Dinner Party Decorating Ideas On A Budget

Jamie loves writing about DIY projects, decorating on a budget, craft ideas, and creative ways to reuse and upcycle products.

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How to Decorate Inexpensively for the Holidays

You don't have to pay an arm and a leg to beautify your home for Christmas. I've rounded up 18 fabulous and budget-friendly decoration ideas that are both tasteful and inexpensive. Some are traditional, some are bold, and some are more unique (at least I think so).

No matter what you choose to do, any of these ideas can help make your home look gorgeous without spending a lot of money. You probably have a lot of the supplies you need around your home. I hope you enjoy perusing these affordable Christmas decorating ideas and finding something that works for your home and taste.

1. Make Your Own Christmas Mantle Arrangement

An impressive living room decoration is a festive mantle arrangement. I adore the large mirror with the snowflakes scattered around it accompanied by the icicles twinkling below the mantle. I think the snowflakes are made of foam and would look lovely if you added some glitter to them. Hobby Lobby has large letters for a dollar a piece. They're flatter than the ones in the lifestyle photo, but I think they'd work well. This would be a very easy project to do and wouldn't drain your wallet!

2. Use DIY Mason Jar Candle Lights

The Inspired Room came up with this snowy candle jar. I can picture having them placed on a mantle or a bar, glowing with warmth and cheer in the dark. I believe she used a mixture of Epsom salt and glitter for the snow. I tell ya, for something so simple, these sure are beautiful!

3. Make Tabletop Trees

I am so impressed with these DIY Christmas tree decorations from The Exchange. It's amazing how cheap they are to make. Do you have some poster board and fabric laying around? That's pretty much all you need to make these trees. You won't be disappointed because these beautiful tabletop trees are super easy to make and affordable to boot!

4. Hang Festive Homemade Icicles

I love, love, love these hanging icicles made by Apartment Therapy! You can make them in any colors and prints you'd like with leftover wrapping paper, cardstock paper, glue, and fishing line. Just cut circles from both papers and glue one cardstock circle to a wrapping paper circle. Join them together with fishing line and tape to enjoy for years to come. These would be so festive for a Christmas party!

5. Make Festive and Nature-Inspired Candlesticks

These are just a few gorgeous ways to dress up a simple candle. I love how simple these pieces are to create. You can use peppermint or cinnamon sticks to glue around a jar or candle for a festive touch. I especially love the nature-inspired candles on the bottom left. Just pick some greenery from bushes outside, arrange them in the container, and add a candle! I'd recommend using an electric candle with this one to make sure a fire doesn't spread to the branches.

6. Create Holly Candle Holders

How creative are these upside-down wine glasses used as candle holders over at Interior Designing Blog! Talk about a simple DIY that is so incredibly pretty! The minute I saw this, I automatically thought of going to thrift stores and buying different types of glasses to create a unique candle grouping for just a few bucks. I love the leaves on display in the arrangement too!

7. DIY Star-Punched Paper Hurricanes

Martha Stewart had some of the best Christmas decorating ideas! These star-punched paper hurricanes are made by punching a design into decorative paper and wrapping it around a hurricane vase. Hurricane vases are inexpensive and can be found at thrift stores for cheap. I love this idea because you can use different prints and colors to mix and match your arrangement. You can find a template she provides for the hole punching, but you could very well make your own template and punch out whatever shapes you want.

8. Create a Christmas Chandelier

Nothing is more beautiful than a chandelier adorned with beautiful, festive ornaments, don't you agree? Unfortunately, I don't have any chandeliers in my home. If you do, you should definitely try this project by Everyday Beauty. You can decorate the statement hanging with whatever colors you like and enjoy the bright sparkles as you sit at your dinner table. I think I'll hang a faux chandelier in my apartment. It would certainly be worth it!

