Who else loves this time of year? The magic in the air, the holiday decorating and the amazing smells are just a few of the reasons why I love this season. Decorating for the holidays doesn’t have to be expensive. Here’s a few ways I saved on my holiday decor.
This post contains affiliate links where I may receive a commission from any purchases you make. See my full disclosure here.


Fresh Garland
I absolutely love fresh garland, not only does it smell amazing, but it’s an inexpensive way to instantly add holiday to a space. I purchased two cedar garlands, 50′ total, for about $40 total from Costco. We were able to add the garland around our front door, fireplace mantel, around our 6′ kitchen window and on the railing of our stairs with none to spare. But fresh garland dies! I know, I know. I usually buy it the first or second week of December so I’m hoping our garland lasts through Christmas. You can soak your garland in a tub of water overnight to help preserve the moisture and keep your garland alive for longer. I garnished the garland with this velvet ribbon.

Dried Oranges
Who else loves dried oranges? Just me? This was my first year making them and I actually was not a fan of the smell while they were baking in the oven. Every blog I’ve read said that they smell amazing, well not to me, ha. Anyways, I cut up 10 oranges into 1/4″ slices and laid them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I cooked the oranges for about 5 hours on 250 degrees F in the oven, flipping about every 90 minutes. Once cooled, I strung them with fishing line and a needle. Easy peasy! Total cost = the cost of 10 oranges. I made 3 strands – 2 for our tree and 1 for our mantel. How pretty are they on our Christmas tree? I love the subtle pop of color. If I was really ambitious, I would probably make one more orange garland for our tree, we’ll see if I get around to it before Christmas.


Wood Beads
I purchased some wood beads last year and made 4 wood bead string garlands. All you need is wood beads, fishing line or string and a needle. This project was a little time consuming, but also a big cost saver. I love the look of wood bead strands, but not the cost. This year, I purchased these geometric wood beads and made a garland for our fireplace. Total cost for beads was $16.

I was also lucky enough to grab a few items from the Target dollar spot, such as these little houses and wood trees. I went back for more and unfortunately the trees were already gone and replaced with other items. I’m so happy I did grab a few items back in early November because this stuff goes quick! Ultimately, I spent about $30 on these pieces.
What are your budget-friendly holiday ideas? Comment below, I’d love to read through some of your holiday DIY’s!
Leave a Reply