Ready Your Holiday Home: 10 Budget-Friendly Ideas

It’s time to ready your holiday home for cozy moments and festive celebrations. From affordable décor and organization ideas to quick cleaning tips, enjoy this jolly list!

Get Ready for Christmas: Clean & Sweet

1 Pantry Prep. Purchase non-perishables (such as, stuffing and baking mixes, canned goods, hard candies and decorating sugars) to have at the ready for special meals, festive baking and food bank donations.

2 Kitchen Cleanup. Give the fridge, freezer and oven a good scrub out to get ready for holiday goodies (and leftovers). While you’re at it, freshen up the microwave by bringing a coffee mug filled with water and a lemon wedge to a boil; leave in the closed microwave ten minutes so steam can penetrate; and then wipe thoroughly with a clean towel.

3 DIY Delicious. Bake and freeze cookies to get ready for Christmas. Check your supply of boxes, tins or bags for transporting and gifting homemade treats and restock if necessary.

VIRTUAL RECIPE EXCHANGE

Get baking inspiration and reconnect with friends new and old, from across the country or around the globe by starting a “Holiday Cookie Recipe” email, chat thread or even a Facebook group.

4 Warm Welcomes. If you are able to have guests, clean guest rooms and closets. Prepare your supply of fresh linens and guest toiletries to avoid scrambling on their day of arrival. A freshly-cleaned or seasonal front door mat is another quick, hospitable update.

5 Holiday Cheers. Set up a cocktail cart or hot chocolate bar. Load a tray with mugs or glasses, plus festive spirits or all the fixings for a rich cup of cocoa. Now, you’re ready for instant celebrations.

Fresh, Bright & Organized

6 List Love. Make a decorating plan to ready your holiday home. Will you have a fresh tree, faux tree or no tree? Do you need to retrieve decorations from the attic, order candy canes or make popcorn garlands? Put decorating dates on your calendar to stay on track.

7 Textile Time. Swap in some festive throw pillows and blankets. Look for holiday colors, textures like knits and velvets, cheery prints and nostalgic plaids. Just a few decorative accessories can give a space a celebratory refresh.

8 Star Bright. String lights in special places, such as around your front door, along the mantle or up the stairwell. Candles are another great way to enhance that warm, seasonal vibe.

SEASONAL SCENTS

Diffusers, fragrant candles or stovetop scents featuring cinnamon, pine or other holiday-inspired aromas help create a jolly “Get Ready for Christmas” mood. Find a recipe for stovetop pot potpourri (plus tips on smart curtain-buying) here.

9 Paper & Scissors. Invite kids to cut out paper snowflakes or snow people. Lay their artwork over a solid-color tablecloth for a quick winter tablescape. Or, attach paper flakes to invisible nylon thread, then hang them from window frames and chandeliers or other unexpected places.

10 Think Nature. Invite the outdoors in by including pinecones, pine boughs, birch logs or other backyard or farmer’s market finds in your indoor décor. A bowl filled with fresh, seasonal fruits (pomegranates, pears, oranges, persimmons, apples) or nuts makes a deliciously lovely tabletop decoration.

Visit our Holiday Shop for more gifting, decorating and celebrating inspiration.