9. Use Branches for Holiday Decorations

I found many ideas to decorate with branches at Inspire Bohemia. This project is simple to make and easy on the wallet. If you have white spray paint, ornaments, and a sort of vase to anchor everything in, you are good to go! If you don't have the spray paint, feel free to leave the branch natural. I've never really given much thought to using actual branches in my home décor, but this DIY made me realize they can make some stunning Christmas décor.

10. Make Your Own Ornament Centerpiece

Beyond Drapery shares this unique idea that only requires a few ornaments, glass candlestick holders, and glitter glue! I think it's a neat idea to use round glass ornaments to spell a Christmas word. Glitter glue or something similar would be perfect for writing the letters. You could switch up the colors to fit your design scheme, and there are a lot of possibilities with this one for sure.

11. Use Pink Candlesticks

Digs Digs has a lot of fun Christmas décor ideas you can use! This one is especially gorgeous. I love all of the different shades of pink candlesticks that make up this centerpiece. The glass candlestick holders elevate the look, and the entire project is easy to make but yields a breathtaking result.

12. Create a Natural Candle Centerpiece

Wandering Mist has the instructions to make this simple, yet stunning candle centerpiece. The greenery is real, and the natural look is lovely. Candlelight and greenery make a perfect combination of Christmas décor. You could dress it up with some poinsettias or something like that to add another natural pop of color.

13. Make Your Own Festive Throw Pillows

Throw pillows can add a festive touch to help you get you into the holiday spirit. I found a tutorial for felt snowflake throw pillows at Noodlehead. I absolutely adore snowflakes, and this tutorial looks pretty simple. If you don't have a sewing machine, you can stitch the fabric by hand or use fabric glue. I recommend stitching the seams by hand and gluing the snowflake on. It's fairly easy to do and adds a homey element to the room.

14. Make a Curtain of Ornaments

This colorful ornament "curtain" is a bit colorful for my taste, but it's very pretty and creative. I would personally use silver and gold ornaments and hang them with a thinner organza ribbon that is tied into a bow where it meets the ornament. You can easily change this to suit your own taste.

15. Use Homemade Floating Stars

Using floating stars is such a bold way to decorate and I love it! I would cut big snowflake shapes out of cardboard, paint them white, and maybe add a little glitter. For the big stars, I would use the star lantern template I found at Homemade Gifts Made Easy! You can hang the paper stars without adding lights to make it easy, or you can string lights through them to add a glow. All of these pieces would be hung with fishing string to give the illusion that they're just floating in the air.

16. Wrap Your Picture Frames

At Georgia Peachez, I found this low-effort, high-impact idea that will blow your mind! Just take the medium to large sized artwork or picture frames hanging on your walls and wrap them up like presents. Make sure to add a fun bow and hang them back on your wall. Can you believe it? There are Christmas gifts hanging on your walls! How easy is that? It's a fun, bold way to decorate for Christmas.

17. Make a Wreath Christmas Card Holder

This is a pretty Christmas card holder made by Fern Creek Cottage. She used muted clothespin colors so the wreath could be used all year round. If you want it to look more holiday specific, you could paint them your favorite Christmas colors. Displaying the Christmas cards your loved ones sent you is always a nice touch.

18. Or Use a Bowl as a Glamorous Candle Holder

I found this beautiful candle holder idea at Beauty and Bedlam. You basically put some Christmas ornaments, garlands, and candles in a bowl. It's so pretty and easy to make, but I would just make sure to have the candles anchored down well before tucking the balls and garland around them. You'll need to keep an eye on it so the candles don't burn down too far. This would be a lovely centerpiece for the table to light while having dinner. Don't you think?

I hope you have found these ideas useful in your efforts to save money while decorating for the holidays. Merry Christmas!

Glamorous Candle Holder

Beauty and Bedlam

trends.stylez@gmail.com on November 26, 2019:

I love this budget friendly tips. Especially the use of nature for creating a candle center piece. I would add ivory flowers to touch it up

Liza from USA on November 14, 2019:

Great tips with wonderful illustrations for home decorating ideas. I look forward to making a holiday wreath after I made one for the Fall. Thank you for sharing your great article.

