With the holiday season just around the corner, it’s time to pull out your Christmas lights and festive yard ornaments. I have always made it a goal to light up our neighborhood with my outdoor décor, bringing some fun and joy to everyone that passes by. However, all of that decorating comes at a cost!

Store-bought holiday decorations can come with a hefty price tag, especially if you’re trying to decorate a larger space. The good news is that you don’t have to break the bank to create an eye-catching holiday display.

In this guide, we have put together 80 ideas for cheap and easy outdoor Christmas décor. This includes low-cost solutions that can be purchased at your local dollar store or big box store, as well as some creative ideas for the crafters and DIY lovers among us. We have options for any style or size of space!

Build a Tree from a Pole and String Lights

Vibrant Christmas Light Tree in Christmas Light Garden

Image credits: Aaron Hawkins via Canva

Most homeowners have a few strings of Christmas lights on hand for decorating. The challenge becomes what to do with them to make the biggest impact. If you’re looking to do something different this year, why not use your lights to create a beautiful, eye-catching Christmas tree for your front yard? All you need (in addition to your lights) is a tall pole, a large flowerpot, dirt or concrete, and a set of anchors or stakes.

To start, you need to anchor the pole to prevent it from blowing over. This is done by placing one end in the flowerpot and then using the dirt or concrete to fill around it. Another alternative, if you happen to have them on hand, would be to use rocks and stones. Regardless of which option you use, take care to make sure that your center pole is secure. Place your center pole in your yard where you want the final tree to stand. Alternatively, you can anchor the pole directly into the ground in your yard where you want to build your tree.

Next, you will need to attach your lights to the center pole on one end, allowing them to hang down towards the ground. One at a time, stretch your lights out way from the center pole until they are at an angle of approximately 45 degrees before anchoring them securely in the ground. Space your lights out as evenly as possible around the center pole. When you’re finished, plug your lights in and watch a brightly lit tree appear right before your eyes.

For more detailed instructions, check out our post outlining how to make an outdoor Christmas tree made of lights.

Transform Your Garage Door into a Snowman

Florida Home Decorated for Christmas

Image credits: Purdue9394 via Canva

This is an incredibly easy and low-cost decoration for anyone that has a white garage door. All you need is some fabric or plastic in black and orange, and a large red fabric bow. Out of the black fabric, cut out a large black top hat and several black circles to use as lumps of coal. From the orange, you need to create a large carrot for your snowman’s nose. Using double-sided tape, use your cut-outs to assemble the face on the front of your garage door. For the hat, angle it slightly across one of the top corners. Make sure to hang it high enough that it won’t catch on your vehicle if you are planning to use the door. Finish off the top hat by adding the red bow and your snowman will be ready to greet any visitors with a smile.

Make a Simple Holiday Lighted Sign

Merry Christmas Sign Lights
Image credits: Baloncici via Canva

Image credits: Baloncici via Canva

The supplies needed to create your own lighted sign for the coming holiday season can all be found at your local Dollar Tree. This includes a canvas or wooden sign base, acrylic paint, and a string of battery-operated lights. Sketch your sign design onto your canvas. This could be a festive word or a recognizable holiday image. Count the number of bulbs on your string of lights and mark where you want them to come through on the sign. Carefully make a hole just large enough to fit the bulb using a craft knife or a drill.

After you have all the holes in place for your lights, you can paint your sign. Choose assorted colors that will stand out during the daytime including traditional Christmas colors or any other color palette needed to match your decorating theme. When the paint has dried, carefully poke each of the lights through the sign. If the hole is too large to hold them in place, use a small piece of electrical tape on the back. Hang your sign and enjoy the festive flair that it will add to any space.

Incorporate Christmas Gifts Made from Wooden Blocks

Christmas presents gifts outdoors in rural nature in frosty winter
Image credits: knape via Canva

Image credits: knape via Canva

We often decorate Christmas trees around the yard, but is the look really complete without presents under the tree? You may be excited to know that you can make decorative Christmas presents out of simple blocks of wood. It’s a great way to make use of scraps that you may have sitting in your garage or basement.

If necessary, cut the block of wood down to the size desired for your present. Using spray paint designed for use on wood outdoors like the Krylon ColorMaster Paint and Primer, carefully paint your gift in the desired color. After it has had a chance to dry, complete the look by tying a ribbon around it complete with a bow on top. Use a single present to decorate a table or window box, or create a pile of presents under each of your outdoor trees for some extra holiday cheer.

Turn Your Home into a Gingerbread House with DIY Paper Plate Candies

Colored paper plates on a bright green background.

Image credits: Andrii Popov via Canva

Embrace the fun this season and surprise your holiday guests by transforming your house into a giant gingerbread house with the help of some oversized peppermint candies. This is a fun decorating idea with very little cost. For each peppermint candy, you will need a white paper plate, a colored Sharpie marker, and some cellophane wrap. Using your marker, draw the spiral pattern seen on your favorite peppermint candy across the bottom of the plate. You can do this with the traditional red or try assorted colors for a fun twist. Wrap your candy with cellophane, twisting the wrapper closed on each side. These candies can be used as a fun wall decoration or string them together to create a garland of sweets.

Add Logs and LED Lights to Your Firepit for A Festive Glow

Image credits: Olga Yastremska's Images via Canva

Some of the best budget-friendly outdoor decorations take advantage of the items already present in your yard. If you have a fire pit in your yard, you can give it a festive glow using some bright lights and a few logs of wood. Arrange the logs in a carefully balanced teepee as if you were building an actual fire. Carefully wrap your lights in and around the base of your teepee before turning them on and watching your holiday fire come to life.

Use Plastic Cups to Make Sparkly Light Balls

Christmas Plastic cup light ball

Image credits: tommaync via Creativecommons

Do you have a stash of clear plastic cups sitting around at home from your last holiday party or get-together? You can use these cups to create a sparkling ball of light that will draw compliments from all your neighbors. These are a great option for adding some drama to your patio space or decorating nearby branches with lights that can be seen easily by anyone visiting. You will need a string of 50 LED Christmas lights, 50 plastic cups, and a stapler.

Carefully cut a small hole in the bottom of each of the cups using a sharp craft knife. This whole does not need to be large, just big enough for a single LED bulb to fit through. Take 12 cups, placing them in a circle with the bottom of the cups in the middle. Using your stapler, attach these cups securely to one another. From here, you can slowly build up the top of your light ball by adding a second layer of cups offset from the first. This means that each cup will be attached so that it sits in the space between two cups on the original role. Continue this until it forms a half-circle of cups. This will take half of your cups. Repeat the process, making a second cup structure.

Take your Christmas lights and carefully poke one light through the bottom of each of the cups, first completing one side before moving on to the second. Bring the two sides together, sandwiching your string of lights in the middle, with the power cord extending out where it’s accessible. Carefully staple the halves together to create your complete sparkle ball. When you plug your string of lights in, the cups will reflect the light creating a beautiful lighting effect.

Combine Pool Noodles and Ornaments for a Holiday Wreath

Pool Noodles Bright Colors

Image credits: Jordan 's Images via Canva

Have you ever considered trying your hand making your own festive holiday wreath? Begin by taking a single pool noodle, bending it into a large circle with the two ends coming together, and securing it in this shape with duct tape. This will be your wreath form. Next, you will need many Christmas ornaments in the color(s) of your choice including ornaments of different textures and sizes. Keep your costs down by purchasing your ornaments at Dollar Tree or a similar bargain store.

Using a glue gun to hold everything in place, carefully glue your ornaments onto the wreath form one at a time starting with your largest ornaments. Your smallest ornaments can be used to fill in any holes, hiding the pool noodle completely from view. If you want to add a little more festive cheer, you can decorate your wreath by incorporating tinsel, battery-operated lights, or other decorative ornaments.

Stack and Paint Wood Logs for a Rustic Snowman

Snowman made in wood logs

Image credits: oceane2508 via Canva

Create a fun, festive snowman that isn’t going to melt when the weather starts to warm up using logs from your woodpile. You will need three logs that are roughly the same width for the snowman himself and a fourth log that is slightly narrower than the rest to serve as his top hat. Carefully remove any bark from the logs and round the edges of the three main body pieces using a jigsaw to make them look more like snowballs. Sand them as needed to allow the logs to sit one on top of the other. You will also need to drill a hole large enough to hold a stick on both sides of the middle log for arms and on the front of the top log for your snowman’s carrot nose. Finally, you will need a thin sheet of wood cut into a circle to serve as the brim of the top hat.

