46 Budget Christmas decorating ideas for a frugal yet fabulous festive home

There's no need to spend a lot to create a magical home this Christmas, as our low-cost ideas and tips prove

With all of us feeling the pinch this year, these budget Christmas decorating ideas provide the perfect inspiration for you to create a magical home on a shoe-string.

Cheaper Christmas ideas have never been more needed than this year. With the whole country feeling the affects of the cost of living crisis, we all need to be a little more savvy with our decorating ideas and we've got plenty!

With a little crafting and a whole lot of imagination decorating your home for Christmas doesn't have to break the bank, but can be fun for all the family.

Follow our purse-friendly design and inspirational ideas this year for easy updates that are on a budget, but look far from it.

Hang a star or two to lead the way to Christmas. Arrange lengths of wooden dowel into star shape and wrap the ends together with florist's wire. Add beads or faux berries to one side with more wire. Finish with a sprig of eucalyptus to dress the stars. Hang in the window for passers-by to enjoy or suspend them in a stairway and follow the stars at bedtime, for a fab Christmas stair decor idea.

Give guests a taster of what's to come by chalking up your festive menu on a blackboard, framed with foliage and fairy lights. Use foliage that won't dry out too quickly, such as Ivy or eucalyptus, which won't shed its leaves. If you don't have a blackboard to hand, a simple board, piece or wood, or even old framed picture painted in blackboard paint will do!

This is a great Christmas wall decor idea that can be made in just a couple of hours. Swirling fern fronds around wooden embroidery hoops are a fanciful twist on the traditional wreath, and provide a warm welcome for visiting guests. Apply metallic paint in rose-gold and copper tones for a pearlescent, shimmering finish. Hang in the hallway from cotton and velvet ribbon for an elegant look.

Make a garland with a difference, by knotting together a selection of silk scarves or hankerchiefs. Either dig out what you have at home, or have a look in your local charity shop to see what gems you can discover. Even left-over scraps of fabric can be tied together to create a similar effect. Then arrange draped over a mantlepiece for a fab Christmas mantelpiece idea.

Jazz up jam jars with a dip into eco glitter and little plant mica or sand. Simply tape off a section of glass at the bottom of the jar, cover with glue and dip or shake into glitter. Allow to dry and remove the tape. Fill with plant mica or sand and pop a candle in place. For extra detail, dress the top with twine and decorations.

Alternative advent calendar ideas are a brilliant way to start as you mean to go on for a cost-effective Christmas. Instead of buying pricey beauty or chocolate advent calendars, make a budget version with mini treats tailored to the recipient.

Little ones will love tiny toys, collectable figures or crafty buys, while mini make-up and hair accessories will go down well with teens. Package up the treats in mini boxes and paper bags, labelled with numbers from 1 to 24.

Make it a hanging display by using a couple of wire scarf hangers hooked up on the wall, then just tie your packages on with coloured string.

Make your own hanging decoration to go over a dining table or centre stage in a hallway. Use an inexpensive plastic hula-hula hoop as your base, either spray-painting it or covering it with tape or string to conceal it. Then simply tie on a selection of coloured Christmas baubles, arranged at staggered heights. Suspend from the ceiling with string or fishing wire.

Fill a glass terrarium with winter foliage and flowers to use as a table centrepiece for Christmas festivities. Use mini terracotta planters filled with ivy, potted cyclamen or winter blooms like snowdrops or narcissi in teeny bud vases.

Add colour by popping in a few Christmas baubles in jolly reds and greens so that the base of the terrarium is covered. A set of battery-operated micro lights will bring extra sparkle, but avoid real candles as the heat could crack the glass.

Make use of a junk shop picture frame or old broken mirror by creating a Christmassy mantel display. Carefully remove any old glass, mirror or backing from the inside of the frame and dispose of it first. Then simply fill the centre of the frame with a selection of favourite baubles and decorations hung on lengths of coloured ribbon.

Secure the ribbon at the back of your frame using sticky tape (to hide the ends), arranging the hanging decorations at staggered heights to fill the space. Prop the frame on a shelf or mantel with mini parcels and trinkets to add to the festive feel.

Make the entranceway feel extra warm and welcoming for guests with a splash of Christmas colour. Wallpapering one wall or just a single panel behind a console table, should only take a roll of wallpaper, but will be an instant room brightener.

Style up your console table with a few other festive items. Fill vases with stems of foliage and red berries, decorate a mirror with strings of hanging baubles, wrap boxes in jolly paper and light fragrant, festive candles.

Forget pricey luxury crackers and put together your own instead. Fillable crackers are an inexpensive buy (try Dunelm, Lakeland and Hobbycraft) and choosing mini gifts and treats tailored to the recipients adds a much more personal touch.

Decorate crackers with ribbon ties and write your guests’ names on in gold marker. Don't forget to add paper crowns, chocolate coins and some novelty jokes or charade ideas that will brighten up Christmas lunch.

Create an eye-catching display without spending a fortune. Inexpensive paper baubles and folding fans look eye-catching suspended in a row from the ceiling and are an easy way of filling empty wall space above a sofa or sideboard.

Choose a bright mix of colours for a standout look or keep to all-white paper decs or one colour pieces for simplicity. Use coloured cord or fine ribbon to suspend your decorations, arranging them at a variety of different heights for visual interest. Use thumb tacks to secure and voila, a perfect Christmas living room decor idea!

Cut costs by baking cookies to decorate place settings instead of hitting the shops. Bake gingerbread or shortcake biscuits in heart or star shapes and decorate with white icing, one for each guest. You could even pipe guests’ names on if you have a particularly steady hand.

Decorate the rest of the table with other edible treats. Line a central table runner with greenery, piled high with stacks of seasonal fruits, such as pomegranates, apples and berries, that will look wonderfully festive and smell delicious too.

If you’re short on shelf space, create a hanging display to show off favourite Christmas cards. Remnants of ribbon left over from past Christmases are ideal. Use a mix of different colours and widths of ribbons, cut in a variety of different lengths. Then simply attach each length to a wall or picture rail using small tacks. Secure cards with mini pegs and add a tiny bauble or bell at the end of each length of ribbon as a finishing flourish.

We love a good Christmas hallway decorating idea and this one is super simple.

Make the staircase the focal point of your hallway by festooning the bannisters with a shimmering garland. A set of micro lights wired into the garland will add extra sparkle, but instead of hanging baubles all the way up the stairs, just a single swag at the end will add just as much impact. Just tie a few unbreakable baubles with lengths of satin ribbon and then loop over the end of the banister or around the newel post.

Create a super-easy wall hanging for a long hallway or corridor with a row of cheery gift-wrapped packages suspended from a rustic branch or pole. It makes a lovely way of displaying small gifts and pressies for the family and a great way of using up leftover giftwrap and ribbon remnants. Just suspend your branch or pole on a couple of sturdy wall hooks.

Give gifts a high-end look by raiding your Christmas decorations box. There are always a few odds and ends that don't make it onto the tree, so instead of packing them away again, why not put them to good use? Mini baubles, scraps of faux foliage and broken-off bits of berries make great gift toppers.

Wrap your presents in plain brown paper or coloured wrap for a smart look, then tie with lengths of raffia or coloured ribbon and add your fancy tag for a chic, personalised touch.

Make an entrance! All you need to follow this simple but highly-effect decorating trend is a reel of ribbon. Simply cross two lengths of ribbon across the door, one smaller strip horizontally across and a full-length vertical piece. To save money on how much ribbon is required – simply measure to the top of the door and discreetly secure the ribbon with drawing pins . The pins will be out of view when the door is closed. It's easy to do and easy to remove, once the season is over.

For added flourish adding a floral wreath is a beautiful touch, but if the budget doesn't stretch you could simply tie the ribbon in a statement bow. To make a bow you will need to allow for extra meterage.

This craft idea is very 'of the moment', as a unique way to add impact to a dining area. Simply hang a lightweight fallen branch for free and drape with natural foliage and a few light decorations to create a rustic centrepiece. But it's not for the faint-hearted, as the branch has to be suspended from the ceiling above the dining table. You need to make sure this is done securely, nothing ruins a meal quite like falling branches!

