Decorating for Christmas: 12 Creative + Cost-saving Ideas

Who doesn’t love holiday decorations that save on cost but splurge on cheer? So we went with that angle in searching for Christmas craft ideas using affordable materials, supplies on hand, recycled items, excess trimmings, finds from nature!

Voila! Here are a delightful dozen decorating ideas that you can make in minutes—and without breaking your holiday budget! All are kid-safe, too, so the entire family can get in on the DIY decorating this Christmas. Happy holiday crafting!

Budget-friendly Burlap Decorations

Burlap Christmas wreath, stockings, and centerpieces


Versatile, easy to craft with, and loaded with rustic charm—that’s burlap for you! And it’s affordable, too. So with all those pluses, burlap Christmas crafts are a must-try for your holiday home decorations.

For a festive door accent, here’s a handmade burlap wreath (1) from One Crazy Mom; while for your mantel, how delightful are these burlap Christmas stockings (2) we found on Craft Passion? Then, for a table top, window sill, or sideboard, a vignette-style centerpiece with burlap-wrapped tin cans (3), like this one from The Seaman Mom, would be a crafty decoration with a recycling spin!

Kid-friendly Christmas Crafts with Paper

Christmas tree cones with glitter, sequins, pom poms, and garland with paper leaves in colors of green, red, yellow, and blue.

Now, for the ultimate crafting material: paper! You can’t go wrong creativity-wise, cost-wise or even kiddie-wise with paper-based holiday decorations. 

Just see these 2 variations on paper Christmas trees—one using paper cones trimmed with glitter glue and sequins (1) from Roaming Rosie, and the other using cardboard tubes, glitter and pom poms (2) from I Heart Arts N’ Crafts. Plus this pretty garland of paper holly leaves and berries (3) from a tutorial video on My Crafts.

Bottles Recycled into Holiday Accent Pieces

Christmas decorations using bottles with festive trimmings and accents using Santa hat, red ribbons, and plaid.

Bottles of different shapes and sizes can get a yuletide upcycle right in time to “deck the halls” of your home! 

Do you have empty wine bottles? Turn them into Christmas wine bottle decor (1) trimmed with lace and fabric scraps, as The Seaman Mom did. If you have a spare mason jar or two, create your own Grinch mason jars (2) following the how-to from The Country Chic Cottage. Or got a baby in the house? See how Cupcakes with Sprinkles assembled adorable baby food jar Christmas trees (3) with a tiny ornament and a string-light bulb inside each jar!

Pine Cones: A “Natural” for Holiday Trimmings

Pine cones with glitter
Finally, decorations with a woodland feel, courtesy of nature. That’s what you get with pinecone crafts for the holidays. Just add a few artsy touches and they’re ready to display!

Combine them with some greenery for a welcoming easy pinecone wreath (1), using DIY tips from Clever Bloom. Glam them up into glitter pinecones (2) as Simple Nature Decor did, and they’ll make a fab living room centerpiece or place setting accents on your holiday table! Or string them up on jute twine into a rustic pinecone garland (Pretty Handy Girl) to grace your mantel.

As you can see—using materials like burlap, paper, bottles, or pinecones—decorating your home for the holidays need not break the bank!

About author