24 Cheap Christmas Decorations You Can Make Yourself

You already know you can save money with homemade Christmas gifts and Christmas appetizers you make yourself, but your Christmas decorations don't have to break the bank either. Use these homemade ideas for holiday decorating on the cheap.

Create An Advent Calendar

Stephanie Lynn

Start by spraying an old frame with a metallic base, says By Stephanie Lynn.Create tags using an online template (see link below). Mix in gold, silver and neutral ornaments to tie the whole Calendar together.

Go For A Bow Wreath

Haeley Giambalvo

Creating this simple, festive wreath fromDesign Improvised is easy and won't drain your wallet! Get this look by simply hot gluing bows of various colors to a Styrofoam wreath. It only takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Craft a Candy Cane Vase

Ruth Soukup

Put some simple odds and ends to good use for this easy craft from Living Well, Spending Less. Glue the candy canes to the can, tie with a red ribbon, and fill with artificial (or real) poinsettias.

Make Your Own Mistletoe

Kacey Kendrick Wagner

Felt, a fabric pencil, pearl embellishments, red ribbon and a hot glue gun are all you need for this cute decor from Stay At Home Artist! Cut out your felt mistletoe using a template provided and arrange pearls how you like. Tie with ribbon and hang.

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Try Formal Finishing Touches

Wrap bows around your dining room chairs (you can even tie on Christmas ornaments for extra sparkle), says Better Homes & Gardens. Secure on the underside with tape as needed.

Redo Your Wreath

Mary N.

Stack wreaths and give classic winter door decor a pick-me-up. Purchase three wreaths in different sizes, hang on top of each other and add accessories, according to Sweet Little Bluebird. The best part is this costs only $20!

Place Pretty Pinecones

Dip pinecones in gold paint (either partially or all of the way) or use a mixture of water, glue, and glitter for a sparkling effect. Place on side tables or use to fill baskets and bowls.

Get A Galaxy Ornament

Alexa Westerfield

These baubles are sure to catch your eye, thanks to Swell Designer. Take a clear ornament, add clear floor wax inside, pour in glitter of your choice, shake and enjoy!

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Check Out A Chalk Ornament

Michelle DuPuis

These are great gifts that you can decorate differently each time. Paint your plastic bulbs with chalkboard paint, let dry, then start drawing your holiday decorations on, says Rust Sunshine.

Sit In Santa Chairs

Ashley Johnston

These chair toppers are simple to make, washable, and charming! Watch and learn as Make It-Love It shows you how to add some color to your dining room with these felt Santa Claus Hats.

Paint A Snowman Ornament

Amber Price

Check these materials off of your list: Black, white and orange acrylic paint, a paintbrush, baby food jar and ribbon. Crazy Little Projects suggests that you paint your jar and decorate with a snowman face. Add ribbon to hang your ornament.

Have a Hot Chocolate Jar

How Does She blog

Grab your favorite hot chocolate brand and toppings, a clear mug or mason jar, and start layering, according to How Does She.Keep a few stashed in the guest room for visitors who stay with you during the holidays. All they need to do is add hot water and enjoy!

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Turn Pillows Into Presents

Tie a bow around your throw pillows with holiday-colored ribbons, and they'll look just like Christmas gifts! Add a rhinestone pin for an extra decorating kick.

DIY Decorative Loops

Make festive paper chains with strips of wrapping paper—simply glue a loop together, and then string another paper strip through and repeat the process.

Show Your Cards

Do you hang onto Christmas cards that are too pretty to throw out? Turn them into works of art. Attach a card front to matboard using Spray Mount, double-sided tape, or rubber cement. Trim to fit just a single card, or cover a large piece of matboard with multiple cards, and then decorate a doorway or tree. Source: Mary Ellen Turner, vice president of seasonal merchandise for Party City

Reader's Digest Magazine Christmas Trees

By folding your Reader's Digest magazine page over page, you can turn it into a cute, cheap Christmas magazine craft. Trim with tinsel and ornaments left over from your holiday decorating, or spray gold or silver.Get the directions here »

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Add Paper Angels

All you need are paper plates or white cardstock, and you can make a full chorus of angelic little statues, a great decoration for a centerpiece or tree. Get the directions here >>

Light The Driveway

Line a driveway, mantle, staircase, or the middle of your dining room table with homemade luminarias for a warm, Christmas decoration, says Good Housekeeping.

Spray A Spruce

Spray paint artificial trees (big or small) with white paint for a clean, sophisticated decoration, says Better Homes & Gardens.