Dale Anderson from The High Seas on October 30, 2019:

Those holly candle holders are pretty neat. I think well do that this year.

Nicole K on November 12, 2017:

These are all really fun! I especially love the throw pillows and the candy canes around the candles, and I'd like to try wrapping up a frame and hanging it on the wall like that. Thanks for all the creative ways to decorate!

MISTY MASON from Sutherlin, Oregon on June 10, 2017:

I have always loved Christmas and have wanted to fill up my house with Christmas stuff but every year I try and fail I look around and it looks like I barely did anything. Thank you so much for the article, I really think this will help me.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 16, 2015:

aesta1- oh good! Glad this hub was helpful for you :)

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 16, 2015:

Raguett-Thank you!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 16, 2015:

listsnthings-Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)

Anna Christie from London, United Kingdom on December 15, 2015:

Thanks So many simple but really effective and unique Christmas decorating ideas and tips

Meagan Elaine on December 08, 2015:

another great post thanks for sharing

Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on November 12, 2015:

Wow, being away from home and having given away all my Christmas decorations, I am happy to use some of these ideas to give our winter place some Christmas spirit.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 27, 2014:

carter06- Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.. and so glad you enjoyed the hub :)

Mary from Cronulla NSW on December 07, 2014:

I don't think I saw this when you first posted it Jamie.. and just as great to read now..great tips for an inexpensive Christmas..super ideas..will tweet & share..Cheers

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 04, 2014:

velzipmur- Glad you enjoyed this hub! Thank you for dropping by!

Shelly Wyatt from Maryland on November 30, 2014:

Thanks for sharing this, I loved the ideas you provided and it gave me some ideas of my own.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 31, 2013:

Hendrika- Glad you found this useful..thank you for dropping by!

Hendrika from Pretoria, South Africa on December 23, 2013:

I have been looking for a real quick and easy centre piece and I think the bowl with candles and bubbles will do just fine, thanks

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on August 24, 2013:

TopTenChristmas- Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the hub :)

Brandon Hart on August 22, 2013:

My wife is a designer so I was trying to come up with some ideas for her for once. You've given me a lot to think about!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 11, 2012:

Paul Kuehn- Thank you for sharing about some of the crafts over in Thailand... what a great experience getting to work there! I'm glad you enjoyed the hub.. I think there are so many different things we can make out of materials that people usually regard as trash. I make it my mission to find these types of crafts and share them. Thank you so much for the vote up and for sharing.. I really appreciate it :)

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 11, 2012:

Dannie Rae- Thank you :) I'm so glad this hub has inspired you and that you are doing some projects! Have fun decorating and thanks so much for dropping by!

Paul Richard Kuehn from Udorn City, Thailand on December 11, 2012:

Jamie,

You have presented a lot of great useful ideas for making Christmas decorations on a budget. At the school where I work in Thailand I saw some of the Philippine instructors making ornaments out of empty washed cans of Pepsi and Coke. Bells were made from styrofoam coffee cups and decorated with paper. Voted up as very useful and sharing with followers.

Danielle Schumaker from Boulder, CO on December 11, 2012:

These are such wonderful ideas. Thank you for making decorating for Christmas a little bit easier. I am already in the process of buying some materials online for a couple projects.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 03, 2012:

tebo- You are welcome.. so glad you enjoyed the hub :) The upside down glasses were one of my faves too. I hope you have lots of fun decorating your home for Christmas this year!

tebo from New Zealand on December 02, 2012:

There are so many lovely christmas decorating ideas in your lovely hub. I like the upside down wine glass candle holders - great and I do like the curtain made from decorations on ribbon. Thanks for so many suggestions to brighten up Christmas.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 01, 2012:

tammyswallow- Wow... that is super sweet of you to say... thank you so much:) I'm glad that you love so many of the ideas here and truly appreciate that you have shared and pinned. I am obsessed with DIY stuff so I'm always on the look out for new ideas and so glad you have found these useful :)

