Alternative Christmas Decorations

There are plenty of ways to decorate for Christmas. Some of them are incredibly expensive. Inflatables all over the yard, huge trees loaded with ornaments, garland on every surface… It’s pretty, but costly. However, there are plenty of ways to deck the halls without breaking the bank. Or overcrowd your living space, or waste valuable resources. It’s not only about saving money. Sometimes you just don’t have the space, time, or inclination to go full out, yet you still want to do something. Or perhaps your eco-conscience is telling you to downscale the holiday to avoid so much waste. Whatever the reason you’re seeking ideas for alternative Christmas decorations, here are some ideas to get you started. Really, though, you’re only limited by your creativity.

One caveat before we dive into this: Just make sure that if you’re scavenging materials or natural items that you either have permission or own the property. Saving money on pinecones isn’t worth it if you have to pay bail because you got caught trespassing.

Crafty Decor

This category is huge and can encompass everything from basic paper garland chains to crocheted ornaments to elaborate wooden yard pieces. There are all sorts of ornaments and decor you can make from paper, wood, aluminum foil, fabric, fake flowers, jars, beads, or yarn. You’re limited only by your imagination and your crafting skills. You can also buy plain white glass or ceramic ornaments and paint them yourself. Just don’t get carried away. Some crafts can cost as much as buying ornaments at retail.

Natural Decor

As with crafty decor, natural decor is limited only by your imagination. Well, that plus your geographic area and the materials you can legally access. You can make decor from pinecones, berries, evergreen boughs, palm fronds (for the tropical look), nuts, flowers, plants, or wood.

Popcorn & Berries

While technically crafty, there’s always room for the traditional popcorn and berry garland sting.

Old CD’s/DVD’s

If you have old CD’s lying around, they make great ornaments. They shimmer and shine in the lights and you can cover one side with holiday artwork. Plus they have a handy hole for hanging.

A “Light Tree”

If you’re low on space, simply tack up a string of lights in the shape of a Christmas tree on your wall. If you don’t want to puncture the wall, you can use something like Command Hooks to hang the lights. And you can also hang ornaments on the wall inside the light tree for extra flourish.

Other types of “wall trees”

A light tree is but one type of wall tree. There are plenty of other ideas for creating a tree on your wall. You can make a ladder tree using branches and hang ornaments from the branches. Cut a tree out of fabric or wood and hang ornaments using tacks or nails. Use old wrapping paper to make a patchwork tree. Paint a piece of wood with chalkboard paint and draw on the ornaments. Use your imagination.

Alternative Christmas trees

If you like a tree in your room, but don’t want a traditional real or fake tree, make your own from other material. Stack books or boxes (wrap the boxes for color) in a tree shape and string it with lights. Take apart an old pallet, re-assemble the pieces into a tree shape, and paint. Glue glass balls or pinecones together in a tree shape for a small tabletop tree. Googling “alternative Christmas trees” yields tons of ideas.

Cast-offs from the tree lot

Visit your local tree lot and ask for the cuttings from the trees. Some will give them to you for free, and others may charge a small amount. You can use them to make wreaths, swag, tabletop decor, or just to add scent to your place.

Decorated Craft/Butcher Paper

Big rolls of craft or butcher paper can make great tablecloths. Decorate with holiday art, or let your guests decorate during the meal. These papers can also be used for wrapping paper.

Light the houseplant

If you have houseplants, string them with lights and lightweight ornaments. They take up no more space than your usual living arrangement, but they get just a bit prettier.

Lego

If you or your kids have lots of Lego lying around, you can make everything from ornaments to dioramas to holiday villages.

Thrift store finds

When people downsize, often the first thing to go is the holiday decor, and much of it goes to thrift stores/yard sales and the like. If you can’t use the items as-is, perhaps you can repurpose or rehab them to match your own ideas.

Make your own ornament kits

I mention this separately because of all the crafty decor, I have a soft spot for these kits. When I was young and broke I bought a couple at the hobby store and still use the ornaments even today. Wooden kits are wonderful. Most have 40 – 50 ornaments and include the paint. It’s a great way to get a lot of ornaments cheaply, and they have a bit of your personal touch when complete. You can also get kits that make ornaments from stained glass (or painted plastic that looks like stained glass), felt, fabric, jingle bells, etc.

Styrofoam ornaments

These may also be “crafty” but they’re another thing I have a soft spot for. I still have the ones my grandmother made when she was young and broke. Styrofoam shapes can be covered in ribbons and/or sequins/glitter for inexpensive ornaments. I know someone who saved packing peanuts and dipped them in paint and glitter and made them into ornaments by gluing them into interesting shapes. Re-use at its finest!

Ribbons and glass balls

Glue the balls onto the ribbon ends and hang them from windows or light fixtures. You can also line the ribbons with lightweight battery operated lights for some extra shine.

Have ornaments but no tree?

Showcase them in bowls around the house, set them on tables, affix them to a cork-board and hang it, or hang them from light fixtures. There’s no rule that says ornaments must be on trees.

Lights in glass

Battery operated lights in jars or glasses add a nice shimmer to your living space.

Do you have any favorite alternative Christmas decorations? Share with us in the comments below.

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Jennifer Derrick

Jennifer Derrick is a freelance writer, novelist and children’s book author. When she’s not writing Jennifer enjoys running marathons, playing tennis, boardgames and reading pretty much everything she can get her hands on. You can learn more about Jennifer at: https://jenniferderrick.com/.