An impressive centrepiece needed cost the earth. Repurpose your cake stands to stack them on the table to add height and drama to the table. Dressed with leftover baubles and add dried fruit for a cheap decorative touch – plus they will help to add a festive scent to proceedings.

Who says baubles are only for Christmas trees? Branch out, quite literally, this year with an artistic twig display to add colour and festive decoration to a plain wall in the living room. Choose to coordinate with your tree scheme or use a different accent colour to embrace more than one seasonal trend.

It works best above a sideboard or shelf, allowing the surface to house the vase containing the twigs – alongside additional paper decorations and foliage. Alternatively you could suspend the twig from an existing picture hook, using twine or a clear thread. The branch display would replace what was usually hanging in the space – a clear sign of a seasonal refresh.

Trees, wreaths, garlands, sprayed twigs – nature is cool at Christmas, and it's free. Get your wellington boots on and get foraging for holly, pine cones, herbs, sprigs and twigs before getting home and twisting and turning them into botanical masterpieces. There is no reason why you can't do Christmas on a budget!

Above is a wreath from our Christmas shoot, fashioned with fragrant herbs, pretty baubles and decorative dried flowers. A cost effect way to dress a front door in style.

When decorating on a budget, Christmas cards from friends and family are your best friends. Transform your ordinary hallway mirror into a festive centrepiece by filling the fame with cards. This works brilliantly with window mirrors as shown above. Hang a few fairy lights over the mirror for some added glitz.

Make the most of every surface to style a spectacular Christmas display. Use seasonal fruits to dress side tables, sideboards and even mantels to create a beautifully rich display, on a cheap budget. Generous vases filled with pomegranates are an easy decor detail that requires minimal effort for maximum style. Consider alternative seasonal fruits to suit your colour scheme, such as clementines.

There's no denying Christmas decor always looks all the more cheery once the presents start to arrive. What is they say, fake it till you make it? After years of shooting seasonal scenes the Ideal Home style team know only too well the difference prop fake presents can make. Beautifully wrapped boxes can go a long way to add a feeling of excitement to all Christmas decors.

*Just be careful not to let the kids get over excited and open them – ruining the illusion, and most likely crying as a result of the empty contents.

Go one better than hanging a wreath on front doors by planting seasonal hanging baskets. A blooming Christmas hanging basket idea with winter foliage will go a long way to cheer up the exterior. And not just for Christmas, seasonally planted baskets can add colour to front gardens even once the festive lights come down.

Simple paper decorations, especially large-scale stars can go a long way when it comes to decorating on a budget. Even more so if you can craft the stars yourself, using recycled materials. Hang the statement stars at the window to spread some festive cheer

This year why not make your own crackers to save on costs? To save on budget and waste, because both are much-needed at this time of the year. Plus handmade place settings make guests feel extra welcome.

Simply place a treat inside a cardboard roll, wrap crepe paper or even fabric scraps around, then tie the ends with ribbon. You could even write your own jokes for inside, simply ask Google for the best cracker jokes.

Keep the budget down by making your own gift wrap. Hand printed patterns create a beautiful authentic paper to add charm to your gifts. Slice a large potato in half and carefully score a festive motif. Cut away the potato on the outside of the scored section, so the shape is raised. Dip this side into a thin spread of paint (use the underside a tin lid as a palette), avoid making it too heavy otherwise it will be blot. Stamp onto a sheet of brown paper, or better still on the reverse of an upcycled sheet of paper.

Stamp several times before re-coating with paint and repeat until the paper is covered. Leave to dry. Visit Annie Sloan, the home of chalk paint.

Creating a charming festive statement by dressing the table with mini trees as place settings. You can cheat this effect by making homemade mini trees. Simply take cuttings of branches from a real fir tree, and place them in a tealight votive. If you have a real tree as your main tree you can easily snip branches from the back, they won't be missed.

Add a further touch of personality by dressing the ‘trees’ with mini baubles, that are otherwise lost on the big tree.