Tammy from North Carolina on December 01, 2012:

This is one of the most eye pleasing décor hubs I have ever scene. I LOVE glass and light. I love the Wandering Mist and the upside down wine glasses. This hub is full of wonderful ideas. Sharing and pinning.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 19, 2012:

Green Art- Thank you for stopping by... I love that you have found this hub useful! I was trying to find ideas about décor that people could make with things that they may already have around the house. I had never seen the holly under the wine glasses like that but really thought that was very different and creative. Thank you so much for visiting and for the votes up :)

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 19, 2012:

Better Yourself- You are welcome :O) The mason jars are one of my favorites... they are so easy yet they yield such a stunning result. Thanks for dropping by, glad you enjoyed the hub!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 19, 2012:

Bobbi L Johnson- Thank you :) I'm glad you enjoyed the hub.. hope you have lots of fun creating some pretty Christmas decorations for your home!

Laura Ross on November 18, 2012:

So many great ideas here. Love the holly under the glasses with the t-lights on top or should I say bottom of the glass. Anyway, very fun and festive idea. The white bowl with candles and beads is a simple and beautiful idea too. Voted UP and useful!

Better Yourself from North Carolina on November 18, 2012:

Great ideas! I especially love the mason jars with candles and the red and white décor! All of these ideas would be easy to recreate. Thanks for sharing!

Bobbi Lynne Johnson from Red Deer AB on November 18, 2012:

Great job! These are stunning ideas and I'm really in the mood to be creative, especially with Christmas around the corner. It's great that I know these sites exist for future reference.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 18, 2012:

Kimberly Vaughn- Thank you :) I love those candle holders with the ornaments too... it's a bit different but so pretty. Thank you so much for dropping by :)

Kimberly Vaughn from Midwest on November 18, 2012:

Great ideas! I really like the glass candlestick holders with ornaments on top.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 16, 2012:

faythef- You are welcome :) I would love to do that clothes pin wreath too... It looks really easy and it's perfect to hold all the Christmas cards. Thank you so much for dropping by!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 16, 2012:

KerryAnita- I love decorating for Christmas too.. it's so much fun! Thank you for dropping by.... so glad this hub has inspired you!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 16, 2012:

Miss Mimi- Thank you so much... I'm glad you enjoyed the hub! I'm always looking for ways to save $... especially around the holidays :) Thank you for the votes up and for sharing this too!

Faythe Payne from USA on November 16, 2012:

So many great ideas..I am sure to incorporate some of them in my decorating this year..I think I will start with the clothes pin..card hanging idea....thank you.

KerryAnita from Satellite Beach, Florida on November 15, 2012:

Great Ideas! I LOVE decorating for christmas, so will definitely have to give some of these a try!

Miss Mimi from On the road again on November 15, 2012:

This are great ideas, I love how easy and customizable these all look. Really wonderful hub, with great photos. Voted up and shared!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 15, 2012:

The Frog Princess- Thank you for stopping by and for your lovely comment :) I am so happy to hear this hub has come in useful for you and has given you some ideas. I think natural elements are wonderful and just perfect for Christmas time decorating! I have been thinking about pine cones a lot lately.. in fact, I'm about to publish a pine cone crafts and décor hub.. you may want to have a look at that as well for more ideas! Thank you again for stopping by.. and Merry Christmas to you and yours :)

The Frog Princess from Florence area of the Great Pee Dee of South Carolina on November 15, 2012:

Merry Christmas from my home to yours. As I begin to start on each room of my home and new life the excitement of decorating each one to a fashion I have never done before and I have been on the web for great new ideas. Your article gave me some ideas. I this year am doing my home in an ole Christmas theme with a lot of nature from the outdoors. Its been fun gathering up what God gives us to use and design into something special. I am looking so forward to a long month of enjoying the décor with family, friends and love ones in my life.

