1. Shop Second-Hand
Thrift stores, flea markets and yard sales are a great source for affordable Christmas decorations – whether you’re into vintage finds or the latest trends. Before you pay full price for anything, see if you can find it second-hand.2. Make Your Own Decorations
Spend some time poking around on Pinterest, and you’re sure to find more than a few Christmas decorations that you want to make. To minimize your crafting costs, look for projects that are made with recycled materials or supplies that you already have in your craft stash. Use craft store coupons to further minimize the cost.
3. Reinvent What You Already Have
Turn a creative eye on the things that you already have in your home, and you may not have to buy anything at all. If you’re tired of all of your bold-colored holiday decorations, try painting them white or your favorite metallic color; or coat them in craft glue and sprinkle them with glitter. Just flip through a few holiday catalogs, and you’ll find plenty of ideas to inspire your remakes.
A Few Project Ideas:
4. Decorate with Things from Nature
Pine boughs, holly branches, pine cones and magnolia leaves all make beautiful Christmas decorations. Take a walk around your yard, and see what you can find to decorate your home for free.
5. Hit the Dollar Store
Walk up and down the aisles of your favorite dollar store in search of decorations that can be used as-is or tweaked to perfection with just a bit of work. At just a dollar a pop, there should be plenty of room in your budget for a few craft supplies to customize your decorations.
Need inspiration? Check out DollarStoreCrafts.com
6. Start with Free Holiday Printables
Skip the stores, and print your decorations instead. Just do a quick web search for "christmas printables", and you’ll turn up free advent calendars, garland, place cards, ornaments, frameable artwork and more.
Some Holiday Printables to Check Out:
7. Host a Christmas Decoration Swap
Kick off the holiday season by inviting your friends and neighbors over for a Christmas decoration swap. It’s a fun way to trade what you don’t want for what you do.8. Shop the After-Christmas Sales
Make a list of all the decorations that you’d like to add to your collection. Then, wait for them to go on clearance after Christmas. It’s an easy way to save 50, 75 or even 90% off of the regular retail price.
Tip: Even craft supplies go on clearance after the holidays, so grab everything you need to make new decorations for next year.
9. Go Geek
Saving money on Christmas decorations starts by getting a great deal on all of those festive baubles, but it ends with finding ways to light them up for less:
