I will let you in on a little secret: most of the Christmas decor in my home that guests compliment the most cost me less than ten dollars to make. A roll of ribbon, a bag of oranges, a few thrifted candlesticks and some clippings from the yard can make a room look like it came straight out of a boutique.
Below are 21 budget-friendly DIY Christmas decorations that genuinely look high-end. Every one of them is simple enough for a weekend afternoon, and most use things you already have in your pantry, craft drawer or backyard. Pour a warm drink, put on some music and let’s make your home feel magical without spending a fortune.
1. Dried Orange and Bay Leaf Garland
A dried orange garland is the first Christmas DIY I make every year. The slices glow like little stained glass windows in the light, and adding bay leaves between them makes it look like something you would find at a high-end florist.
Slice oranges about a quarter inch thick, pat them dry and bake at the lowest oven setting for three to four hours, flipping once. Thread them on jute twine with a few bay leaves and hang across a window, a mantel or the tree.
2. Stamped Salt Dough Ornaments
Salt dough ornaments look like expensive ceramic when you keep them simple and white. I stamp them with snowflakes and stars and tie them with red twine for a classic Scandinavian look.
Mix two cups flour, one cup salt and about three quarters of a cup of water, roll it out and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Poke a hole for the twine, bake low until dry, and finish with a coat of white paint or leave them natural.
3. Thrifted Brass Candlestick Cluster
A cluster of brass candlesticks in mixed heights is one of the most elegant looks for the holidays, and it is so easy to collect them secondhand. They add warmth and an old-world feel to any table or mantel.
I pick up brass candlesticks at thrift stores for a dollar or two each all year long. Group five to seven of them together, add cream taper candles, and tuck cedar sprigs around the bases for a centerpiece that looks antique and expensive.
4. Cinnamon Stick Star Ornaments
Cinnamon stick stars smell incredible and look so charming on the tree or tied onto a gift. They have that rustic, handmade look that boutique shops charge a lot for.
Hot glue five cinnamon sticks into a star shape, then add a loop of twine and a small bow at the top. Buy cinnamon sticks in bulk at a grocery or ethnic market for the best price, and make a whole batch in one afternoon.
5. Glowing Paper Star Lanterns
Paper star lanterns hanging in a window are pure Scandinavian magic. When they glow at dusk they make the whole house feel welcoming from the street, and they look far pricier than they are.
You can fold your own stars from heavy white paper using a simple template, or find flat-pack lanterns online for a few dollars. Pop a battery-operated puck light inside so they are safe to leave glowing all evening.
6. Upcycled Wine Bottle Candle Holders
Empty wine bottles make beautiful candle holders, especially green glass ones. With a white taper candle in each and some evergreen tucked around the base, they look like something from a farm-to-table restaurant.
Soak the bottles to remove the labels, and wrap a little tape around the base of each candle so it fits snugly. Line three or five down a table runner and scatter pine cones between them for an easy centerpiece.
7. Clipped Greenery in Thrifted Vases
Tall branches of fresh greenery in stoneware jugs and vases look like a florist arrangement, but they are completely free if you have trees in your yard or a kind neighbor. They also make the house smell wonderful.
Mix pine, cedar and fir for different textures, and cut the branches at an angle so they drink water. Thrift a few creamy ceramic vases and group them on a console or entry table for a high-end look in minutes.
8. Mason Jar Snow Luminaries
These little mason jar luminaries look like snow globes glowing on the windowsill. They are cozy, sweet and so easy to make with things you probably already have.
Fill each jar with a couple inches of Epsom salt for snow, nestle in a mini bottle brush tree and set a battery tea light beside it. Line them up on a window ledge or a mantel for a soft winter glow.
9. Dollar Store Wreath Upgrade with Velvet Bow
A plain dollar store wreath can look like a boutique wreath with one simple upgrade: a big velvet bow. Deep red velvet adds instant richness and makes the greenery look far fuller.
Fluff the wreath branches, add a few fresh clippings for realism, and tie a generous bow with long tails cut into dovetails. Velvet ribbon by the yard is the only splurge, and you can reuse it for years.
10. Wooden Bead Garland with Tassels
Wooden bead garlands are everywhere in high-end shops, but they cost pennies to make at home. I love draping one over a stack of books, a tray or a tree for a warm farmhouse touch.
String unfinished wooden beads onto jute twine, and finish each end with a handmade tassel wrapped from extra twine. Make a few lengths at once so you can use them throughout the house all winter.