Upcycle simple tin cans and turn them into twinkling lanterns. To create your own, start by peeling the labels off your cans and running them through the dishwasher for a shiny finish. Next, fill them with water and pop them in the freezer. Once frozen, draw a heart or star on paper and tape the sketch onto each tin. With a hammer and a nail, pierce the tin following the pattern (the ice inside will stop the tin denting).

After thawing the tins, wash out them out and add a handle using aluminium wire. Finally, light a nightlight inside and line up two or three in a row for a homemade Christmas decoration with plenty of natural charm.

Creating the perfect festive ambience is as much about the aroma as it is the visual. Signature scents can instantly conjure feelings of fun festivities, those such as dried fruits, nutmeg, cinnamon and pine cones.

What could be better than setting the scene with a roaring fire? Making that roaring fire a fragranced one, that's what. Make your own scented budget-friendly firelighters by melting wax into cake cases, they adding sprigs of heather, rosemary and other dried flowers, they leaving them to set.

Christmas tree decorations don't get much more cost effective than oven-dried fruits. Clementines are a Christmas classic, due to the seasonal scent. They are therefore the ideal fruit to dry and attach to the tree, to add a splash of warm colour and rich fragrance. Multiple cuts around the outside, from top to bottom will be sufficient enough to allow the fruit to dry out quicker, and emit more of the sweet fragrance.

Simply thread string through the top to fashion a loop, for hanging on a tree, wreath or garland.

If you are looking to decorate your tree with something other than tinsel, but don't have the budget to invest in a pre-made garland try making your own. You can string together anything from popcorn to pine cones. Why not give your Christmas a vintage spin by upcycling old vintage lace and crocheted doilies into a unique garland.

If you're on a budget, what could be better than using socks to form an advent garland? You simply need to find 24 socks and some form of ribbon or string. Put a tiny stitch in each to get the socks in place, securely along the length of ribbon. Next you need to add numbers onto a card tag, and attach them using mini wooden pegs – which you can pick up super cheap in most craft shops. All that's left to do is fill each one with a treat for every day of advent.

Go back to basics with a fun little garland made from string and old-fashioned luggage tags - you can hang it across the mantel, along some shelving or at the end of the bed so Santa will know where to stop. Using a new tag for each letter, write out a family member's name, a Christmas message or a personalised greeting, then string the tags on a length of twine with mini pine cones in between to separate each one.

These will bring a modern woody touch to a side table. Take two long, sturdy twigs and join with a hot glue gun. Twist with wreath wire to support. Now, cut and lay out the crosswise twigs. Starting at the top, cut two short twigs of equal length and lay side by side. Repeat and cut two more, slightly longer, a finger space below the first two. Continue, with the twigs gradually getting longer, until you have two triangular shapes, but leave enough trunk to push into a pot.

Fix the cut twigs on to the trunk, working on one side first with a hot glue gun, according to the original layout. Cool, turn over and repeat. Push oasis into a pot, then push in the cooled tree. Top pot with moss and berries, and decorate the twigs with twine or wreath wire.

Simple to make, this lovely alternative advent calendar can be used each year. To make your own, buy 24 plain brown envelopes and emboss or print each one with a number, from one to 24. Then, fill each envelope with a sweet treat or a simple written clue to where a small present is hidden. Peg the envelopes onto four short lengths of cord and fix onto your wall. Use red ribbon and stripy string for an extra festive touch.

With just a few key accessories in scarlet red, snow white and natural materials you can achieve a seasonal Scandi look without breaking the bank. Browse flea markets and car boot fairs for old type-setting blocks so you can spell out a festive greeting. Buy red and white woolly jumpers or blankets from local charity shops and upycycle them into festive cushions or home-made Christmas stockings.

For some edible inspiration look no further than our candy cane decorations. See the candy stick like you never have before – spun into festive lettering, stuck onto Christmas wrapping and tied to wreaths – who knew the candy cane was so versatile? Costing next to nothing for large packs, get stuck in to these sticky goodies.

