Today I'm spilling the beans....sharing some of my secrets for getting the look of a designer home on a teeny tiny little budget, decorated for the holidays!

You might be surprised, dare I say shocked, at some of these secrets! No, I do not rob rich little old ladies, tee hee. Stick with me and I'll let you in on some of my favorite secrets! And I'm super excited to share my decorated home with you today too!


Okay, so here's my first dirty little secret...are you ready?

It's not about where you shop!

Seriously! So many people these days are all about having this brand and that tag. That's fine if you're not counting your change at the end of the month!

For the rest of us, bargain-hunting is a full time sport! Guess where I bought my tree this year? My very real tree (and I'm going to make you scroll a little farther down to find out where I bought it)!


We don't have a lot of space in our living room and I didn't want to have to move all the furniture around, so I wanted a smallish tree that could fit in the corner. Say hello to my $32 tree from Walmart! Yep, I'm that person! Okay, so honestly it's the first time I've ever bought a tree from a big box store, but look at it, it's beautiful. And isn't it all about the decorations anyway? You can disguise a lot with cleverly placed decorations! Which leads us to the second secret I want to share with you.

Hang decorations as well as ornaments on your tree!

Hide those bald or thinning areas with large, statement making pieces like this sled! Your tree will have a lot of personality and interest when your decorations are varying sizes, so use the ornaments but look at your favorite Christmas decor with a new eye and think about using some of them on your tree this year as well.


Heck, while you're at it, why not hang a favorite book! Just wrap a rubber band around the back cover and clip that to the tree with an ornament hanger! Easy. Colorful. Fun!

Repurpose what you already own!

So somewhere in our move from Florida 3 years ago, I lost the tree skirt. No biggie, but this year I wanted to replace it. Tree skirts can be really pricey unless you buy one after the holidays. While cleaning out a drawer, I found a forgotten round tablecloth that I had (and no longer use) and repurposed it to use as my Christmas tree skirt this year!


I folded it in half and then half again, then marked 7" from the point and marked a curve and cut it out. I then cut straight down one side and simply hot glued the raw edges under because I was feeling too lazy to fire up the sewing machine! While I was at it I hot glued red pom pom fringe along the ruffled edge. Easy. Pretty. Hardly any Money Spent!

In my guest room I reused my red plaid throw and simply laid it across the bed. A simple way to add a touch of Christmas in that room!

Purchase a couple pieces that set the theme

While I am budget conscious, I do enjoy the occasional splurge. This year, I really wanted to create a Swedish Christmas look with red and white (even though there's not a Nordic bone in my body as far as I know). I found a throw and a pillow at Home Goods that I bought and can use them all over the house. And because they're not strictly holiday, I can keep them out and use them all winter! Bigger bang for my decorating buck! This picture was taken before we set the big tree up, but already you can get an idea of what kind of Christmas I have in mind.


And with the tree, all that red and white...makes it magical!

Get the most out of a yard of fabric

You know when you see something and just cannot get it out of your mind? That's how I felt when I spotted these dishes recently on Pinterest. Total. Swoon! Of course, at $53 for just the egg cup, it ain't happening in my lifetime. Bummer! So I set out to recreate the look.


I bought a yard an a half of red gingham and sewed a simple table runner with a ruffle for my dining room table.


Along with my collected white ironstone dishes, it adds that fresh look that I love. And it seriously cost me next to nothing (thank you Hobby Lobby coupons...you are my forever friend!)



Those jars, right? Simple canning jars painted on the outside with white chalkpaint and some seasonal items tied on. Simply perfect!

Don't forget the cocoa!

This year I added the necessary ingredients on the buffet area of my black hutch so everything's within easy reach, including all the yummy additions one needs to make a cup of cocoa extra special!

It's an inexpensive way to use your Christmas snacks as part of the decor!

Shop in the coffee aisle

Say what? If you're new around here, you'll know that I love my cuppa Joe in the mornings. But I'm not talking coffee...I'm talking filters! I created my winter white wreath (hanging on my mantle) and the huge tree on my coffee table, using coffee filters! Cheap-o decorating that looks outrageously expensive! Try it! Instant gratification in about an hour, lol!

Shop Goodwill

My last little secret to fabulous budget holiday decorating is to take a little trip to Goodwill and grab a couple good looking sweaters! Try your hand at a sweater stocking (I used this basic tutorial by An Extraordinary Day to make mine).



Or use your sweater to make this adorable little snowman...I'll be sharing the complete tutorial for him on Sunday. Hint: they make perfect gifts for just about everybody!


For more budget Christmas decorating ideas, in case you missed my Christmas countdown advent shutter, check that out here.


You can read all about my Coca-Cola tabletop tree and the painted ornaments I created to decorate it with right here.


To find out how easy it is to make a Winter White Wreath from coffee filters (for around $5), click here!



I hope you had fun walking through my Christmas home, and better yet, that you'll be able to use some of my budget decorating secrets for your own home!


Now please be sure to visit some of these other lovely homes on the Christmas Blog Hop and take a few minutes to link up your own home if you're a blogger!



bringing beauty to the ordinary,