DIY Christmas Decorating Ideas For Your Home

A few well-placed baubles and a touch of greenery can instantly make a home feel festive. If store-bought decorations aren’t your style, however, you can create a gorgeous holiday display with items you probably already have on hand. These thoughtful DIY Christmas decorating ideas, from a DIY Advent calendar to a rustic candle display, are easy enough for anyone to try and won’t cost you an arm and a leg (so there’s room in the budget for those special presents).

Decking the Halls

The kitchen table is brimming with design potential at Christmas time. “DIY a spirited centerpiece by filling a bowl with sparkly ornaments and adding fresh seasonal fruit like pomegranates, oranges, and pears,” says Ramirez. Alternatively, you can arrange greens, pine cones, and ornaments in a glass vase to create a glistening tablescape for entertaining.

A bar cart or coffee table can also serve as a focal point when elevated with festive elements, such as the ones that designer Jennifer Ebert and Homes & Gardens Digital Editor Ursula Carmona added to their homes. To dress up a neutral-toned console, add a vintage Santa Claus figurine and a collection of gold ornaments; if you have them on hand, splurge on some heirloom crystal candlesticks for an even more upscale look.

Don’t forget the front door. Add a welcoming vibe by tying big silver bells to the doorknob. You can also make an instant festive entryway with a small green tree, such as this one from the designers of Hyphen & Co, and a handful of red and white ornaments hung with ribbon.

Embrace natural accents all around the home for a cozy seasonal look, suggests Ottalie Stride of Albion Nord. Tuck spruce and holly branches in vases and pitchers, or use them to create simple Christmas centerpieces. A pair of apothecary jars filled with sparkling cranberries and garnished with pretty ornaments makes a lovely vignette for the dining room table, while a wreath adorned with pine cones and dried berries serves as a stunning backdrop for a mantel.

Hang your holiday cards with a bit of extra flair by wrapping them with beautiful ribbons that coordinate with your wrapping paper. For a finishing touch, use pretty calligraphy to write the recipient’s name on an ornament that can double as a gift tag.

Give an artificial or live tree some volume by weaving in strands of additional greenery or faux flowers, as seen on this colorful botanical-themed tree from Casa Watkins Living. You can also adorn a fireplace mantel with garlands, or use sprigs and pinecones to create a rustic holiday table centerpiece like this one from The Perfect Pear.

Give a simple wooden box or metal basket a festive look by lining it with shredded brown craft paper and filling with a variety of coordinating items, such as ornaments, pinecones, and greens. Bloggers from Home Made By Carmona and Thistlewood Farms used the idea to create an asymmetrical centerpiece for their dining tables.