9 Straightforward Holiday Decorating Ideas To Try, gathered in one list

Here are simply a few of the ways that we got into the seasonal spirit without breaking the bank. Of course my little concrete greyhound (a surprise Valentine’s Day prezzie from John) got the holiday treatment. A recycled piece of ribbon that we received last year looked simply groovy around his neck for a liberal dose of holiday glitz.

And our glass based lamps (which are conveniently hollow on the bottom) look ready for Santa with a few inexpensive silver balls inside (purchased for less than a dollar by the dozen at Target).

We also placed our stockings by the chimney with care, using plain silver stocking hooks (also from Target). We intentionally chose neutral stockings to keep the focus on our silver Christmas tree, and enjoy how the repetition of the same item looks along with some sparkling mercury glass candlesticks on the mantel.

Here is a close up of those plain silver stocking hooks I snagged at Target last year (for around $5 a pop). I also made handwritten stocking name tags with some card stock that I cut and strung over each hook for straightforward (and charming) stocking identification. Total cost: $0.

We are also huuuge fans of a feather tree (or three). In fact John surprised me with the white one last Christmas (I am starting to realize how frequently he surprises me with lovely things- enjoy ya honey!). The green one is a hand-me-down from John’s stylish and fabulous sister, and the brown one was scored on sale after Christmas last year for around $5. Grouped on a table they look quite festive (we consistently enjoy things en masse) and we especially like that all three colors look right at home in our neutral, green, and white living room. Oh and we even tucked a large silver ornament into the bowl for another splash of holiday shine in a snap.

But the holiday swankification did not stop in the living room. Even the kitchen got in on the action with a cute little display of ornaments and white ceramic pears (simply $2 a pop at Marshall’s) placed on a plain cake stand for an instant holiday arrangement. Anyone can do this in under a minute, and inexpensive cake stands can be found everywhere from HomeGoods to Marshall’s or TJ Maxx.

We also filled the oversized clam shell-turned-fruit-bowl in the kitchen (another surprise from the hubs- smooches babe!) into an ornament trough with frosted and shiny silver balls for a truly pearl-like effect.

And because humor and whimsy can add even more of that festive feeling, we gave the metal bull in our den some holiday bling in the form of ornament earrings that cost next to nothing but elicit oh-so-many complements.

And our last swift holiday decorating idea took place on the mantel in the den, where we replaced two white pillar candles with a handful of silver balls in each hurricane for even more holiday sizzle.

So there you have it. A few straightforward and affordable holiday decorating ideas that you can implement on a dime and in an instant. We’d enjoy to hear what you folks do to add seasonal sparkle to your home this time of year. Share and share alike!

Update: You can check out all of our go-to holiday decor finds here – many of which are under $15!