7 easy hacks to decorate your home this Christmas

Christmas is right around the corner but for some it can be more frenetic than fun. We wind up overspending or making impulse purchases that get thrown out a month later. We exert ourselves trying to compete with everyone else on the street for the best Christmas decorations, and we run ourselves into the ground trying to stay on top of all the stresses that come with the holiday period.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. In fact, you can get your home and family into festive gear without spending much time or money, and without losing your sanity in the process. So we’ve rounded up some of the best decorative hacks to bring Christmas to life in your home this year. 

1. Wreath hanging hack
Want to get into the Christmas spirit without putting permanent marks on your property? Try this clever trick for hanging a wreath on your front door. Use an upside-down Command hook to hang your wreath from the inside of the door instead. Then just make sure you have a long enough ribbon to run over the door and around the hook on the inside, while the wreath hangs pretty on the outside.

2. Handmade Advent calendar hack
Skip the chocolates and plastic waste this December and try your hand at crafting your own Advent calendar. Use a muffin tin with 24 cups in it, stood upright on a bench or hung up on the wall. Using decorative paper, cut out circles to cover each cup, hiding trinkets, notes, and candies behind each circle. Use glue or double-sided tape to stick the covers over the cups and number each circle for the days leading up to Christmas. The whole family can contribute to each other’s calendars, making it more personal and surprising.

3. Use-what-you’ve-already-got hack
Ah, the old use-what’s-lying-around trick. Every thrifty parent loves this one! Somehow, we all accumulate more Christmas tree ornaments and trinkets than we need, so when they don’t all fit on the tree there’s plenty of ways to use them around the house. Fill vases and large jars just sitting on the shelves with pretty baubles and ornaments; bring out old Christmas cards to adorn the blinds or bookshelves; spray pine cones from the yard with gold paint to decorate the dining table. Take note of what you already have and see all the ways you and the family can get creative.

4. Repurposed cookie jar hack
On the subject of repurposing, don’t just run out to buy festive jars and ornaments to jazz up your kitchen this Chrissy. Instead, treat yourself to some containers of Pringles (we won’t tell!) and then once they’re empty, cover them in Christmas wrapping paper to store cookies and other treats in.

5. Snowman refrigerator hack
Clear the fridge magnets and school newsletters for this creative decorating hack. Buy yourself 10 or so black circular magnets, which you’ll use to make 2 eyes, a mouth, and a few ‘buttons’ on the lower half of the fridge door. From there, use Christmas wrapping paper to fashion two ends of a ‘scarf’ to wrap around the fridge walls and doors, and match the scarf with a cutout hat stuck onto cardboard – this can sit atop the fridge, tilted to one side. He’ll also need an orange triangle for a ‘carrot nose’ – and voila! If you need more visual help, check out all of these versions.

6. Gift-wrapped cabinet hack
Grab yourself a few rolls of holiday-themed ribbon and run it down the lengths of each kitchen cabinet door, sticking it to the insides of the doors. Get out the glue and stick a fun bow in the centre of each door, just like wrapping a present. It doesn’t take much effort but it’ll lift your decorating game to an entirely new level.

7. Giant present hack
Do you have spare cardboard boxes lying around in your garage? Maybe you’ve got leftover boxes from moving house or special deliveries, or can pick some up from supermarkets for free. Then wrap them up like giant gifts, pop a bow on top and stack them around the house for some supersized Christmas gift decorations.

Don’t let Christmas leave you stressed and frantic this year. Instead, spend more time enjoying your holidays and loved ones, using these hacks to cheat your way to a festive, embellished home. You’ll save yourself time and money by getting the whole family involved and being crafty with your decorations. That gives you more time to kick back on the deck with the family, a vino in one hand and a mince pie in the other. Sounds like Christmas to us.