Number Fifty-Three: My Top 5 Ways to Decorate Beautifully for Christmas on a Budget

Hey friends!

I want to talk about decorating for Christmas on a slim budget today. I know finances are tough for a lot of people this year. Me included. Between moving to a new state, renovating this old house and getting the boys everything they needed to start school there wasn't a ton left to splurge on holiday decorations this year. (Let's not forget Christmas gifts need to be bought...as do birthday gifts in this house as both my sons have b-days within a week of Christmas).

So, with all that said, I thought I would show you how I got the warm and cozy Christmas look I was after, without breaking the bank.

Tip 1:

Gather berry filled branches from nature. On a trip, just before Thanksgiving, I discovered some gorgeous (and gigantic) winterberry bushes in a neighboring town. I went back and clipped a bunch and laughed as I could see that I wasn't the only one who had done that. There were fresh cuttings on many of the branches. Imagine a group of housewives clamoring to get the most winterberries off of a roadside bush. This spring, I intend to plant my own to avoid such potential drama. ;)

I used the majority of my found winterberry tucked into our main tree. The gorgeous fat berries and bold red color really made a statement this year.

The remainder was used as an accent on my dining room sled centerpiece (more about that in a bit).

Tip 2:

Shop the grocery store for inexpensive seasonal treats. What child, or adult for that matter, doesn't love a home filled with Christmas snacking goodness? I set up a hot chocolate bar in our kitchen filled with cocoa mix, marshmallows, candy canes and cookies.

I'm going to be honest. Nobody eats more marshmallows than I do. I pretty much think they are perfect, but that could very well be the New England girl in me as the amount of fluffernutters I've consumed in my lifetime probably measure in the thousands.

Another fun aspect of this is to change out the treats as they run low. I just posted these yummies on Facebook the other day...chocolate covered marshmallows with crushed candy canes, BTW.

Tip 3:

Hit up tag sales or local swap groups/thrift stores to save big on holiday décor. A few times I have gotten a box of vintage ornaments (the red ones you see below included) For just a few dollars, per box! I see them going for that price individually at antique stores.

Tip 4:

You can't get more Christmasy than using pine. We have several different types of pine trees on our new property and I helped myself to them whenever I wanted to boost up my holiday decorating.

A few branches tucked here and there are pretty.

But, I also made them center stage on my dining table, putting one small clipping each in my collection of vintage bottles.

Tip 5:

I saved my favorite tip for last! Raid your parents house, your granparents house and all those other family members who may have kept things from the past that are meaningful.

This sled is one of my very few things I have left from my childhood and I am so happy that I do! Just picture a little me, before I got curls, with a Dorothy Hamel hair cut and a green snowsuit, sledding the hills of Massachusetts. If I look closely, I can even see my name carved into the metal in certain spots.