Using outdoor spray paint suitable for wood, paint the three pieces of your snowman’s body with white, the smaller log and the round base black for the top hat, and a smaller stick orange for a carrot nose. Carefully assemble these logs to build your snowman. You can secure them together or leave them as separate pieces for easy storage. Using wood glue, fit branches into the two side holes to give your snowman arms and attach your carrot nose in the same way to the front. Paint small circles of black coal for your snowman’s eyes, mouth, and buttons. Finish the look by tying a warm winter scarf around his neck.

Use a Ladder as a Rustic Shelving Display

Shelves with Decorations and Christmas Lights near White Wall

Image credits: pixelshot via Canva

While some decorations are large statement pieces, others are smaller and require a little extra attention to detail. These items may not be the bold and eye-catching displays that can be seen clearly from the street when driving past, but that doesn’t mean that they should be avoided. In fact, some of the most meaningful displays are more subtle, set up more for you and your family to enjoy than they are for others.

If you are looking for a creative way to display your smaller decorations, here’s a great solution. You can build a display shelf out of a traditional utility ladder and some planks of wood. After deciding where you want your display to be, set up the ladder in the middle of that space with the steps pointing off to the side. Take your planks and lay them across each of the steps of the ladder. Lay your planks of wood across the steps on each side of the ladder to form shelves.

When your shelves are in place, it’s time to decorate! Wrap rope lights or fairy lights around the ladder to give it a festive glow. You can also tie in other colorful ornaments and decorative elements including burlap ribbon, fresh greenery, gift boxes, and faux snow. If this is a permanent display, you may choose to spray paint the ladder and the boards so that everything matches seamlessly. Set it up just for the holiday season or change your shelf decorations for each holiday and event.

Make Lighted PVC Presents

Christmas Presents Illuminated at Night
Image credits: rognar via Canva

Image credits: rognar via Canva

We already talked about making decorative presents using a block of wood, but what about presents that light up and add a festive glow to your outdoor space. To begin, build a box shape out of lengths of PVC piping and 3-way PVC fittings. This will determine the size of your finished present, so keep that in mind when selecting and cutting your supplies. Take a strip of LED Christmas lights and attach them to one side of your box. You can run the lights along the PVC for a lighting effect that glows specifically around the edges or string them back and forth across the middle for a more uniform lighting solution.

When your lights are all in place, wrap your box using a thin fabric or PVC film. This is where you will incorporate some color or holiday patterns into your design. Secure this wrapping along the sides of your present and avoid overlapping it as that will interfere with the ability of the lights to shine through. Finish off your presents by wrapping and tying a bright ribbon with a large bow.

Paint Plastic Pumpkins for a Budget-Friendly Snowman

Pumpkin snowman

Image credits: s1llu via Canva

Throughout the fall season, especially in the lead-up to Halloween, many dollar stores carry plastic pumpkins that are used for decorating for the spooky season. However, when the season comes to an end, these decorations are either stashed away for next year or they find their way into the landfill. If you find yourself with an abundance of pumpkins, why not repurpose them and create some new festive porch décor?

To start, paint 3 plastic pumpkins white for the body of your snowman. Get creative with one of your pumpkins, painting a festive snowman face complete with a carrot nose and a big smile. If you are making multiple snowmen, give each their own unique face and personality. Stack your three pumpkins one on top of the next and secure them using a hot glue gun. Then, it's time to accessorize! Add a cute hat, a scarf, buttons down his chest, and branches for arms.

If you are going to be using your snowmen outside and are worried about whether they will blow away, you may want to add rocks or some other form of weight in the bottom pumpkin before putting them all together.

Light the Way with Mason Jar Lanterns

Christmas Fairy Lights in a Mason Jar

Image credits: Natalia Klenova via Canva

Rather than stringing up normal holiday lights this season, you can add a rustic touch to your outdoor décor by creating your own mason jar lanterns. Take an empty mason jar and a piece of wire, winding it around the top of the jar to create a hanger. Decorate your jar to match your outdoor décor. This could include adding ribbon that matches your color scheme, attaching sprigs of greenery or other holiday-themed decorations, or painting designs right onto the jar. When you’re finished decorating, place a string of battery-operated Christmas lights in the jar and hang your lantern from your porch or a tree in your front yard.

Hang a Holiday Clothesline

Santa clothing hanging on a clothes line

Image credits: Geribody via Canva

Are you looking for quick and easy holiday porch décor for the coming holiday season? This may be one of the easiest options out there and you’re sure to receive compliments from your friends and family for your fun and quirky display. Hang a single string of LED tree lights up from one post to the next like a clothesline, allowing it to hang down ever so slightly. From these lights, hang the pieces of Santa’s outfit. If you happen to also have a cute little elf outfit, you can add it to your line too. Plug in your lights and watch your porch transform into the porch of Santa’s home up in the North Pole.

Gather Several Evergreen Boughs for an Understated Wreath Alternative

Christmas Wreath

Image credits: Pancaketom via Canva

A fun alternative to the traditional holiday wreaths, this year ditch the round wreath forms entirely. Instead, you can create a beautiful door display using boughs of greenery, pinecones, and ribbon. To begin, lay your boughs out with the base of each branch together and allow the ends of the boughs to fan out slightly. Tie a piece of twine or wind a small wire around the base to hold them firmly together. Taking your pinecones, add a thin piece of ribbon to the base of each using a hot glue gun. Cut the ribbon long enough to glue the end to the spot that you just tied while the pinecones hang down approximately in the middle of your fan of evergreen. Top it off by placing a large decorative holiday bow to cover the tie and you have a simple, festive display for your door.

Create a Snowman with Grapevine Wreaths

Woman Making A Christmas Grapevine Wreath

Image credits: SStajic via Canva

Grapevine wreaths are a holiday staple and can usually be found in any dollar store, big-box store, or craft store. This decorating idea takes those simple wreath forms and transforms them into something fun and creative. You will need two wreaths in slightly different sizes, white spray paint, a string of battery-operated white lights with white cords, a glue gun, and some holiday decorations.

Spray paint your two wreaths white, being careful to cover all exposed vines. Laying one wreath above the other, attach them together to create the form of a snowman with its head and body. Taking your lights, wrap them all around your newly created wreath form. Tie a ribbon or some other form of a hanger to the top of the smaller wreath and then it’s time to decorate! Using your glue gun, start decorating your snowman by adding a hat on its head, a scarf or ribbon around its neck, and other fun, festive touches. Make it your own!

Decorate Your Windows with DIY Hot Glue Snowflake Window Clings

Hot Glue Snowflake

Image credits: Elena Vafina via Canva

Festive window clings are as close as a glue gun away if you have a little imagination and are willing to put in the work! To begin, you will need a few simple snowflake designs and a piece of parchment paper. Placing the parchment paper over your snowflake designs, carefully trace the lines of the pattern with glue from your hot glue gun. Make sure that the glue lines that you are creating are thick enough that they won’t be easily damaged. After the glue has dried, carefully peel your snowflakes off the parchment paper and they are ready to stick on your windows. You can add glitter to your snowflakes before they dry or use colored glue sticks to add some extra fun to your designs. Don’t worry about being perfect with your tracing, after all, no two snowflakes are the same.

Make a Festive Wreath with Fabric Scraps

Hand Holding Scraps of Colorful Fabric

Image credits: pixelshot via Canva

Quilters and Sewing Lovers: Do you have some holiday-themed fabric scraps hanging around? Before you throw them in the garbage, here’s a great way that you can put them to use to add some festive cheer to your front door. All you need in addition to your pile of scraps is a wire wreath form from the dollar store. Cut your scraps into long strips. One at a time, take a strip of fabric and tie it onto the wreath form, pushing them close together to fit as many strips of fabric in as you can. This will give you a full wreath and prevent anyone from seeing the wreath form from peeking through. Add a personal touch with a festive message, some holiday ornaments, or a large decorative bow.

Build a Pallet Christmas Tree

Wooden Pallet Christmas Tree in the Garden

Image credits: NataliaCatalina via Canva

Another way to repurpose materials that are otherwise thrown aside is to build holiday decorations out of pallets. Many pallet crafts begin with tearing the pallet down so that you have boards to build with, however, this one is even easier! All you need is a saw of some form to cut through the pallet wood and some paint, and you create a pallet Christmas tree to decorate your porch throughout the season.