11. Gold-Dipped Pine Cones
A bowl of gold-dipped pine cones on the coffee table is such an easy, elegant holiday accent. The touch of metallic catches the light and makes humble pine cones feel luxe.
Collect pine cones on a walk, bake them low to clean them, then lightly brush the tips with gold craft paint or dry brush them with metallic paint. Pile them in a wooden dough bowl and you are done.
12. Upcycled Sweater Pillow Covers
Cable knit pillows look so cozy on the sofa in December, and you can make them from thrifted sweaters. They add texture and warmth that make the room feel like a ski lodge.
Turn a sweater inside out, slip in a pillow insert, pin around it, and sew or even hot glue the edges closed. Cream and oatmeal shades look the most high-end and blend with everything you already own.
13. Birch Wood Slice Trees
Stacked wood slice trees are a charming rustic accent for a shelf or mantel. I love making a family of three in different heights and wrapping a tiny strand of fairy lights around them.
Drill holes through birch rounds from largest to smallest and slide them onto a wooden dowel set into a thicker base slice. Many craft stores sell bags of wood slices cheaply, or cut your own from fallen branches.
14. Embroidery Hoop Wreaths
Embroidery hoop wreaths are modern, minimal and so pretty in a group of three. They are perfect for a small wall, a door or above a bed where a full wreath would feel heavy.
Wire a few sprigs of eucalyptus and pine to one side of a wooden hoop, then tie a linen ribbon at the top. Hoops are about a dollar each at craft stores, so you can make a whole set for very little.
15. Wool Felt Ball Garland
A felt ball garland adds a soft pop of color and looks so cheerful on a mantel or across a doorway. Red, cream and sage feel classic without being too bright.
Buy a bag of wool felt balls and thread them onto embroidery floss with a large needle. It is a relaxing craft to do in front of a holiday movie, and kids love helping pick the color pattern.
16. Lighted Twig Star Wall Decor
A big twig star wrapped in fairy lights makes such a statement on an empty wall. It looks like something from an upscale home store but costs almost nothing.
Gather five straight sticks of the same length, overlap them into a star and secure each joint with twine or wire. Wind a strand of battery fairy lights around it and hang it above a bench, bed or console.
17. Vintage Book Page Ornaments
Book page ornaments have a soft, vintage look that I just adore. Folded into stars and cones, they look like heirloom decorations from a European Christmas market.
Use pages from a damaged thrift store book, fold them into simple stars, fans or cones, and add a twine loop. They look especially beautiful on a neutral tree with warm lights and a few brass bells.
18. Gold-Edged Air-Dry Clay Ornaments
Air-dry clay ornaments with gilded edges look like little pieces of boutique pottery. I love stars and moons for a celestial, elegant touch on the tree or tied onto gifts.
Roll out air-dry clay, cut shapes with cookie cutters and poke a hole for ribbon. Once dry, sand the edges lightly and brush on gold paint or gold leaf. A single package of clay makes dozens of ornaments.
19. Ribbon-Wrapped Pillar Candles
Wrapping plain pillar candles in ribbon is the quickest way to dress them up for the holidays. Mix plaid and velvet ribbons and tuck in a sprig of greenery for a gift-shop look.
Use inexpensive pillar candles and tie the ribbon loosely below the flame line, removing it before the candle burns down. Group them on a tray with pine cones for a cozy centerpiece in five minutes.
20. Kraft Bag Advent Calendar on a Branch
A branch advent calendar with little kraft bags is rustic, sweet and so much prettier than store-bought versions. It becomes a beautiful piece of decor all through December.
Number small kraft bags with round tags, fill them with treats or notes, and clip them to a branch with mini clothespins. Hang the branch with twine, and refill it every year for a cherished family tradition.
21. Faux Snow Branch Centerpiece
Snow-dusted branches in a tall glass vase make a dramatic, modern centerpiece that looks straight out of a design magazine. It works for Christmas and carries beautifully into winter.
Collect bare branches, spray them with a little adhesive and sprinkle on faux snow or white flocking powder. Arrange them in a clear vase with water or stones, and surround with candles and pine cones.
Bringing It All Together
The trick to making budget DIY decor look high-end is restraint. Pick a tight palette of natural greens, warm whites, brass and one accent color, repeat it in a few places around the house, and let natural textures like wood, paper and greenery do the talking.
Which of these DIY Christmas decorations are you making first? Pin this post to your DIY board so you have it handy, and check out my Christmas tree decorating ideas and cozy Christmas living room ideas to pull the whole look together.