Make Mini Trees

Plain dry branches from your yard—whether from green firs or bare deciduous trees—make excellent decorations when you spray with silver or gold paint. Hang, or tuck in a vase to decorate an entryway or dining room. Plus, add ornaments to the branches for an instant Christmas tree.

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Try Two Wreaths

Repeat design elements—like this duo of hanging evergreen boughs—for a look that's sophisticated and classic.

Make Guests Feel Festive

Stack red, white, or green bath towels, then tie together with coordinating ribbon to create a "gift-wrapped" look for a guest bathroom or to decorate during a party.Source: Connie Bandstra, author of Tasty Temptations

Just Add Water

Take clear vases or bottles, fill them with water, and add holiday-colored food coloring—a few drops will do. Then line the bottles up in a row, or decorate with floating candles for a festive touch.

Glam Up Your Glasses

For a fast, sweet decoration, put out bowls of holiday candy in pretty, stemmed glassware.

Make a Room Look Bigger: 3 Decorating Tricks With Optical Illusions

Fool the eye with paint and other accessories to completely transform your space.

By Alison Caporimo

  

Adam Voorhes for Reader’s Digest

Hide ugly tech with a hollowed-out book

Place an unsightly router inside a hollowed-out book to keep it out of view.

Clive Tompsett

Half-paint for Height

Paint the bottom half of walls a darker color than the top (try white) to define your room’s shape.

6 Crafty Ways to Reinvent Leftover Wine Bottles

Don't toss that empty bottle of Pinot! Turn your used bottle of wine into a beautiful decoration with these wine bottle crafts.

Chalkboard Art

Courtesy Kendra Gilbertson

Get creative: The possibilities are endless for this chalkboard paint craft from The Gilbertson Family. Whether it's a gift for a friend, a decorative piece for your home, or a part of a holiday decoration, your empty wine bottles will be put to good use! 

Bottle Light

Courtesy Wit&Whistle

Make your room glow with this gorgeous wine bottle light from Wit & Whistle. 

Yarn Wrapped Vases

Courtesy Ashleigh Davis

The Wedding Chicks help make your fresh flowers stand out with these beautiful yarn-wrapped bottles. Mix up colors and shades depending on the occasion or season.

Tiki Torches

Courtesy The Armchair Sommelier

Is it summer yet? We're loving these fun and simple tiki torches from The Armchair Sommelier! Who knew recycling could look this chic? 

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Etched Dish Soap Dispenser

Courtesy Living Well Spending Less

Reinvent boring bathroom supplies by etching your own soap dispensers. The Living Well Spending Less blog shows you how to create stencils and customize your bathroom with just five simple items. 

Bird Feeders

Courtesy Rebecca's Bird Gardens

Reusing your empty wine bottle is not only good for the environment, it can also benefit your local wildlife. This bird feeder craft from Rebecca's Bird Gardens can use any type of bottle 

7 Wallpaper Craft Projects (That Don’t Involve Walls)

Have leftover strips of wallpaper? These creative crafts will add a bit of style and color to everyday life.

Wallpapered Coasters

Courtesy The Thinking Closet

New to wallpapering? Start slowly. This coaster craft is perfect for those loose bits of paper you have stuffed in the attic. Showcase them on your coffee tables (added plus: avoid drink rings). The Thinking Closethas the tutorial that will have you toasting to wallpaper. 

Wallpapered Table

Courtesy Spoonflower

It may be a bedside table, but don’t fall asleep at the sight of it. Upgrade a drab piece of furniture by accenting its shelves and drawers with modish wallpaper. In this tutorial from Spoonflower, an old table becomes a modern statement piece with just the right print. 

Wallpapered Tray

Courtesy The Lovely Drawer

You work hard to whip up scrumptious food, so showcase it right. Simply wallpaper the bottom of your go-to serving tray and polish. The Lovely Drawer explains how to make a simple tray très beau (read:beautiful!). 

Wallpapered Art

Courtesy So Much Better WIth Age

Need a visual pick-me-up? To create a focal point in a room, capture attention with blocks of standout wallpaper that match smaller accents in the space (in this case, a pink background ties in a nearby vase). So Much Better With Age gives a plain room a pretty boost by covering two adjacent canvasses with floral print. 

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Wallpapered Lamps

Courtesy Brave New Home

Shed some light on your personal style with a lamp that makes use of extra wallpaper strips. This project requires only a bit of paper, a lampshade in need of an upgrade, and double-sided tape. Brave New Home has step-by-step photos for a lighting fixture that’s personalized for your home and easy to pull off. 

