How did I make a Cheap Outdoor DIY Christmas Decoration for $10? I shopped smart and reused/upcycled decorations from previous years.

I made this Christmas decoration by using decorative pieces I already had at home while adding a few new parts. The new parts I purchased were spruce tree tops and two birch wood logs for only $10 at a local tree farm, then the remainder of the pieces I used were decorative pieces I already had at home.

This makes for an easy-to-make attractive cheap decoration. I’ve seen similar decorations go for $50 or more in stores.

 

 

 

How to Make This Decoration for only $10

1. Reuse decorative pieces from Christmas wreaths from previous years.

I save the decorations from our Christmas wreath each year and reuse them to decorate for the holidays.

We often buy a wreath either from Cub Scouts or from a local tree farm and I simply remove the bow, pine cones, and any other decorative pieces before I throw away the wreath after the holidays are over. They are often secured with wire, so I simply untwist the wire to free it from the wreath. I save all the pieces in a box and pull it out each year when I decorate. This way I have a pile of decorations to mine from when decorating. This works very well and these decorations are free because I’m reusing these pieces.

I love it when I can be frugal and upcycle/reuse decorations to make holiday decorating cheaper!

For this decoration, I reused pine cones, glittered berry stakes, and a wreath bow.

2. Reuse a flower pot from summer for the decoration base.

I have a large flower pot on my front walkway that I plant flowers in each summer. This fall I removed the dead flowers and left the dirt in the pot. The flower pot filled with dirt serves as the base for this decoration. To make it easy for myself, I simply leave the pot out all fall so that it is ready for decorating when it comes close to Christmas time.

If the weather turns very cold, I will move the pot into my garage to try and keep the dirt from freezing. I do this because I need to be able to dig in the pot so the dirt can’t be frozen in order to insert the birch logs and spruce tops.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Dig holes in the dirt to insert the spruce tops.

For this next step, I dug a hole in the center of the pot with a small shovel and inserted the spruce tops in the center of the pot. Next, I filled in the dirt to secure the spruce tops in place.

If y ou are unable to find spruce tree tops, pine tree greens work great for this too. I have made this decoration at Christmastime many times using just branches from a pine tree to fill the pot with greens.

4. Use cut pine tree greens to fill in around spruce tops.

We cut down our Christmas tree each year at a Christmas tree farm to decorate our home. For extra greens around the spruce tops in the pot, I have either used the cut greens my husband cuts off at the base of the tree or I have taken advantage of the free tree greens Christmas tree farms often offer to patrons.

I always fill in the greens around the spruce tops to make a nice overall shape. If the dirt is soft and loose enough, I stab the sticks into the dirt, if not, I would dig small holes with the small shovel. Then I always fill in the dirt around the sticks to stabilize them.

If you make a fresh cut in the greens, they may be able to soak up some water and live longer. I usually water the greens in the pot after I set it up if it’s not too cold out.

5. Add the birch logs.

Next, I dug a large rectangular shaped hole in the front of the pot for the birch logs. I placed the birch logs at the ends of the hole spaced apart. Again I filled in the dirt around the birch logs to stabilize them. I liked the look when one birch log was higher than the other so I went with it.

6. Use the twine from the birch logs and spruce tops as decorative ties.

I used the twine that tied the birch logs and spruce tops together as decorative twine on the birch logs. One piece of twine was brown and the other was white so I knew I would like the contrast of the two together. I simply tied the twine pieces near each other towards the top of the birch logs. This added a rustic decorative touch to the decoration.

I also loved that I even used the twine in my decoration rather than throwing it away.

 

 

7. Add in the decorations.

I always add in the decorative pieces last to see where they will fit in best based on how many greens I have used.

For this decoration, I reused pine cones with bells, glittered berry stakes, and a wreath bow. I love using these decorations because they are usually weatherproof. The tree farms had used decorations on their wreaths that were meant for outdoor use, so they will usually be able to withstand snow, rain, and wind. This has held true for me for many years from various tree farms. Plus, since I save them every year, if some decorations do get worn out from the weather, I have more I can use.

8. Save the decorative pieces again!

After the holiday season is over, save the decorative pieces again.

I keep the reusing and upcycling going so I always save the decorative pieces from my decoration for use again next year. I have kept doing this for years and now I have a great pile of decorative pieces to use. If you haven’t started this, start now so you will have this option in the future to decorate for Christmas in a frugal manner. It’s never too late to start;)

I hope you have enjoyed learning about how I made this cheap holiday decoration. Each year it looks a little different based on what I use and that makes it fun because I get to be creative.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Other posts for the Holidays: Over 75 Christmas Gift Ideas for Tween Boys

Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread

Holiday Appetizer Recipe:

Cheddar Hashbrown Potato Jalapeno Bites Appetizer

Copyright © 11/27/2017 Julie Hoag. All Rights Reserved.

 

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