Lay the pallet down on the ground with the three inner support boards positioned vertically. Make a mark in the top center of the center board. This will be the top of your Christmas tree. Draw a straight line from this top point down to each of the bottom corners, creating a triangular shape. Carefully cut along both lines, revealing your Christmas tree. Paint the tree to match your other outdoor holiday decorations. After the paint has dried, you can decorate your tree with outdoor lights, or by hanging other decorations along its wooden branches.

Assemble a Lighted Candy Garland

Christmas Garlands with Candies Hung

Image credits: Adrian Mocanu's Images via Canva

We already made candies that could be used to decorate the walls of our home, but if you’re going for the full gingerbread house look, you’re going to need a lot more than that! Trade-in your outdoor lights this season for a garland of candies to make your house shine. All you need is colorful cellophane, clear plastic corsage boxes, and strings of LED Christmas lighting. Take a corsage box and place your full string of LED lights inside with the plugs at the start and end of the plug hanging out on each side.

Take a piece of colored cellophane and wrap your corsage box as if wrapping a present, leaving the ends with the light strings hanging out open. Carefully gather the cellophane around the cords and secure it with a ribbon, wire, or a piece of tape so that it looks like the twisted ends of a wrapped candy. Your garland will be formed by plugging the candies into one another in a row, so make enough lighted candies to span the space that you are hoping to decorate. You can do this all in a single color or mix it up with a combination of your favorite candy-inspired colors.

Decorate Your Existing Outdoor Décor

Christmas Presents Illuminated at Night
Image credits: rognar via Canva

Image credits: Oleg_0 via Canva

As we already touched on with the festive firepit design above, decorating for the holiday season doesn’t always mean creating something from scratch. In fact, some of the best festive decorations incorporate the outdoor décor that is featured in your yard throughout the year. I’m talking about statues, light posts, garden fences, and other yard decorations. Some examples of decorating the décor in your outdoor space include stringing LED lights along the top of your garden fencing, wrapping your light posts with lighted garland, or even dressing up your statues with Santa hats or reindeer antlers. Not only will this create a fun and festive display but it’s also a great way to avoid unnecessary stress and hassle from trying to work around these items.

Construct a PVC and Electrical Tape Candy Cane

Christmas tree beside giant candy cane

Image credits: Christine_Kohler via Canva

Many holiday lovers use decorative candy canes to light up their front walk. These simple decorations look great, but they can be difficult to find as the holiday draws near. Rather than hoping that your local dollar store still has some in stock, you can build your own amazing candy cane decorations that will stand up even better over time. All you need is PVC pipe, elbow connectors, painter’s tape, red and white spray paint, and LED Christmas lights.

To begin, you will need to decide how tall you want your candy canes to stand. This will determine how long to cut your PVC pipe. For this example, we are going to look at approximately 3 ½ feet tall, and therefore each candy cane will need one 3-foot-tall piece of PVC pipe. In addition to this, you will need 3 small 3-inch pieces of pipe and 4 elbow joints. Using the elbow joints and smaller pipe pieces, assemble them together alternating between the two to create the curved top of the candy cane. You can use an adhesive to secure these pieces together so that they don’t come apart over time.

With a drill bit large enough for your LED bulbs to fit through, drill holes along the side of your candy cane spaced out to match the spacing of your light string. This includes both on the main PVC pipe as well as on the curved top. Spray paint both pieces white and allow them to dry. Take your painter’s tape and spiral it down the candy cane. You may wish to assemble the top loosely to make sure that your stripes match up. Spray paint everything red and allow it to dry before removing the painter's tape and revealing the white stripe below. Assemble your candy cane by installing the light string and firmly attaching the top. To use your new decoration, secure the bottom of the pole into the ground and then plug in your lights.

Turn Clear Storage Totes into Lighted Christmas Presents

storage totes boxes in an empty room with a window

Image credits: NAKphotos via Canva

Are you looking for a versatile holiday decoration that can easily be stored without the need for any extra boxes or bags during the off-season? If so, you are going to love this solution! All you need is a clear storage tote, a string of LED string lights, and a brightly colored ribbon. Take the lid off your storage tote and carefully tape your string lights inside, stretching them back and forth across inside the bin to best fill the space. Wrap your ribbon around the tote, tying a decorative bow on the bottom of the container (not on the open top. Sit your tote upside down beneath your outdoor Christmas trees and plug it in. When you’re done with your lighted Christmas presents, just place the various pieces (along with other outdoor decorations that you need to store) inside the tote, putting the lid on, and everything is secure until the holiday season comes around again.

Assemble a Present Stack Topiary

Person Carrying a Stack of Presents

Image credits: Floral Deco via Canva

Topiaries are a great way to frame your front door or entryway, however, you may not be interested in adding an actual plant to your outdoor space just for this purpose. Instead, you can create the perfect holiday decoration by creating a topiary out of stacked presents. You will need a series of boxes, each slightly smaller than the last, wrapped in complimentary wrapping paper, a flowerpot, a block of floral foam, a long dowel or broom handle, and a number of different Christmas ornaments for decoration.

With a glue gun, stick the floral foam to the bottom of your flowerpot. If you are using a lightweight pot, you may wish to weigh it down by placing rocks around the foam. Stick your dowel firmly into the foam ensuring that it is sturdy and able to stand up. Cut a small hole in the very middle of each of the gifts just large enough for the dowel to fit through and slide them each on in order based on their size, with the largest gift at the bottom. Using your ornaments, prop up the sides of your gifts at random angles to add some depth to the display (if desired) and add some additional decoration. Create a matching set for each side of your door.

Build a Plastic Spoon Christmas Tree

Christmas tree from small plastic spoons with red berries

Image credits: 13-Smile via Canva

If you are looking for a smaller decoration to accent a patio table space, here’s a fun option. Did you know that you can build a fun metallic-looking Christmas tree with plastic spoons? This is a creative idea that I had to try the moment that I saw it, and I was surprised by how easy it was to build! All you need is a piece of thin cardboard (like a cereal box), a glue gun, a box of plastic spoons, and spray paint in your choice of color.

Begin by cutting your cardboard into a large circle. Cut a slit in the circle from the edge on one side into the middle and roll it up into a cone shape and secure it with glue. This will be the base of your Christmas tree. Take your spoons and cut the handle off each, keeping the bowl and putting the handle aside. Spray paint all the spoon pieces, making sure that they are fully covered front and back. Try experimenting with antiquing techniques to add even more dimension. When the paint has dried, it’s time to start assembling your tree.

Beginning at the base of your cone, glue the spoon pieces side by side in a circle. When you start the second row, offset your spoons between the row below. Continue this all the way up to your cone until the cardboard is completely covered and you’re ready to go! Try changing the size of your spoon tree by sizing up or sizing down your cardboard, or combing trees of different colors in a holiday display.

Cover a Wall with a Budget Curtain Light

santa holding a gift in front of ligths

Image Credit: pixelshot on Canva

A quick and easy way to decorate a large wall or opening is by using a curtain light. These lights work by combining several string lights all hanging from a single central cord, making it easy to hang them all at once. Many curtain lights combine 200-300 LED lights in a single product. The price point for this product is a large spectrum, ranging anywhere from $15 to $150+ for a single curtain, depending on the functions that each set offers. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly decorating solution for the side of your house or around your gazebo, this is a great solution!

Make Snowflakes out of Plastic Clothes Hangers

Clothing Hangers

Image credits: Shannon Fagan via Canva

Many of us have a collection of clothes hangers tucked in the back of our closets, adding to them from each time we head out shopping for clothing. To make these large decorative snowflakes, you will need 16 plastic hangers, zip ties, a glue gun, scissors, and any decorations that you want to add to the final product to bring it to life. To begin, you take 8 hangers and lay them in a circle, alternating between placing them base to base and hook to hook. With your zip ties, secure each of the hangers in place.

Do the same with your remaining hangers as a second layer, however, this time you should place the base connections over the hook connections and vice versa. After all your hangers are zip-tied together, tie a large ribbon loop to the top to hang it. You can decorate your snowflake by adding tinsel or white battery-powered lights, giving it a little extra shine. These large snowflakes look great hanging from tree branches or the along your exterior walls.