voted up.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on September 18, 2012:

moonlake- Thank you for the vote up and for sharing... so glad you enjoyed the hub! I actually just moved into a different apartment and we have a chandelier in the dining room. I can't wait to decorate it! Thank you for dropping by and for commenting :)

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on September 18, 2012:

Just Ask Susan- Aww.. thanks for the pin and the share! I am so glad you enjoyed the hub. I fell in love with those jars with the candles and salt in them too... So pretty and I bet the salt sort of sparkles in the dark. Thank you so much for dropping by :)

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on September 18, 2012:

Esther Strong- Thank you for dropping by and for commenting. I love those upside down glasses too. I thought it was unique as I had never seen anything like that before. The presents on the walls is such a genius idea I thought.. It's something simple you can do with things you already have and it really makes such nice decoration for the holidays. I'm so glad the hub inspired you.. take care!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on September 18, 2012:

khmohsin- Thank you for commenting, I'm glad that you enjoyed all the images. There are so many creative things we can do.. I always hope my hubs will inspire people. Thank you so much for the like and for the vote up!

khmohsin on September 16, 2012:

Jamie Brock,

you elaborated your topic with creative images. I am too much impressed with these ideas as i am keen interested in decorating my house, but you explained the topic with budget. A huge thanks for sharing your creativity to us.

Liked and voted up

Esther Strong from UK on September 16, 2012:

My favourites are the upsidedown glasses with leaves in topped with candles. Beautiful.

Presents on the walls - how unique.

Thanks for these inspiring ideas.

Susan Zutautas from Ontario, Canada on September 15, 2012:

All these ideas are fantastic. I especially like the candle in the jars with the Epsom salts.

Pinning and sharing.

moonlake from America on September 15, 2012:

Great ideas. Your right it never has to be expensive to deocrate for Christmas. I always hang Christmas ornaments from my chandeliers. It think they look so pretty on them. Vote up and shared.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on September 05, 2012:

Barbergirl- Thank you, I'm glad you like these ideas. I love those upside down wine glasses too. It's time to start planning, Christmas is just around the corner :) Thank you so much for dropping by :0)

Stacy Harris from Hemet, Ca on September 05, 2012:

These are great suggestions. I particularly love the upside down wine glasses. I might have to recreate it for a Christmas gift or for my own purposes! And I bet with some of those flameless candles and you could really have something to treasure year after year! Great hub - and it isn't too soon for Christmas!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on August 24, 2012:

vibesites- That's one of the main reasons I did the hub, even those who feel like they are not the crafty type could do this stuff and the best part is it really doesn't cost a whole lot. I am glad you enjoyed the hub, thank you for stopping by :)

vibesites from United States on August 24, 2012:

I love topics such at this. Making these things "on a budget" really engenders creativity aside from practical sense. Great hub all around! :)

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on August 16, 2012:

Au fait- Hi, thank you for the wonderful comment! I totally agree with you, I think it's a smart idea to make gifts and decorations through the year and put them in storage, it helps to cut down on stress of shopping and to actually be able to enjoy Christmastime. So often, I am way too stressed out and really do not even get to enjoy the holiday, usually because of worrying about money and buying gifts. It would be nice to finally be able to go through a Christmas and enjoy it instead of it being the most stressful time of the year. Thank you for the votes and for sharing, I really appreciate it!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on August 16, 2012:

carter06- You are so welcome, thank you for dropping by and leaving such a nice comment :) I love hearing that you will give some of them a try! Thank you so much for the positive feedback, vote up and for sharing :)

Mary from Cronulla NSW on August 14, 2012:

Gee these are such great ideas and can see how easy some of them are to do...will def try some this year...thanks for sharing this...up & awesome, beautiful & shared...cheers

C E Clark from North Texas on August 14, 2012:

You have so many inexpensive and pretty ideas here and Christmas will be here before you know it. Wise if you are doing a handmade Christmas to get started early so you will have more time to enjoy the holidays instead so much rushing. Make decorations and put in storage for a couple of months, and if there are a lot of gifts to make, the sooner your started the more likely you'll be better organized and have time to enjoy the festivities.