Wallpapered Notebooks

Courtesy Spoonflower, Wallpaper design Tatami by Kalla, and Twinkie by Yardwork

Care to keep it simple? Cover your notebooks (yes, like your mom did when you were in grade school—but with far more flair). Or, for a more polished-looking bookshelf, upgrade battered bindings and torn covers with your favorite prints. Diane from CraftyPod uses creative wallpapers to make humdrum notebooks a bit more inspiring.

Wallpapered Fridge

Courtesy Aunt Peaches

Wallpaper craft addicts, this one’s for you! No rules say your fridge has to be a boring neutral color. Dressing it up can splash a kitchen with a retro vibe. Aunt Peachesdemonstrates just what a dramatic differ

10 Brilliantly Creative Mason Jar Gifts For Every Occasion

These inexpensive gift ideas presented in mason jars are genius solutions for birthday parties, holidays, and all other special moments.

You want to: Pamper someone you love.

Courtesy Classy Clutter

The gift: Spa in a jar
To treat a hardworking friend or loved one, fill a mason jar with compact spa treats such as cotton balls, a sleeping mask, nail clippers, nail polish, or a prepackaged face mask, and throw in a few chocolate kisses or candies for some extra sweet pampering! The blog Classy Clutter has an adorable example.

You want to: Thank someone for hosting you

Courtesy Mason Jar Crafts Love

The gift: Memories in a jar
After a sun-filled weekend at your friend’s beach house, show your thanks by pouring sand or rocks into a mason jar, then fill the space with photos, seashells, and other collectibles from your weekend. No beaches? No problem. Fill the jar with amusement park tickets or coins from a trip abroad. This imaginative idea comes fromMason Jar Crafts Love.

You want to: Tell someone you love their baking.

Courtesy The Gunny Sack

The gift: Kitchen in a jar
What do muffin liners, mini cookie cutters, and measuring spoons have in common? They can fit inside a mason jar! Show thanks to the person always giving you baked goods by filling a mason jar with kitchen goodies (perhaps they'll use them to bring you more treats?). Decorate this mason jar gift from the blog The Gunny Sackwith twine or stickers for added charm.

You want to: Make a housewarming gift

Courtesy Mom 4 Real

The gift: Plant in a jar
Welcome a new neighbor with a small mason jar plant you can carry across the street. Choose a plant that can later be planted in a new backyard, or opt for a low-maintenance succulent. The blogMom4Real explains how to use your green thumb for this fresh gift.

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You want to: Congratulate a mom-to-be!

Courtesy Ella and Annie Blog

The gift: Survival kit in a jar
Help an expectant mama by filling a mason jar with those little things she may not know she'll need: Advil, wet wipes, brightening eye cream, breath mints, bandages, lip balm, instant coffee packs, or perhaps a bit of chocolate. The blog Ella and Annie shares her go-to Mommy mason jar items.

You want to: Show someone you care.

Courtesy Alabama Slacker Mama

The gift: Notes in a jar
Know someone who could use a pick-me-up? This heartwarming craft will remind them just how special they are. Write all the little things you appreciate about them on strips of paper, and fill a jar with the sweet notes. Blogger Alabama Slacker Mama describes how she wrote 76 notes for her mother’s 76th birthday (yes: tears were involved!).

You want to: Say have a great summer!

Courtesy Raising Up Rubies

The gift: Sunshine in a jar
This mason jar gift from the blog Raising Up Rubies includes bright and cheery items perfect for the summer season. From sunscreen to fruity body wash, this jar is a great treat for that friend or loved one heading out on a long summer vacation. 

You want to: Say happy anniversary!

Courtesy 504 Main

The gift: Date in a JarCan a date: It's a great way to guarantee you spend time together on a special day. Fill a jar with items for the day: a gift card to a restaurant, a ticket to a concert, or sunscreen for a boating trip. Need more inspiration? The blog 504 Main put together a creative mini-golfing date jar that is borderline genius.

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You want to: Thank a teacher

Courtesy Angie via The Country Chic Cottage

The gift: Gumballs in a jar
This cute gift is a great way to show your child’s teacher you are grateful for his or her work. If you’re feeling creative, coordinate the gumball colors to match school colors. This idea from The Country Chic Cottage is a fun and easy project to do with your kids. 

You want to: Congratulate a grad

Courtesy Must Have Mom

The gift: Money in a jar
New grads will love this unique mason jar present (especially the dollars waiting inside) from the blog MustHaveMom. Grab your hot glue gun and get crafting.