Line Your Front Walk with Ice Lanterns

Ice lantern
Image credits: molka via Canva

Image credits: molka via Canva

A great way to bring the holiday spirit to your outdoor walkway or entry stairs is by adding a festive glow with your own DIY ice lanterns. This is a fun activity for the whole family, simple enough for even young children to participate. For each lantern, you will need two containers of different sizes, small weights for the inner container, water, a battery-operated tea light, and decorations.

Fill the larger container approximately ¾ full before sitting the smaller container in the middle. Use your weights to hold the container down in the water leaving a narrow base between the bottoms of the two containers. Place small items in the water to decorate your lantern. In addition to small ornaments or figures, you can also add glitter, beaded garland, evergreen boughs, holly berries, or food coloring. When you’re done decorating, allow your lantern to freeze though. Remove the lantern from both containers and place your battery-operated tea-light in the space created in the middle of the smaller container.

The great thing about these lanterns is that they will continue to stand strong as long as the winter temperatures remain. As the weather starts to warm up, your lanterns will melt away leaving the ornaments behind to be used again next year.

Hang Garland to Create a Tree on Your Exterior Walls

Christmas tree garland on the wall

Image credits: fundamental rights via Canva

Holiday garland is a great low-cost decorating option, readily available at your local dollar tree or budget shop. There are a wide variety of different styles and colors ranging from traditional garland designed to look like gathered evergreen boughs to brightly colored tinsel, meaning that it is a decorating solution that can be made to fit any space. One way that you can use garland creatively is to hang it on a large flat surface, like an exterior wall, creating an image or design such as a Christmas tree, a snowflake, or a large festive tree ornament. Combine the garland with a string of LED lights before hanging it to add some additional sparkle to your holiday display.

Create Light Balls with Chicken Wire

roll of chicken wire

Image credits: ands456 via Canva

Do you have a large yard space that you are looking to decorate? Larger ornaments and decorations often come with a larger price tag, especially if you’re purchasing something that includes lighting for a fun nighttime display. However, if you have access to chicken wire, these holiday light balls are a cheap yard decoration that will impress the whole neighborhood.

Cut a large rectangle of chicken wire with a length and width ratio of 2:1. The larger your chicken wire, the larger the light ball. Bring the ends of the cylinder together and secure them, then form a ball shape by carefully bending the ends in. Once you are happy with the shape, it’s time to start adding your lights. Carefully wrap your LED Christmas lights around the light ball, spacing them out to create an even ball of color when the lights are glowing. Not only will the ball itself glow beautifully when the sun goes down, but they will also shine their bright light over the snow around them. Combine light balls of different sizes and colors to create an impressive holiday display.

Add Evergreen Boughs and Holiday Decorations to Your Flowerpots

flowerpots Evergreen Boughs

Image credits: Maria Sbytova via Canva

If you are an avid gardener with potted flowers on display during the warmer months, this is a great option to repurpose those pots for a little extra holiday cheer. Festive planters are often for sale this time of year, but the cost can add up if you’re looking to add multiple planters to your yard. Instead, you can make your own by following these simple steps. Gather up some branches and evergreen boughs and arrange them in the pot to fill out the space as evenly as possible. When you’re happy with the arrangement, add garland and Christmas lights in and around the pot. Finally, you can add some Christmas ornaments and a large decorative bow at the front to tie it all together.

Transform Plastic Garden Ornaments with Spray Paint

Dwarf Garden Ornament

Image credits: Jackson Stock Photography via Canva

With the arrival of the colder winter weather, many stores are now selling off their garden ornaments and basic yard decorations at an all-time low. You can leverage these clearance prices to create some fun and unique holiday decorations with spray paint and a few holiday accessories. Choose a few cute holiday animals such as a deer or a bear. Choose a color of spray paint that will match with the rest of your holiday decorations, such as a bright Christmas red or an elegant gold, and paint the decorations, covering any existing details on the ornaments. When the paint has dried, add a little festive cheer with your holiday accessories such as tying a holiday-themed ribbon around their neck with some evergreen boughs attached, or wrapping some LED lighting around. These decorations are a great way to add some fun to your garden or front porch.

Decorate with Inexpensive Lanterns

Christmas Lantern

Image credits: sergheiplatonov via Canva

When you’re out shopping this holiday season, keep your eyes open for lanterns on sale. You can often find these popular holiday decorations in craft stores or thrift shops. The great news about using lanterns in your decorating plans is that they can easily be adapted to any holiday, event, or decorating style simply by changing the items that you place inside. For a whimsical Christmas display, fill your lantern with brightly colored holiday ornaments and colorful LED lights. If you prefer a more traditional decorating scheme, place some evergreen boughs and holly berries around the base of the lantern and finish the look with a tall battery-powered pillar candle in the center. When the holidays are over, you can either pack your lanterns away until next year or start looking for items to represent the next holiday on your calendar.

Repurpose Inflatable Balls to Make Oversized Ornaments

Christmas tree near the window, inflatable gold balls. new year 2019

Image credits: iamzhem via Canva

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘go big or go home’, but have you ever considered applying that to your holiday decorating? Your house will be the talk of the neighborhood with these giant ornaments on display. They can be hung from garland on your patio or from an outdoor tree or placed in your yard to add a pop of color to any space. To make your oversized ornaments, you will need a large plastic children’s ball, a small deli container, wire, and E5000 glue.

Carefully poke two holes opposite one another close to the base of the deli container. Place the container upside down in front of you. Take the wire and create a large wire loop extending above the container using the holes to secure it to the container. Spray paint this continuer silver or gold, depending on which color best fits your decorating scheme. Put a thin line of E5000 glue around the opening of the container and securely place it on your ball. When the glue has had time to dry, you can now display your ornaments for all to see.

String Popcorn for Decorative Garland and Feed Local Wildlife

Handmade Popcorn Garland on Indoor Christmas Tree

Image credits: debbiehelbing via Canva

Not only does this traditional decoration allow you to create a fun and festive display without breaking the bank, but it’s also a great way to care for your local wildlife. The practice of stringing popcorn to make decorative garlands can be traced back throughout history before we were even considering the invention of modern garland and LED Christmas lights. During the winter months, birds, squirrels, and other wildlife face a greater struggle in their search for food. A string of popcorn may not be enough to feed them all season, but it’s a helpful snack to help tide them over.

When selecting your thread, it is recommended that you use a strong upholstery thread. Avoid fishing line as it can pose a danger to wildlife after the popcorn has been eaten and it’s no longer visible. In addition to stringing popcorn, you can also include other festive items like cranberries and other types of fruit. Just make sure that you take the time to remove all of the string from your trees after the holiday season is over.

Hang a Pinecone Cluster from your Patio Lights

Brown Pinecones Composition Closeup Background

Image credits: berkay08 via Canva

If you have pine trees on your property, then there is a good chance that you have a large supply of pinecones laying on the ground every year. When it comes to low-cost holiday decorating, these are a great option. Take the time to gather them up and give them time to dry safely indoors. Using a hot glue gun, attach a small length of ribbon to the base of 6 or 7 pinecones. Tie all these ribbons together allowing them to hang at slightly different levels yet close together. Finish the look by attaching a large decorative bow to cover the knot. This simple decoration can be hung on your door as a wreath alternative or from the bottom of your porch lights for a rustic or traditional decorating aesthetic.

Make Tomato Cage Christmas Trees of All Colors

Colorful tomato cage
Image credits: Kameleon007 via Canva

Image credits: Kameleon007 via Canva

Are you looking for fun Christmas tree ideas that can be customized to match any porch display? If so, this is a great option. You can make adorable mini-Christmas trees using a wire tomato cage from the dollar store and some festive garland. Turn the tomato cage upside down so that the stakes of the cage are sticking up in the air. Tape these ends together, making the cage into a cone shape. Attach your garland to the bottom wire, at the base of the tomato cage, and carefully wrap it around until you reach the top. If you wish, you can then decorate your tree with lights and ornaments, or just leave it as is. If you are looking to go all out on your Christmas porch this year, consider making multiple trees in different colors and pairing them together as part of a larger holiday display.