Fabulous ideas and fantastic hub as always! Voting you up and awesome as always too, and will share!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 11, 2011:

lisasuniquevoice: Thank you for stopping by! Yes, I love those ornaments hanging by the ribbons and I bet they look really pretty hanging in your kitchen window. Thank you again for reading my hub and I hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas :0)

lisasuniquevoice on December 11, 2011:

Jamie,

I love your pictures. You've got great inexpensive ideas that all look like they would cost so much less than they probably do. I'm going to put up those ornaments hanging from ribbons in my kitchen window. Fellow Hubber, lisasuniquevoice

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on December 04, 2011:

GmaGoldie: Glad you liked these! It sounds like you are in the holiday spirit:) Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Kelly Kline Burnett from Madison, Wisconsin on December 04, 2011:

Very inventive. Fun hub! Thank you! Off to put more decorations on my tree.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 21, 2011:

Trust1: Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate it :)

trust1 from Winnipeg, Maniitoba on November 21, 2011:

Love it all .....Thanks for sharing

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 19, 2011:

LetitiaFT: I love the upside down glasses as well. I love finding and sharing new ways to re-purpose things and that one really is unique. I kept thinking to myself, why haven't I thought of that! Thank you for stopping by :0)

LetitiaFT from Paris via California on November 19, 2011:

Great. The upside-down glasses for tea lights are genius. Thanks.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 16, 2011:

A.CreativeThinker: Thanks so much.. so glad you like it :)

A.CreativeThinker on November 16, 2011:

This is such a beautiful hub Jamie Brock. Thanks for sharing. Take Care :)

Regards,

A.CreativeThinker

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 15, 2011:

Miss Paula: Thank you SO much for your comment and for stopping by! Best Wishes and Happy Holidays to you, too!

Miss Paula on November 15, 2011:

These are all so beautiful, my favorite one is the wine glass turned up side down as tea light holders. so many different ideas they're great Happy Holidays and GOD BLESS!!!

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 14, 2011:

thewahm: Thanks for reading.. I love them too. Such a cool idea.

Tara on November 14, 2011:

Oh I love the idea of using wine glasses as tea light holders.

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 14, 2011:

vocalcoach: Aww..thanks! I LOVE looking for unique decorations and crafts to share on my hubs. It is just amazing how many truly talented people are out there that come up with this stuff! So glad you liked these :)

Audrey Hunt from Pahrump NV on November 13, 2011:

You are a Hubpage gift, Jamie! This is brilliant. The upside down glasses with tea candles is one of my favorites. And wrapping wall pictures as gifts - love it! I voted this hub across the board. Bookmarking it too. A huge thanks!

vocalcoach~

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 11, 2011:

prasetio- So nice to "see" you! Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting on the Christmas décor ideas. I hope that you are doing well. Thank you again :)

prasetio30 from malang-indonesia on November 11, 2011:

This was so beautiful. You come up with wonderful ideas. I believe that this décor will make Christmas more colorful. Thanks for share with us. Rated up!

Prasetio

Jamie Brock (author) from Texas on November 06, 2011:

Aww.. thanks tsmog! I appreciate you sharing this with your relatives :) Yes, Digs Digs is pretty neat. They had many different ideas there. I LOVED the pink candlesticks! Thank you so much for stopping by :)

Tim Mitchell from Escondido, CA on November 06, 2011:

Darn you Jamie. So much to choose from. I can't decide for now. I will have to journey back latter (maybe sneak a moment at work) to see again. Kinda partial to Digs Digs now - forwarding for relatives to view now. Thanks and remember to smile while having fun, fun, fun, , ,