If you're on a tight budget this holiday, don't spend it on decorations...especially when one of our favorite magazines, UK's Living Etc., offers a few fabulous DIY decorating ideas to celebrate the holidays. We've collected our top six favorite ideas that won't hit your wallet too hard (if at all, depending on how many decorations you've collected from previous years!)...Take a look after the jump...
6 DIY Holiday Decorating Ideas
from Living Etc.
No fireplace? No problem. Find a branch, spray paint it white (or leave it natural), and hang it in near the tree. This woodsy "mantel" can not only hang stockings, but it can also be decorated further by twining holiday lights around it.
Another alternative stockings hanging over the fireplace: tying cups and mugs near the bottom of stair banister rungs with bright, cheery ribbons.
If you can't get enough of tree branches, here's a decorating idea that would make a statement in the dining room: hang a branch above the dining table and decorate it with ornaments.
Need a centerpiece? Clementines are in season right now, and their vibrant orange skin is a perfect and affordable way to brighten up a table.
If you don't feel like splurging on a Christmas tree this year, one alternative is to hang a cord (like a clothing line) from the ceiling, strung with a selection of similar-hued ornaments. This project looks a lot easier than it is (we tried it!)...but if you've got the eye for arranging shapes in a sculptural way; well, frankly, we're jealous.
We still haven't put a wreath out on our front door--and after seeing this solution, we might skip it entirely. Instead of hanging a wreath, round up a few ornaments (preferably shatterproof and/or ones you don't mind having knicked and scratched) and tie them to a nail or door knocker. We're thinking this idea would look even lovelier topped with a large, simple bow.
Got some DIY holiday decoration ideas yourself? Share it with us in the comments!
[ Photos from Living Etc. ]
Comments (11)
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Fill a bowl with pine cones and ornaments.
Hang ornaments or home made snowflakes on fishing line from the ceiling, or in front of a window, at varying heights.
Get a floral foam cone, put a dollar store Santa hand over it, then put pretty colored pins/broaches/ornaments all over it (sticking into the cone) for a unique mini "Christmas tree."
...it's not that hard, really. There are a ton of things you can do cheaply, easily, and still look Christmasy.
view Mrs.Mack's profile
Santa HAT. Not Santa hand. Gosh, that would be just creepy, wouldn't it?
view Mrs.Mack's profile
How are those coffee mugs tied to the rails and not slipping down?
view zuke's profile
Ha. I was wondering what a Santa hand was. Thanks for explaining!
view Joan A.'s profile
I love the Santa hat-tree idea! Thank you Mrs. Mack!
view Griffin's profile
I love the different shaped chairs all painted the same color in the dining room picture. I'm totally going to try that!
view nazrd's profile
Love that orange chair! Any info on that? Also dig the branch to hold the stockings. That'll look great in our home, thanks for the idea.
view moptop's profile
The branch over the dining table looks really great. It happens to have a nice shape, and probably not easy to come by such a great branch, but oh well. The pretty detail of the ornaments being sort of familial in relation to size, shape and sticking to a few colors is also pretty. All one size or all one color or all one shape would not look as successful, I don't think, and neither would wild and randomly assorted whatever you have. I hope I could be lucky and find a branch like that or with enough character.
view K T G's profile
Me, too nazrd! I can't find chairs I like that match our dining room table and that is a stellar look. Now, to pick a color...
Just looking at these ideas gave me another thought for decor... I liked the look of the suspended branch (natural, unpainted for me) for the stockings but we have a mantel for those, so I'm going to hang my blown-glass ornaments from it since we opted against a tree this year (instead I put a big bunch of curly willow in a silver paint can and hung mini-ornaments from the sprawling branches).
Thanks, all!
view TheGoodBiGirl's profile
A cake stand, a pillar candle, some evergreen bows & berries and voila, a seasonal centerpiece to coo over: http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2008/12/do-it-yourself-seasonal-centrepiece/
view ChrisToronto's profile
@Griffin
I'm glad you like the Santa hat idea. I actually made that one up as I was typing out the comment. :)
view Mrs.Mack's profile