Create an Ornament Display in Your Bird Bath

Bird Bath

Image credits: JRLPhotographer via Canva

The birdbath in your front yard probably doesn’t bring feelings of the holiday season to mind. This doesn’t mean it can’t be part of your decorating plans this year! Have you ever considered turning it into a festive statement piece? Clear your birdbath out and use it as a staging area for an adorable holiday display by adding fresh greenery, pinecones, and holiday ornaments. You can incorporate some LED Christmas lights if you are looking for a little extra festive flair. Make sure that whatever you choose can handle being covered in snow for an extended period as your birdbath will contain any snow that falls in the coming weeks.

Share Festive Messages with Wire and String Lights

Illuminated Merry Christmas sign
Image credits: mtreasure via Canva
 

Image credits: mtreasure via Canva

Share some holiday spirit with your whole neighborhood by displaying festive messages for everyone to enjoy. This is an easy DIY project that requires nothing more than a length of wire and some holiday lighting. Start by choosing a word that reminds you of the holiday season and selecting a font that fits with your overall decorating aesthetic. This can be done as large block letters or decorative cursive. Carefully bend your wire to the shape of your letters. If you are having a difficult time with this, consider writing the word out on paper in the size that you want your finished display to be and lay the wire on top of this stencil when bending it into shape. When you’re happy with the word, it’s time to add lights. You can use a rope light attached to the front of the wire, or wrap fairy lights around the wire, depending on what options you have available. Hang your message up on a wall or fence, plug in your lighting, stand back, and enjoy!

Turn Paper Lanterns into Holiday Ornaments

Two paper lanterns on Christmas Tree

Image credits: Barry Eastwood via Canva

For these decorations, we are going to look at our summer décor stored away in the garage. If you use round paper lanterns during the warm weather to light up your patio or seating area, these same lanterns can be transformed into festive holiday ornaments for Christmas. The best part about this option is that the transformation can be done in a way that is temporary, allowing you to use them once again when patio weather returns.

You will need round deli-style containers or empty yogurt cups, depending on the size of your lanterns, to serve as the top of the ornament. Carefully poke a hole in the top of the container to allow the hanger from your lantern to be strung through, holding the container in place on top. Alternatively, if you have purchased cheap lanterns from the dollar store for this purpose, you can follow the instructions above for the giant ornaments to attach the top of your ornaments permanently. Spray paint your ornament top in silver or gold to match your style and hang your glowing ornaments to light up any space.

Recruit the Grinch for an Easy Light Display

Grinch figure

Image credits: ErikaWittlieb via Canva

Many of us have felt the struggle of the holiday season, where we want to decorate our home in a fun and festive way, but our time is limited. This comical option is proof that less is sometimes more. All you need is a single strand of Christmas lights and a cutout or figurine of the Grinch. Looking to DIY your display? You can cut out and paint a wooden cut out to stake in your yard! Sting half of your holiday lights along your porch or across the front of your fence, allowing the rest to hang down. Set up your Grinch by the hanging lights and place the end in his hands. Your family and friends will enjoy a laugh at the image of the Grinch removing your holiday décor right in front of their eyes.

Stick to the Basics and Build a Snowman

Funny Snowman on Sky Background

Image credits: grapix via Canva

Let’s take it back to the basics for a moment. Rather than investing a lot of money into holiday décor and yard ornaments, why not make use of the supplies that are freely available to use during the winter months? Building a snowman is a fun activity that we often associate with childhood, but it can be enjoyed at any age! This holiday season, gather the family to build a snowman in your yard and incorporate some festive accessories such as a Santa hat or holiday garland as a scarf. Not only will it be fun to create, but your snowy greeter will welcome your visitors and bring a smile to their faces. If you have a large yard, you can even go all out with a full snow family.

Repurpose Vines and Branches to Make a Traditional Wreath

Vine wreath and flowers

Image credits: McKevin via Canva

Grapevine wreaths are a popular item during the holiday season, hanging from doorways across the country. They can often be purchased at a surprisingly low priced and decorated to match any holiday style. However, you can cut that cost down even further if you have vines growing in your yard. Gather all your vines up and give them a chance to soak in water. This will make it easier to bend the vines without breaking anything.

To start, create a circle with the start of a long vine, securing it with a small piece of wire. This will determine the size of your wreath. Start wrapping the vine around this original circle, occasionally looping it around or through vines that are already in place. When you reach the end of the vine, securely tuck the end into the wreath, then start another in the same way. Continue to add vines until your wreath reaches the size and level of fullness that you desire.

This same technique can be used with evergreen branches if you have them growing in your yard or available in a large enough quantity. Use a small piece of wire where needed in the beginning to create a solid foundation. As you continue to build out your wreath, secure the branches by looping them around one another to create a traditional wreath of greenery.

Make Single Board Snowmen

Wooden Board Background

Image credits: shahsoft via Canva

This adorable decoration is incredibly simple and will add a fun whimsical touch to your outdoor space. All you need is a single board of wood in the size that you want your snowman to be, a narrow piece of wood for the brim of his hat, some fabric for a scarf, and paint in white, black, and orange. To begin cut the corners back at the top of the board to give a slightly rounded effect. Mark a line on the board where you want the hat to end, then, moving down your board a little further, mark where the snowman’s head will end, and body will begin. Cut a small triangle into each side at this mark to create your snowman’s neck.

The real magic in this decoration comes with the painting. You want to paint your whole board white except for the top. Starting from the line that you drew for the base of the hat, paint the top black. You will also need to paint the small piece of wood for the brim of his hat black. After that paint has dried, go back in with your paint and create a festive snowman face with an orange carrot nose and a big smile. Glue or nail the piece of wood across the base of the hat and tie your scarf around your snowman’s neck to complete the look.

Transform Concrete Blocks into Holiday Gifts

Concrete Boxes

Image credits: Chiara Sakuwa via Canva

Do you have any old concrete blocks sitting around your property from recent home improvement projects? If so, these can easily be repurposed as festive presents to add to your outdoor décor. They are also a great option for weighing down and securing other lightweight decorations, preventing them from blowing over during a winter storm.

All you need for this project is your concrete squares, painter’s tape, spray paint in two colors, and a large bow. To begin, spray paint stripes in your accent color along the sides of your box on both sides and along the top. Don’t worry too much about lines at this point as the following steps will clean it up. Using your painter’s tape, tape off the stripes that you want to keep. Spray paint the entire block in your main color and allow it to dry. As you remove the tape, your lines of ribbon will be revealed. Top your block with a large bow and it’s ready to display.

Paint Sticks and Branches to Create a Festive Display

White branch

Image credits: mashabuba via Canva

Would you believe that decorating for the holiday season could be as easy as displaying some branches that you found in your yard? All you need is a touch of paint and a little imagination. Choose a color of spray paint that will complement the rest of your outdoor décor. Larger, complex branches work as a great accent piece while smaller branches can easily be added to an outdoor planter or window box. If you want to dress them up a bit, consider draping a set of LED Christmas lights in the branches or hanging small, colorful ornaments.

Fill a Planter with Oversized Candy Canes

Christmas Candy Canes in Cup on Wooden Table

Image credits: pixelshot via Canva

Another surprisingly simple decoration, this cute collection of candy canes is a great way to add a festive touch to your front porch. Search your local thrift shops and bargain stores for an oversized vase in a color that matches your outdoor décor, or spray paint it the color that you desire. Wrap a ribbon around the neck of the vase, tying a large bow in the front. Finally, fill your vase with several decorative candy canes from your local dollar store. This can be used as a stand-alone decoration or incorporated in a larger holiday display. The best part about this option is that it can easily be updated to use as outdoor décor the rest of the year by changing the candy canes for something different that matches the season.

Turn Your Old Ice Skates into a Wreath Alternative

FREE Stylish christmas wreath, white wooden sleigh and ice skate

Image credits: Bogdan Kurylo via Canva

If you’ve been holding onto a pair of skates that no longer fit, this is a great option for you! This holiday season, trade-in your standard holiday wreath for something a little different and outside the box. All you need is a pair of ice skates, some boughs of greenery, a large ribbon bow, and any other Christmas decorations that you’d like to include to match your decorating style. Take the laces of your ice skates and tie them together securely. You will hang your wreath from these laces, so be sure that they aren’t going to come apart. Taking your greenery, tuck the boughs into your ice skates like a vase, creating a festive display coming out of the top of each skate. This could also include holly berries, pinecones, or even some LED Christmas lights for a little holiday glow. When you hang your ice skates, place your large decorative bow up at the top of the laces to hide the nail or hook that it’s hanging from, and you have a beautiful wreath alternative.

