DIY Coastal Christmas Decor Ideas

What Color is Your Christmas Decor?

Do you have a color you are partial to at Christmas? Reds and greens are the tradition colors of the season. My grandma seems to be partial to white, silver, and gold colors at Christmas. I know somebody else that does gold and peach. Buffalo check has been popular the last few years as well.

Most of us are on a budget. Especially when it comes to holiday decor. Seasonal decor is not used everyday, so you either really need to ADORE it to justify the cost or it needs to be easy on the wallet. I think this is why the Target Dollar Spot is so popular and has rack after rack of seasonal items. People are waayyyyy more apt to walk by and put several $1 and $3 items they like into their shopping cart, than to just buy one $40 item they love.

Blue for Christmas

I recently redid our master bedroom for the $100 Room Challenge. I kind of wanted to do something a bit different for Christmas in that space.

I LOVE Christmas red and plan to use it (per usual) in my downstairs, but I thought I might want to try something a bit more unexpected and a little outside of my comfort zone. (Who IS this person and where has she taken Morgan?? Outside my comfort zone?!) I knew I wanted to focus on blues…. Other than that, I didn’t really have a super “nailed down” plan. (wink.)

Tips for Christmas Decor

Target Dollar Spot for Christmas Ideas

This might seem a little silly to say, but check the Target Dollar Spot first to see what they might have when thinking about holiday decor. (And let’s be real, you are probably already at Target anyway. Doesn’t there always see to be a reason to have to go to Target each week?)

Target has become the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” version of shopping for me.

If you…put cute seasonal decor at the front of the store and only mark it $1 or $3, chances are…Morgan will want to put some of it in her shopping cart. (Especially when it comes to seasonal Christmas decor. I will walk right by Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day decor, but there is some.sort.of.magnetic PULL when it comes to Christmas decorations.)

While I was perusing the “budget-friendly aisles,” I came across a blue and white blanket scarf and also a package of star lights. Perfect!

Budget Holiday Throw Pillows

I love throw pillows. I once saw something that was explaining how to lead a minimalistic life. The first step was removing all of your throw pillows. I didn’t even read the second step. (No throw pillows? Umm… I sleep with 5 regular pillows every night. This isn’t even counting throw pillows…. Clearly minimalism isn’t for me. Ha!)

While I love how warm and inviting throw pillows make my home feel, they can be pretty expensive! I have shared making pillows from placemats before. And even shared how to make a no-sew version too!

So, after finding my blanket scarf, I headed to the kitchen linens to see what I could find. They had the perfect navy and white woven placemats! What I love about this pattern for a pillow is that it’s comfortable (who wants to snuggle up against a rhinestone encrusted pillow??) and it is seasonally neutral. This pillow will work great for fall and will look just as cute in the summer. (I think they will look cute for 4th of July.) Check out the post where I share how SIMPLE it is to make your own no-sew pillows!

Wrapping Paper for Christmas Decor

Now, I have to say, I NEVER EVER thought I would be a person who wrapped empty boxes for decorations…but I’m humble enough to own my shortcomings. Because it is SUCH an easy way to try out a color scheme or theme for Christmas and not have to feel like you have to commit to anything long-term. I saw a roll of blue and pineapple Christmas wrapping paper and it made me smile….That’s all it needed to do to somehow jump into my shopping cart.

Put it All Together

Let’s recap what I found on my Target holiday decor “expedition,” shall we?

Room I was hunting for: master bedroom

Initial Plan (“Plan” is used in the loosest sense of the word here.): Blue with a coastal vibe.

Things I Found

• blue and white blanket scarf (I should clarify that I planned to use this as a throw blanket on the end of the bed)
• white star lights
• blue placemats (pillows)
• pineapple wrapping paper

Use What You Already Have

The easiest way to make your budget stretch for the holidays is to use what you already have! Moving things you already have to a different spot makes them feel fresh and new. For this space, I used a “joy” sign I already had. (It originally was a picture from Goodwill that I painted over and a metal “joy” that I got from Magnolia.com during an after Christmas clearance.)

Add Twinkle Lights

Anything looks more festive with twinkle lights, right? Tucking a little strand here and there is a great, budget-friendly way to add a touch of holiday “fun” to your decor. (Since I was doing a “coastal” look, I also added some starfish that I had on hand.)

Use a Letter Board of Chalkboard

If you like to have song lyrics, Bible verses, or seasonal quotes in your home, you definitely should have a chalkboard! A letter board is an even easier way to add a touch of Christmas to a small space.

Look for Free Printables

My last little tip to add some holiday decor to your space on a tight budget? Look for a free printable to display. There are gazillions of them! Set a timer (or you could get sucked in on the interwebs for waayyyy to long) and download a few. All you need is a computer printer and an inexpensive frame and you’ve got yourself some free holiday decor.

For this space, I made a “Mele Kalikimaka” printable with a pineapple. You can snag one too! Click the box below! (You thought I was a bit crazy with the pineapple wrapping paper, didn’t you? At least the free printable kind of ties it all together! Ha!)

Other Budget-Friendly Ideas

Beautiful Holiday Decor, CHEAP!

Rejoice! I am not the only person who loves to make her holiday decorating budget stretch! (wink!)

I’ve teamed up with a few talented ladies to bring you some budget home decor ideas!! I gave some budget tips here, with a coastal “flair,” but if you are looking for some more traditional decorating ideas, check out April’s at Love Our Real Life!

DIY Brown Paper Scroll

If you want to get a little more creative and add a little more “wow” to your space, a scroll is such an inexpensive way to do that! I made a “Joy to the World” scroll a couple of years ago that you can see here. My friend, Amanda, at Miss Sue Living also has a post on how to make some brown paper holiday scrolls to display in your home this year. Check out her tips!

DIY Cute Snow Globe Ornament

I love a good craft. I love it even more when it is easy and affordable! These little ornaments hit both of those things! (And as a plus, they are a great family activity to do together to kick off the holidays!) Check out Jaclyn’s post over at Coffee, Pancakes, & Dreams.

I’m hoping you got some easy tips for adding some budget-friendly decorations to your home this Christmas! Let me know your favorite in the comments!