Tips to Save Money on Halloween, Thanksgiving & Christmas Home Decor

The back to school season for many of us is in full swing, unless of course you’ve found yourself in the path of Harvey or Irma. To those of you still trying to pick up the pieces from the hurricanes please leave a comment and let us know how you are doing! If you have a classroom wish list of some sort to help replace items damaged please also share that with us!

Holiday Decorations – you can find PILES and PILES of (especially Christmas) stuff at thrift stores and yard sales. You know what I’m talking about – old ceramic villages, dusty faux greenery…..But the REALLY good stuff (especially Halloween!) is hard to find secondhand! I think once people have decorations they really love they hold on to it and get rid of the junk that everyone else seems to have. Holiday specific stores like Spirit Halloween and such are awesome but can be SO expensive! Below are some tips to save money on Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas home decor that does NOT include thrift store shopping or yard sales!

1.Watch for online clearance. Oriental Trading in the off-seasons usually have great clearance on holiday items – and this includes home decor! Not JUST crafts! So do your Home Depot and Lowes surprisingly! In stores, Target is one of my favorite places to grab things like ornaments and lights after the holidays.

2. Sign up for e-mail newsletters to receive coupons! At the very least you should be able to snag a coupon or 2 during the holidays to help offset costs of your favorite places! AtHome and Michael’s are 2 of my favorite places that I’ve signed up for coupons and save a bundle!

3. Make your own! If you’re crafty or have a little extra time on your hands then absolutely check out Pinterest or YouTube. There is no shortage of ideas and tutorials that you can make yourself – both simple and intricate. Use 50% off coupons at Michael’s, browse for best buys at the Dollar Tree and use scraps you’ve collected over the years! My thrift store also is a great resource for craft bits and recycling old projects! (think painting old lamps black for Halloween, recycled Christmas trees for your front yard, etc)

4. Put it on your Wish List! You guys know I’m an absolute freak about Halloween decor – I positively hoarde it. But sadly my budget just can’t expand as much as my desire does for decor – so sometimes I actually make it the main thing on my holiday wish list! If hubby or my in laws want to buy me a gift I’ll direct them to after holiday clearance or pick out my favorite decor piece online for them to purchase! Etsy is also a great place to find a unique item! Every Christmas my mother in laws buys me a nutcracker to add to my collection.

5. Find it on Craigslist! Believe it or not you can find some real holiday gems and unique items on Craigslist. The great thing about looking on Craigslist is that you’ll also find people that sell unique creations for the holidays that you can’t find anywhere else!

6. Use items that can double to be used all year round! Things like wooden crafts, candles, stars, branches, rocks, moss, and other items can totally be repurposed and shifted around to make beautiful holiday decorations and then combined with something else to make year-round decor! Purchase (or make!) a light box that you can change the message to year-round.

7. Go minimalistic. Instead of worrying about decor maybe choose one thing and add to your collection each year as a tradition. For example – every year for Halloween add one pumpkin to your collection. Or for the holidays add one ornament or nutcracker to be displayed.

8. Use items from outdoors. Grab some pinecones, river stones, fir tree branches, etc. to spruce up your indoor decor. At the end of the season you can simply place them right back outside again! Use a little twine to tie branches together.