Decorate an Older Wooden Ladder

roll of chicken wire

Image credits: MajaMitrovic via Canva

Antique wooden ladders are currently a popular decorating trend, often used for displaying blankets in a living room or bedroom space. However, these basic wooden ladders are also a great choice for creating a festive porch display. Set up the ladder leaning against the wall and then use it as a blank canvas, decorating it to fit with the rest of your outdoor decorations. You could wrap brightly colored Christmas lights around it, decorate it with garland, hang a wreath or stockings from it, or even string up ornaments on the steps. When the holiday season comes to an end, it can once again return to its off-season role of displaying blankets where they are easily accessible.

Hang Snowflakes Made from Paint Stir Sticks

roll of chicken wire

Image credits: KatieDobies via Canva

To collect the supplies for this next DIY project, take a trip to your nearest home improvement store. Paint stir sticks are often given away for free with the purchase of a can of paint. But these disposable wooden sticks can be used to help transform your outdoor space into a Winter Wonderland. All you need is a pile of paint sticks, a glue gun, white spray paint, and a string of battery-operated Christmas lights.

Lay out your paint sticks in a way that resembles a large snowflake on the ground, overlapping each pain stick slightly. When you’re happy with your design, take your glue gun and glue everything together securely. Don’t worry if it’s not quite perfect. After all, no two snowflakes are the same! Spray paint the whole snowflake white, front and back. When the paint has dried, tie a ribbon to the top for hanging. It can be used as-is, or you can add some extra glow by wrapping your battery-operated lights around it before hanging it outside.

Freeze Water Balloons for Colorful Accents

Soap Bubbles Freeze in the Cold

Image credits: Aleksandr Kichigin via Canva

This is a fun way to include the kids in your holiday decorating plans while adding some bright colors to your front yard. For this project, you will need food coloring and balloons. Fill your balloons with water and add some food coloring to the water. You can stick with one color or let your kids mix and match as they see fit. This is a great way to teach color theory. Tie off the ends and place your water balloons in the freezer or outside in the snow, leaving them there until they have had a chance to freeze solid all the way through. Using a pair of scissors, cut the balloon off revealing the colorful ball of ice inside. These can be placed anywhere outside where they will remain on display until the warmer weather comes in, melting them down.

Create Starburst Ornaments out of Plastic Straws

Colorful drinking straws

Image credits: Hans Braxmeier via Pixabay

Many of us are guilty of hoarding drinking straws, tucking them away in a drawer in case we need them at some point down the road. While our intentions are good, they often sit there unused and forgotten. It’s time to dig those straws out and transform them into a fun Christmas tree ornament. For each ornament, you will need approximately 25 drinking straws, a zip tie, a pair of scissors, spray paint in your color of choice, and a string or ribbon to hang your ornament.

Trim your straws to remove any bendy ends and to make them all approximately the same length. They don’t have to be exact, but you need to remove any dramatic differences. Holding them together in a bundle, take your zip tie and pull it as tight as you can around the middle of the bundle. As you do this, you will notice the plastic straws starting to bend up towards one another in a starburst shape. You can bend each of the straws as needed to fill out your starburst. When you’re happy with the shape, spray paint your ornament in your chosen color and then add a string or ribbon for hanging. These are surprisingly quick making it easy to make many ornaments in a very limited time. They can be hung as ornaments or strung together to make a starburst-themed garland.

Build a Festive Fence from Pallet Wood

Festive decoration of red picket fence by light bulbs

Image credits: Svetlana Khoroshilova via Canva

Create a statement piece for your holiday porch display by building a decorative fence out of pallet wood. For this project, you will need to start by taking your pallet apart right down to the individual boards. You will need 2 long support beams and a series of smaller planks (6 or 7 in total). Your smaller planks will serve as your fence posts. They can be cut all the same size, or you can add some character to your display by cutting them at different heights.

Lay your fence posts down slightly spaced out with the bottoms all in-line with one another. This is important as it will create a flat surface on the bottom for standing your fence up. Place your two support beams horizontally across the fence posts, centering them before nailing them in place. Paint your new festive fence to match your holiday decorating style. This could be all one color or get creative with candy cane stripes and other festive patterns. When the paint has dried, stand your fence up on your deck before decorating it with lights, garland, or decorative bows.

Decorate Your Childhood Sled

Decorative wooden sled for decoration

Image credits: VIKTORIIA DROBOT via Canva

Do you still have your childhood sled sitting in the garage? Have you recently purchased an antique sled from your local thrift store? While most kids today would happily trade in the older wooden sleds for a new, modern alternative, these older sleds can make a great addition to your holiday décor. Simply set your sled out on your front porch, beside your front steps, or anywhere else in your yard where it can be seen. String lights around it, hang a wreath on it, or add some garland to give it a festive makeover.

Show Off a Pail of Faux Snowballs

Hand crafted snowballs, winter seasonal

Image credits: MelissaAnneGalleries via Canva

There are a few different ways that you can approach the decorations in your yard this season. While some people enjoy all the glitz and glam, creating a large and elaborate display, others prefer to stick with a more traditional aesthetic. If you like a more subtle and cute decorating style, this is a cute little detail that you should add to your porch for the holidays. All you need is a metal galvanized pail, a string of battery-operated LED lights, several Styrofoam craft balls, and a small wooden sign. Place your string of lights in the bottom of the pail before covering them with craft balls. The lighting will shine around the balls creating a subtle glow. On your sign, write something cute to reveal what’s inside, such as ‘Let it Snow’ or ‘Snowball Fight’.

Turn Old Tires into Holiday Ornaments

Snowmen and a wreath made out of recycled tires

Image credits: Michael-Tatman via Canva

Transform your old tires into cute holiday ornaments with this DIY project. Cut a circle out of wood or plastic that is slightly smaller than the side of your old tire. Glue this down, covering the large hole in the center. Using an outdoor spray paint suitable for the different materials that you have used, paint the front and sides of the ornament in a color that will complement your outdoor décor. When the paint has dried, you can then decorate the front with a large festive image like a Christmas tree or a snowflake. To create the top of your ornament, you will need a galvanized metal pail, or a small plastic pail painted silver. Using E5000 glue or super glue, attach the pail with the open side down onto the top of your ornament. For the final detail, attach a small piece of wire to the top like an ornament hanger. These oversized ornaments will look adorable leaning against your fence, porch, or the side of your house.

Gather Wood Scraps for Rustic Christmas Trees

scrap wood pile

Image credits: krajidrid via Canva

Woodworkers and wood crafters, this is a great way to repurpose your wood scraps. Gather up every little piece of wood that you have kicking around your workshop, no matter how small they may be. Using an antiquing technique, paint your pieces of wood in 2 or 3 complementary colors. After they have had a chance to try, start laying your pieces out in the shape of a tree. You will want to choose a couple that are approximately the same size to create a trunk while the rest can be positioned diagonally above like the branches. Don’t be afraid to overlap branches and don’t shy away from uneven pieces. After all, you are looking for a more rustic aesthetic. These pieces can be secured using a glue gun or super glue.

Hang Frozen Fruit Ornaments

Frozen fruit salad

Image credits: DHuss via Canva

We already discussed hanging popcorn strings to feed the wildlife, but you don’t have to stop there. Why not complement your edible garland on your outdoor Christmas trees with edible ornaments. To make these, you will need a series of small containers and a selection of fruit and plants for decorations. Fill the containers with a small layer of water before adding your decorative elements. Finally, take a loop of ribbon, string, or twine, placing the ends in the water. Leave your ornaments outside in the snow overnight or place them in your freezer until they have frozen all the way through. As your new tree ornaments start to melt, they will reveal snacks for the wildlife. Anything that isn’t eaten is 100% biodegradable making them a great environmentally friendly option.

Decorate a Ladder Christmas Tree

Christmas tree ladder
Image credits: Searsie via Canva

Image credits: Searsie via Canva

Create a fun and quirky Christmas tree this holiday season by decorating a utility ladder. Set up your ladder outdoors and anchor it down using garden stakes or weights. This will prevent it from blowing over during any winter winds. Wrap your ladder tree with Christmas lights and hang holiday ornaments along the sides. You can even add a cute tree topper to the top and decorative presents around the bottom of your tree to complete the look. Not only is this a fun choice for any home, but it would also be a great choice when decorating a shop or home improvement store for the holidays.

