Four Budget-Friendly Ways to Decorate a Holiday Home

decorate a holiday home like this example of a white fireplace mantel with red stockings, pine boughs and Christmas signs

It’s that time of year and your space awaits a festive touch. We’ve got four fun suggestions to decorate a holiday home while leaving plenty of budget for buying presents!

Decorate a Merry Mantel

Scour your cupboards and shop online bargains for a few festive knicknacks that make you smile. Nestle those special odds and ends amongst found pine boughs, extra candy canes, ornaments that have lost their hooks — or mounds of cotton ball “snow” — for a one-of-a-kind merry mantel. Don’t have a fireplace? Create a “mantel-scape” atop your favorite bookshelf, console or end table.

Fireplace mantel decorated with felted snowman, deer and gnome figurines and pine boughs is a great way to decorate a holiday home

Budget-Friendly & Festive Windows

Have an extra strand of holiday lights or quirky garland? Try stringing it across your window. And don’t neglect that ledge — it’s the perfect spot for a tiny tree or festive sign. Whimsical signage is fun to shop for but it’s also fun to make. Choose a few favorite quotes from holiday books or movies. Type each quote on its own page in a word processing document (in colorful letters with fun fonts and other embellishments), print the pages, and pop each one into an old picture frame. If desired, spray the frames with metallic or holiday-hued paint.

A corner window decorated with silver star garland, holiday pillow and Merry Christmas signs looks sleek and cheery

Happy Holiday Place Settings

A bit of planning (and math!) makes a big difference in a successful tablescape. Before laying out dishes and linens, draw an imaginary lengthwise line across an oblong table or imagine a 12” to 18” circle in the center of a round one. Follow that invisible horizontal vine — or fill that imaginary circle — with greenery and other natural items like pine cones, pebbles or shells, interspersed with matching or mix-and-match candles. Keep things low so folks can see each other!

Get festive with a red plaid holiday table cloth with green mats, pine boughs and red owl candle

Deck the Hall or Entryway

Wrap bannisters with ribbon, garlands or greenery. Pop a holiday-theme pillow or two on a bench. Put out a festive welcome mat. Or do all three! You can find more terrific tips on decorating your entryway here.

A stairrail wrapped with pine boughs and faux holly beads is a welcoming way to decorate a holiday home

Truth? You may not be quite ready to decorate a holiday home. Perhaps you like to wait until all of the Thanksgiving leftovers have been eaten — or you’ve survived those Black Friday sales! We hear you. Take these suggestions as, well, food for thought and a cheery reminder to keep your eyes open for those unique little pieces (from your closet or corner market) that will make decorating more festive when you feel ready!