The most wonderful time of year is upon us! The sight of Christmas decorations are popping up everywhere you go. Decorating for the holidays is so special to me and I love sharing it with my girls. A simple light dazzles them and can change their whole mood. While many choose to wait until after thanksgiving to decorate, I take my time and allow everything to come together over the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving day so I don’t run out of time.

Decorating can be quite an expensive ordeal, so I try to keep it super simple. I’ll share 5 decorating tips that I hope will save you some cash for those gifts under the tree!

1. When searching for ornaments, look for items not labeled “ornament.” A large outdoor bow can be much cheaper than something the same size labeled as an ornament. I put some outdoor bows on my Christmas tree and they add just the perfect amount of fullness and color.

2. Utilize your existing home decor and add simple colorful touches. A little red ribbon and a green wreathe scream Christmas! These can often be found at craft stores for super cheap.

3. I really love the black and white gingham look this year! I purchased pillow covers from Amazon and filled them with snow fluff purchased last year after Christmas. This concept was useful to me a few years ago when I worked as an ER nurse. (I’ll digress with a story for you.) When I was a child, I had an accident that required stitches to my forehead. I’m sure you can imagine this was a devastating experience for anyone. But the nurse who was caring for me, offered me a stuffed doll after my stitches were done. It made the experience a little better and I wanted to do the same for the kids I treated. I started to sew bears out of fabric and stuff them. I wanted a low cost way to do this, so after Christmas, I bought a lot of the snow fluff at a discount price. Since then, I have always grabbed a few bags for projects after Christmas when everything is marked down.

4. Plain Christmas lights are so nostalgic and can brighten up any kitchen counter. I buy the 10 count string lights and place them around some colored wine glasses, coffee mugs or Christmas figurines. Battery operated lights are a great option as well and are budget friendly.

5. Of course the best time to buy decorations is after Christmas! Most stores mark them down to half off. It’s unpredictable to know what will still be in stores or not. Holding out for post-Christmas sales can save you big on large items like trees, outdoor inflatables and expensive ornaments. The catch? You HAVE to get to the stores early the day after. Also, even if something isn’t marked down yet, doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be! Just ask!

Happy Decorating!

-Amber