10 Simple (and Gorgeous) Christmas Decor Ideas

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Christmas is here! Just as much as I enjoy taking down all the decorations in January, I look so forward to decorating the house in late November--the day after Thanksgiving, to be precise. The holiday additions make our home feel wonderfully special for the short time that we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ. As a woman on a budget and one who is keen on simplicity, here are ten ideas you can use to spruce up your home for the holidays. 

​1. Add a cheap faux (or real!) strand of garland to any piece of furniture for a pop of color. Put red berries in for more of that Christmas feel. I purchased both of these at Walmart years ago for a total of five dollars. If you have pinecones available in your neighborhood or local park, take a pile home to glue onto the strand--it's free! 

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​2. Make your own wreath with supplies on hand or items from the craft store. For this wreath, I purchased a foam base, burlap ribbon, faux greenery with berries, and two red birds. I simply wrapped the foam base with the ribbon and used hot glue to secure the end. Then, I glued on the greenery and birds. In order to hang the wreath, I knotted a piece of twine and--you guessed it--hot glued it to the back. Hot glue is amazing!

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3. Make your own personalized stockings. I wanted the stockings to match the rest of my home's typical decor. I went to Home Goods and purchased five stockings that felt like they went together, but did not come in a set. Then, I purchased brown gift tags at a craft store and buttons, which I planned to sew onto the stockings. I picked matching silver buttons for the females and large brown buttons for the males. After writing names on the gift tags, I simply draped them over the buttons. Don't forget a stocking for your pet!

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4. Add a personalized message to your fireplace mantel (or anywhere in your home). We leave this chalkboard here year-round, which allows me to change the message for each season without having to swap in and out decor. I also placed Christmas ornaments on the side of the chalkboard (fun address book finds from Marshalls).  In a vase that I also use all year, I replaced the fall foliage with more Christmas-looking greenery. 

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5. For the trendy rustic- farmhouse look, place a piece of burlap under your Christmas tree and tuck the ends into the top of the tree's base. Gone is the tree skirt. ​

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​6. Place Christmas ornaments into a cookie jar (or any glass container of choice). This makes the perfect centerpiece on your dining room table or adds a nice touch of cheer to any other placement in your house.  ​

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7. Place a wreath on any interior door. This one hangs on our daughter's bedroom door.
(Purchased at Marshalls.)

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8. From the same box of berries that you used for the garland, place the extra berries into your faux floral arrangements. Doing this is an easy way to add a touch of the holidays to your existing decor without having to replace the item with a separate piece of decor for the season. 

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9. Find a tree topper that matches the rest of the style in your home so that your Christmas tree ties in with the room.​

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10. Set out a couple pictures from holidays past. One of our's isn't even framed yet, but it adds a feeling of warmth to have the memories out, regardless of how they're displayed. 

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How do you decorate for the holidays? I'd love to hear your favorite ideas!