapped up in all things new and trendy but don’t forget about your sentimental decor. Whether it is something gifted to you or passed down through the family – find a special spot for it in your home. When my grandmother passed away I was given the table cloth she used when hosting Christmas dinners for my family and I growing up. The beautifully embroidered tablecloth won’t fit my kitchen table, so I decided to take scissors to it. I cut out the prettiest embroidered areas of the table cloth and framed them in reclaimed wood frames. I was able to make extras to gift to my mom and sister as well. This idea works great with any table linens and Holiday cards too!
TIP 5: ADD FESTIVE TABLE LINENS
One of the easiest ways to decorate your dining table is with festive table linens. Think placemats, napkins and/or table runner. This year I skipped the placemat and runner and just used buffalo plaid cloth napkins to add some color to my table. Very easy and very affordable!
TIP 6: PUT TREES IN BASKETS
Natural woven baskets are the perfect base for your small Christmas trees! Ever find a faux tree you love in an ugly pot? Putting them in a basket is a great way to conceal the original container while also creating a cute and cozy corner. I recommend choosing baskets that are quite a bit wider and taller than the original pot the tree came in – and look for a variety of different style baskets that will look nice styled together.
The trees linked below come with a decorative basket, but don’t be afraid to place them in something bigger for more of a statement.
TIP 7: FILL VASES WITH GREENERY & HOLIDAY PICKS
One of the most affordable ways to add some festive cheer to your home is with faux greenery sprays and picks. You can purchase these in bulk and add them to your vases, pots and planters throughout the house. Don’t be afraid to mix together different varieties (like pine and eucalyptus) or add a pop of color with faux berries!
TIP 8: MIX OLD WITH NEW
This is one of my best decor tips for anytime of year! I love mixing in antique or vintage decor throughout my home. During my latest trip to Brimfield Antique Show I picked up these beautiful wooden skis. I love the shape and knew they’d be a great addition to my holiday decor this year. These antique skis were the last item I added to my front entryway and they completed it perfectly! An antique sled would look great too!
TIP 9: ADD FESTIVE AND COZY PILLOWS & THROWS
One of the easiest ways to change up the look of a room is by swapping out the pillows. For Christmas, I added a little red and plaid to my guest bedroom. It’s amazing what a difference a few pillows can make! I usually change out the pillows in my great room, bedrooms and mudroom. I also add pillows to the end chairs of my kitchen table (school up to Tip #5 to see!) Don’t forget to add a chunky, cozy throw to each room in the house too. If you choose a neutral color like the one shown below, you can keep it out all winter long!
TIP 10: GET BATTERY OPERATED CANDLES
This was the absolute BEST decision we made this year – battery operated candles! These are amazing. They go on/off with an automatic timer and stay on for 6 hours a day. They’re a warm-glow led light that flickers and shows up well from the road. They have a 70 day battery life – so you basically turn them on ONCE a season and never have to touch them again! They’re also the prettiest indoor Christmas candles I’ve ever seen.
TIP 11: STOCK UP ON MINI TREES
Every year I buy a few mini trees to decorate with. They look cute in clusters or displayed individually. These faux mini trees with a wood base were a great find this year – they’re so tiny and cute! I have them sprinkled all throughout our home. They’re the perfect simple festive touch to add to any room.
TIP 12: KEEP THINGS CLEAN AND SIMPLE
I think one of the biggest mistakes made with holiday decor is over doing it. It’s easy to get excited and buy too much ‘stuff’ to fill your spaces with. Try to keep your shopping minimal and only pick up items you love. I like to keep my holiday decor looking clean and simple – very much like my everyday decor. A small wreath or festive pillow is enough to dress up a space for the holidays. Less is more!
TIP 13: DECORATE YOUR WINDOW SILL
One of the most overlooked areas in our homes is the interior side of windows! Try hanging a wreath from the inside or add some simple decor to the window sill. I love the way this mini tree looks perched on the high sill in our guest bathroom. It’s the only Christmas decor I have in this room – but somehow it’s just enough.
TIP 14: MAKE YOUR OWN MISTLETOE
No holiday decor is complete without mistletoe! I’ve never been able to find mistletoe I love – so I challenged myself to a little DIY project this year and made my own! I just gathered a bunch of leftover greenery sprays and picks and tied them together with ribbon. It looks so pretty hanging in the entryway to our kitchen and (I’m happy to say) is used by most our guests!
TIP 15: BURN A REALLY GOOD CHRISTMAS CANDLE
No holiday decor is complete without a holiday candle. Christmas scents are my favorite – we always have something burning at our house this time of year! I’ve cycled through many holiday candles over the years and can confidently say that my favorite is the Thymes Frasier Fir Collection. This scent is warm and cozy – smelling of fir needles, cedarwood and sandalwood. Fasier Fir candles are very fragrant and smell just like a fresh cut Christmas Tree. They also burn clean and very slow. They make a great hostess gift too!
I hope you all enjoyed my easy and affordable holiday decorating tips! If you decide to decorate using any ideas from this post, I’d love to see! Be sure to follow on me Instagram @redwhiteanddenim to share your photos with me! I also added a walk through tour of my house decorated for the holidays to my stories – I’ll save it to my HOLIDAY highlight!
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Where are the window candles from?