Line Your Walkway with Candy Cane Solar Lights

Candy Cane Lights

Image credits: JennaWagner via Canva

You can light up your front walkway with a festive glow by making your own candy cane solar lights this holiday season using PVC pipes and solar garden lights from your local dollar store. Cut your PVC pipes to the height that you want your solar lights. Using spray paint, paint all your pipes white. Using painter’s tape, block off a spiral like you would see on a candy cane down the poles before painting them again, this time using red. When you remove the painter’s tape, your pipes will be ready to be displayed. Using a large garden stake, anchor each of the pipes down on the side of your walkway. Finally, top each pole with a solar light, allowing the bottom stake to rest inside the post holding it in place.

Add Wooden Snowman Spoons to Your Window Boxes

Wooden Spoons

Image credits: Billion Photos via Canva

While most of the decorations on this list are designed for larger outdoor spaces, this is a fun one for those that are limited to decorating a window box or planter. The supplies for this DIY project can all be purchased at Dollar Tree, keeping the costs down. You will need wooden spoons, acrylic paint, and a pompom for each snowman. Paint your spoons entirely white as a base coat to start. For each snowman, you will want to choose a color for the hat and scarf and a matching pompom. Paint a knit winter hat on the top of your spoon including a cute brim and a matching scarf at the base of the handle. Between the two, paint a cute little snowman face complete with a carrot nose. Glue your pompom onto the very tip of the spoon, completing the look of the hat. These can easily be displayed by tucking them into a vase or jar or sticking the handles of the spoon directly into your window box planter.

Make Your Front Porch Bench Look Cozy

Wooden house porch decorated for Christmas
Image credits: FavoreStudio via Canva

Image credits: FavoreStudio via Canva

If you have patio furniture on your front porch all season, such as a bench or a set of chairs, decorating for the holidays can be surprisingly simple. Focus on both function and aesthetic by decorating your porch with cozy, festive pillows and blankets. Choose a style and decorating theme and run with it! For example, you may adore the look of buffalo plaid around the holidays, adding pillows and blankets with that pattern on them. Tie this in with the rest of your decorating by adding buffalo plaid ribbon to your holiday wreath or placing matching decorations on any table or surface on the patio. Make your outdoor seating area looks as welcoming as possible in these cold winter temperatures.

Assemble a Christmas Ornament Topiary

Soap Bubbles Freeze in the Cold

Image credits: TryMyBest via Canva

Add a little bling to your front entrance this holiday season by building your own glittery Christmas ornament topiaries. For this project, you will need several large Christmas ornaments in different sizes (2 of each style), 2 planters, 2 large wooden dowels, 2 blocks of floral foam, evergreen boughs, or traditional evergreen garland, and some smaller ornaments to complete the look. Secure the floral foam in the bottom of your planters before mounting the dowel directly in the center. This will be the support pole for your topiaries.

Drill a hole in the top and bottom of each of your large ornaments, ensuring that the dowel will fit through. Organize these ornaments from largest to smallest, sliding them onto the dowelling one at a time so that each side would match. Tuck your greenery around the base of the bottom ornament. This will help conceal the edges of the planter and hide the floral foam from sight. Finally, take your smaller ornaments, decorating the greenery or placing them around the larger ornaments to mask any signs of the dowel.

Create White Yarn Lantern Balls

Pool Noodles Bright Colors

Image credits: Daria Soldatkina via Canva

These simple and adorable white lanterns can be strung up on your porch or used to create a magical table display. To make them, you will need a bottle of Elmer’s craft glue, cornstarch, a disposable plastic cup, PAM cooking spray, a balloon, white yarn, and a set of soft-white fairy lights. Mix ¼ cup of water with ½ cup of cornstarch and your bottle of craft glue thoroughly until it is a smooth consistency. Place a roll of your white yarn into the solution, allowing it to soak. Blow up your balloon until it reaches the desired size of your lantern. Tie the balloon, spray it gently with PAM to prevent it from sticking, and then balance it on the open end of the cup.

Take one end of your string from the solution and tie it securely to the knot on the balloon. As you pull the string out of the mixture, wipe off any excess of the glue mixture and then wrap it around the balloon, including both vertical and horizontal lines. Continue wrapping until you have used all your yarn. This should not fully cover your balloon. Instead, it will leave the balloon available between the lines of string. After your lantern has had a chance to dry fully, it’s time to pop the balloon and remove it. You may need to use tweezers to help remove every piece. Finally, feed your fairy lights into the middle of the lantern.

Decorate an Antler or Piece of Driftwood for an Easy Wreath

Antlers decorated with flowers on rustic wooden background

Image credits: lithiumcloud via Canva

If your home is decorated with a more country or rustic décor, you may be interested in tying that same aesthetic into your holiday decorating. This holiday season, why not trade in your traditional holiday wreath and try something new. Take a large antler and tie a ribbon or a length of lace fabric near the base to hang it in place of your wreath. This is a wreath alternative that can easily be customized to any season of the year. During the spring, hang a bouquet of wildflowers from the ribbon, in front of the antler. For the holiday season, add sprigs of holly or evergreen boughs.

Paint Pallets to Make a Holiday Sign

Christmas Trees Sign

Image credits: KellyvanDellen via Canva

Do you have pallet wood leftover after making your adorable pallet fence? Don’t toss it aside just yet! Instead, secure three- or four-pieces side by side to create a custom holiday sign. Choose a single base color and paint across the full surface. This will leave you with a blank canvas, just waiting for you to create a sign to match any space or holiday décor. Paint festive imagery, like a snowman or Christmas tree, or share a holiday message. You can also incorporate lights for some extra shine. Make your sign as elaborate or as simple as you like, there is no right or wrong answer.

Incorporate Old Skis, Hockey Sticks, or Snowshoes

Snowshoe, gift and Christmas tree

Image credits: MichelGuenette via Canva

Similar to using a sleigh in your decorations, as mentioned above, your old skis, hockey sticks, or snowshoes are a great option to bring some festive cheer to your home. This is a great option for outdoor recreation lovers that enjoy winter sports. By incorporating your interests into your holiday decorating, you are really making the space personal. Transform your favorite hobbies into a festive display that will impress the neighbors by adding Christmas lights, fresh greenery, garland, and other holiday decorations. The best part about this option is that you are using items that you already have sitting around your house, making it a budget-friendly decorating solution.

Spray Paint Flowerpots for Holiday Bells

Christmas bells decoration

Image credits: Christine_Kohler via Canva

Is ‘Silver Bells’ your favorite Christmas carol? If so, you can use that as inspiration to create a fun holiday display. Most of the materials needed for this DIY project can be found at your local dollar store. You will need large plastic flower pots, plastic tree ornaments, an eyebolt with a nut, and silver spray paint. To begin, spray paint your flowerpots silver, inside and out. Create a small hole in the bottom of your pot large enough for your eyebolt. Feed it through the hole securing it inside the put with the accompanying nut. String your holiday ornament to the bottom of the eyebolt, allowing it to hang low enough that it can be seen at the bottom of the pot. Use the exposed portion of the eyebolt to hang your silver bell. Create multiple bells and hang them along with a large ribbon on your front porch.

Transform an Old Shutter into a Snowman

old shutters

Image credits: davincidig via Canva

Have you recently done any home renovations? If so, you may have a shutter left sitting in your basement or garage. With the following simple steps, you can create an adorable snowman that can be displayed for your friends and family to enjoy. You will need the shutter, a single thin board almost twice as wide as the shutter, three large black buttons, a child’s scarf, a poinsettia or sprig of holly, and paint. Draw a slightly diagonal line ¼ of the way down the shutter. Paint the top ¼ up to that line black while painting the rest of your shutter white. At the same time, paint the additional board black.

Attach the additional board across the line of the shutter, hiding the break between the two colors and creating the brim of your snowman’s hat. Directly below the brim, paint a festive snowman face with small balls of coal and a carrot nose. Tie your scarf around the shutter just below the face to define the neck of the snowman, gluing it on either side of the shutter to be sure that it won’t fall off. Finally, glue your three black buttons down the front of your snowman’s body and glue the poinsettia onto the corner of the top hat just above the brim.

