Decking the Halls on a Budget: Holiday Decor Ideas for DIYers

Household budgets may force people to check the price tag on their holiday spirit.

Decorations are a holiday staple during Thanksgiving and Christmas, but with rising costs some festive crafters have figured out ways for you to pinch your pennies and do it yourself.

Nature is Full of Potential Decorations

The fresh scent of fir trees and beautiful multicolored leaves are all around the Key Peninsula. Tammi Barber, former owner of the boutique party store Frills in Gig Harbor, suggests going out and collecting an assortment of maple leaves and other broad leaves to bring inside to dry. Leaves can be used for all sorts of decor, even as simple as putting them on a mantle or bookshelves to add fall colors. A tip: pressing them inside a heavy book will help preserve the colors. She said you can even string them up and hang them in windows throughout the home.

KP crafter Holly Baker loves using leaves. “Slather some Mod Podge all around an old jar, stick the leaves on, and then seal them with another layer of Mod Podge,” said Baker. “Put a candle in and it brings in a lot of natural warmth during Thanksgiving.”

Like leaves, clips of evergreen boughs can be used for so much. Barber likes to line her windowsill with them and said she rejuvenates her outdoor flowerpots by topping them off with fir and cedar clippings. Mix in some holly that grows all around the KP and you have some free, locally sourced outside decorations. Of course, that same greenery can be used to make wreaths and garlands, if you have the patience.

“Then when you’re done with it, you recycle it back to nature,” Baker said.

Speaking of Wreaths

Unless properly stored, fake wreaths can get pretty banged up in those holiday storage bins. It’s nothing some spray paint and a new ribbon can’t fix, Barber said. Maybe even add a strand of battery-powered lights. “You want a wreath to look good from both sides. Then you can hang them in the window and people inside and outside can enjoy them.”

Mika Stutzman of Harbor Balloons uses chicken wire in her designs and shared how easy it is to make wreaths. “You can basically fold it and bend it in any shape. Then just zip-tie the greenery of your choice to it,” she said. “You can also wrap it around your staircase banister (add the boughs), and it’s an easy way to do garland.”

Your Garden is Another Source of Decor

Baker buys flowers locally to create her year-round wreaths, which she showcases on her Instagram (@A.FlowerPhilosophy). Whether buying or nabbing them from your garden, Baker said the key to using flowers in your decor is drying them out, which can take a little time. She suggests hanging flowers upside down in a place that has good airflow to avoid molding for at least two weeks.

Want fresh flowers without the fresh-cut flower costs? “Mix in a lot of fake flowers with a small amount of real flowers,” Baker said. “Even a vase of dried flowers from your garden can look great.”

What’s Old Can Be New Again

Have an out-of-style knit sweater? Maybe an old red and black plaid flannel shirt with holes in it? Instead of tossing it, Barber suggested cutting it up and using the material to make ornaments. “Get some double-sided, waterproof fabric tape and wrap them around plastic bulbs. This a great, inexpensive solution for people who can’t sew.” Use fabric scissors to cut any of that material or you will dull your regular scissors quickly.

Sunnycrest Nursery owner Debbie Cassidy suggested taking antique and decorative lanterns, or anything glass-encased, and filling those with things like little pumpkins, leaves, evergreens or, of course, scented candles. She even said taking simple trays and putting various seasonal items on them makes for an easy centerpiece for the coffee or dinner tables.

Finding Ornaments All-year Long

Barber likes to collect ornaments whenever she’s out of town. She said it’s a good way to reminisce each year about a family vacation or a trip with friends. “It’s like a living postcard of all the places you’ve been together.”

Can’t find an ornament? Choose a keychain from a gift shop and either put an ornament hook on it or put it on the tree as-is.

Baker likes the idea: “People forget where they bought a decoration at a store, but you’ll always have those memories of family and friends on vacation.”

Wrapping Paper Can Be Used for More Than Just Gifts

Get some Thanksgiving- or Christmas-themed wrapping paper for those upcoming turkey dinners. Barber said you can use the paper as table runners or to literally wrap your table. Then when dinner is done, just throw it away. “It’s just going to get covered in gravy anyway,” she said.

You can also wrap up some of your picture frames on your wall, complete with ribbons and bows, to make them look like presents – an easy way to add color to hallways.

Don’t Forget Your Ceilings

Remember the chicken wire from before? Stutzman said she also hangs some on the ceiling at home and attaches all sorts of things from it, including balloon bouquets. “You can use any sort of sheet or ribbon and thread it through (the metal part) to cover up the wire. Then you can create a unique decorative display to walk beneath.”

“Whatever you choose to do, your holiday decorating should match your personality,” Barber said. “That’s what (your guests) know you for and it’ll make them feel more comfortable being in your home.”