An icy woodland-inspired theme is magical and will last year after year. What's more, with a natural look you can dress your home with 'free' foliage from your own garden and use inexpensive materials for rustic charm. Dress the mantel with a homemade garland, using pinecones, greenery, nuts and berries from outdoors. Buy inexpensive paper stars to hang from the ceiling, or even make your own from sheets of newspaper.

If you prefer an understated scheme, achieve simple style by supplementing what you already have to create a festive atmosphere that is simple and heartfelt – and not expensive.

Give a neutral living room a Nordic twist with wooden decorations in red, white and warm wood. Swap the bauble-laden Christmas fir for a small-scale twig tree strung with fairy lights and wooden shapes. Decorate the mantel with a pared-back garland and lights with a cardboard wreath suspended above.

Decorate the dining room with a simple red and white Scandi theme. You don't need to spend a fortune on new decorations, just bring out kitchenware you already have in a red, white or natural wood colour theme. Decorate shelves with glass jars filled with red and white treats, such as candy canes, sweets and foil-wrapped biscuits.

Tie lengths of red ribbon onto metal cookie-cutters and hang them up as decorations on the branches of a mini tree. Dress dining chairs with red and white tea towels used as simple cushion covers, and tie pine cone decorations to each chair back with lengths of stripy baker's twine.

Sometimes, simplicity is key and this effortless display is as easy as it is charming. Take your favourite candles, add a handful of pinecones and one or two choice baubles, or ornaments to fit in with your colour scheme. Place on a mantelpiece in your living room or a console table in your hall for relaxed and elegant festive style.

Christmas is the only time of year that it's acceptable to eat your decorations (well, Easter too but lets not get ahead of ourselves) so make the most of it. Gingerbread houses on tabletops, candy canes on trees and iced biscuits as place settings are all cheap and easy decorations – how much can you eat this Christmas?

Natural fir will bring the scent of Christmas into your home. If you don't have enough room or budget for a full-sized tree in your living room, why not display small clippings instead. Pot them up in galvanised metal containers for contemporary, understated style, or wrap them in sisal for a rustic, country appearance.

The beauty of these decorations is that they will last for the full festive period – just top up with a little water. Decorate your miniature tree with cinnamon, pine cones and small-scale decorations for an authentic look.

'Decorating an entire Christmas tree can be a daunting thought if you have a small budget to bear in mind,' says Leah Rogers, from B&M. 'But with some simple hacks, you can make your tree feel special without needing to break the bank.'

'Firstly, key standout decorations are the best way to add visual impact and it doesn't require too many of these to get your tree looking fabulous. We'd recommend buying bold single decorations in sets of three and arrange them asymmetrically from the top to the bottom of your tree.'

'Next, filler bauble packs are a great way to ensure your tree doesn't feel too sparse, but you don't need to spend a fortune here. Our value packs of baubles start from as little as £5 for 20!'

'Finally, sometimes less can be more. Overfilling your tree can make it look heavy and busy, so trim back the volume of decorations and keep it simple and sleek'

'There's a number of ways you can introduce some festive charm into your home without having to break the bank, says Resident Style Advisor at Wayfair, Nadine McCowan Hill, 'And making use of your existing homewares is a good place to start'.

'A quick, easy and inexpensive update is to add a bunch of dried or fresh eucalyptus and put vases or tall glass bottles to use. Add them to a kitchen shelf, hallway console or to the centre of your dining table for a simple but stylish focal point.'

Annie Sloan, founder of Annie Sloan Paints, follows with this advice. 'Every scrap of fabric and leftover tin of paint is an opportunity for decoration. Whether you're breathing new life into tired accessories or developing your sewing skills with handmade napkins and placemats, now is the perfect time of year to let your creativity flow!'

Holly Walsh has been Content Editor at Ideal Home since 2021, but joined the brand back in 2015. With a background of studies in Interior Design, her career in interior journalism was a no-brainer and her passion for decorating homes is still as strong as it ever was. While Holly has written for most of the home titles at Future, including Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors, Homes and Gardens and Style at Home, Ideal Home has always been her ideal home, and she can be found sharing her expertise and advice across both the printed magazine and the website too.

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