Build a Christmas Tree with Old Tires

Old tires

Image credits: Alisa Gabliya via Canva

If you have several old tires in a variety of sizes, hold off on sending those tires to the landfill. Instead, you can use them to create a unique Christmas tree. Stack your tires up from largest to smallest, creating the body of the tree, and spray paint them all green. Wrap LED Christmas lights around your new tree, hang ornaments and decorations by attaching them to the surface of the tires and top it all off with a festive Christmas tree topper. This is a fun yard decoration that will add a festive touch to any farm, garage, or other outdoor space.

Decorate Windows with Window Markers or Acrylic Paint

Female Hand Painting Christmas Deer Painted on Window Glass

Image credits: Анастасия Янишевская via Canva

A decorating option that has been popularized by retail stores and coffee shops, you too can transform your window into a fun holiday display using window markers or acrylic paint. If you aren’t an artist, don’t worry, you can do this! Print off a holiday design on plain white paper. If you are including any writing, you will want to print a mirror image of your desired result. Stick this paper to the outside of your window with the printed image facing in. You can now trace the design onto the window from inside, adding as many or as few colors as you desire. By putting the image inside, you are protecting it from the elements. When the holidays are over, simply clean your display off your window.

Wrap Your Door with an Oversized Tag

Christmas Sign Front Door

Image credits: TriggerPhoto via Canva

One of the easier options on this list, all you need is a large roll of ribbon and a piece of poster board. Cut your poster board into the shape of a giant gift tag and decorate it with markers or paint. You can stick with a simple message, like ‘Merry Christmas from The Scotts’ or really embrace the gift tag concept, including a ‘To’ and ‘From’, gifting your holiday display to your neighborhood or to Santa Claus himself. With the ribbon, wrap your front door as though you are wrapping a Christmas present, bringing it all together with a bow in one of the upper corners. Hang your gift tag on your door as if it’s attached by the bow. It’s a quick and easy decorating idea with a surprisingly big impact!

Create a Wreath Out of Mittens

Holly christmas wreath with mittens on wooden table.

Image credits: Massonstock via Canva

There are many fun alternatives to traditional holiday wreaths, as you have already seen with the options included on this list. Another option, this wreath alternative uses mittens instead of ice skates. To start, you will need two traditional woolen mittens. They can be a matching set or two mismatched mittens that you have sitting around your house. Using a needle, thread a string or a ribbon through each of the mittens, attaching them together. The loop between them should be just long enough to hang your mittens where you want them to rest on your door. Take some fresh greenery, pinecones, holly berries, and other seasonal decorating options and arrange them like a flower arrangement inside each of the mittens. You can also include some Christmas ornaments or fairy lights, if that helps to create your desired look.

Hang Oversized Ornaments in Your Entry Way

Big Christmas Ornaments

Image credits: steverts via Canva

If you have a covered entryway leading up to your front door, then you have the opportunity to create a beautiful seasonal display using oversized ornaments. The number of ornaments that you need for your full display will depend on the size of the space that you’re decorating. Using ribbon, string each of the ornaments up so that they hang from the edge of the entryway at varying lengths. Keep in mind, however, that this is an entryway and don’t allow any ornaments to hang low enough that they could get in the way of your guests arriving.

Stack Flowerpots to Build a Cute Snowman

red christmas star flower in a angel flowerpot

Image credits: Charlotte Bleijenberg via Canva

This adorable snowman is easier to make than you may think and sure to make your guests smile! You will need five terra cotta pots, each a different size. Paint the smallest pot black and the rest white. Secure a ribbon around the black pot just below the rim of the pot. Glue a sprig of holly or a couple of small evergreen branches to finish your snowman’s hat. Turn the smallest white pot upside down and paint a snowman face on it with a cute smile and a carrot nose. Stack your pots from largest to smallest upside down. To complete the look, tie a little scarf around your snowman, at the base of the smallest white pot and glue buttons down the front.

Create a Countdown Wreath with Chalkboard Paint and a Plate

Decorated Wreath with White Roses and Blackboard

Image credits: Masson via Canva

Are your kids regularly asking how many sleeps are left before Christmas morning? Why not create your own personal countdown. This could be the start of a fun family tradition, changing the number on the countdown each day as you wait for Santa Claus to arrive with his sack of toys. You will need a frame and a thin wood sheet cut to replace the glass of the frame. Paint this wood sheet completely with chalkboard paint and allow it to dry. On top of your chalkboard paint, use acrylic paint to add the words ‘Countdown to Christmas’ and a large wreath circling the spot where you will be writing your countdown. If you have a vinyl cutting machine, you can use this instead of the paint. Finally, attach a ribbon to the back to hang your frame on your front door.

Make a Wreath out of Pinecones

rustic pinecone wreath

Image credits: cjmckendry via Canva

Craft your own traditional-looking holiday wreath using a wire wreath frame and pinecones. Before building the wreath itself, tie a ribbon through the wreath frame to hang it from. One at a time, glue the pinecones onto the wire wreath frame using a hot glue gun. Make a row around the inside edge of the frame and then a second row on the outside edge of the frame before filling in the center. The center row will sit slightly higher, attaching the pinecones to the other pinecones instead of to the frame below. Add fair lights and small pieces of evergreen, tucking them between the pinecones to fill the wreath out and add to the festive feel.

Create Oversized Lollypops with Cellophane and Pool Noodles

Lollypop macro

Image credits: jodie777 via Canva

No gingerbread house is complete without a trail of candy leading your guests to the front door. Picture giant lollypops lining your walkway. Does that sound like the perfect touch for your holiday décor this season? If so, you’re in luck. You can make your own oversized lollypops quickly and easily using pool noodles and duct tape. To begin, you will need two pool noodles of the same color, the main color of your lollypop. Glue them together end to end and secure this connection with duct tape in your chosen accent color. With your colored duct tape, start at one end and work your way down creating a spiral pattern across both pool noodles.

Take your pool noodle and start to roll it up on itself, creating a flat candy. As you roll, secure your candy with hot glue to make sure that it doesn’t come apart. You may need to stop periodically to give it time to dry before moving on. When you reach the end, make sure that it is secure and not going to unroll with extra glue. Cut a small hole in the bottom edge of your pool noodle, large enough for a thin wooden down to fit. Glue the dowel in place as the stick of your lollypop. Finally, using a large piece of cellophane, wrap your candy carefully and secure it with a piece of ribbon tied at the base of the stick.

These are quick and easy to create, meaning that it won’t take long to make enough to line up and down the full length of your walkway. Try using different colors of pool noodles or pairing them with different colors of duct tape to create a wide variety of candy flavors. You can also add some fun variations with your choice of ribbon. These would look great paired with the lighted candy garland and paper plate candy decorations, both mentioned earlier on this list.

Build a Snowflake Wreath

Paper Craft Snowflakes Wreath on Blue Background

Image credits: katerinamorozovaphotos via Canva

Fully embrace the Winter Wonderland theme this holiday season by creating a beautiful wreath using plastic snowflake decorations from the dollar store. The process is surprisingly easy, you don’t even need a wreath form. To begin with, lay your snowflakes out to make a circle the size that you envision your finished wreath. With a hot glue gun, add a second layer of snowflakes offset between the first, gluing them down as you go. You can stop here or add a third row with some smaller snowflakes to fill it out further, depending on the look that you want. Finally, add a white ribbon to the top of the wreath to hang it. You will leave your guests wondering where you purchased such a beautiful wreath.

Swap Out your Patio Light Bulbs for Festive Colors

Christmas festival light garlands decoration on house porch in city

Image credits: JANIFEST via Canva

Finally, and arguably the simplest decoration option on this list, don’t discount the impact that your outdoor lighting has on the overall aesthetic of your holiday display. You can purchase smart lightbulbs that allow you to change the color of the light using an app quickly and easily on your phone or stick with a budget-friendly option by simply picking up colored lightbulbs that match your holiday color scheme. Light up your entire house in a single color, like a beautiful royal blue for a Winter Wonderland display, or alternate colors to add some more holiday fun. Don’t forget, you aren’t restricted to a traditional color scheme. If you feel that purple lights are the best option for your décor, run with it.

Holiday Decorations Don’t Have to Break the Bank

Whatever you decide for your outdoor decorations this holiday season, remember that you don’t have to spend a fortune. The costs associated with Christmas can add up quickly from buying gifts for our family and friends to picking up all the groceries needed for your big holiday feast. By making some fun and festive DIY decorations, you can keep your holiday budget in check while also adding a personal touch to your outdoor space. Get started with your cheap and easy Christmas decor today!