The holiday season is here! I would say it’s around the corner, but that would be a lie, since one step in any store will scream festive cheer at this point.

But you know what that means — tons of effort to make things “cheery.” Gifts, celebrations, holiday coffee orders, sweets and treats, seasonal decor… it all adds up. It takes a toll on your mind and wallet.

And sure, while this is bound to be a different type of holiday season, what with COVID and all, it’s still tedious. In fact, some might argue they have to “make up” for their inability to celebrate as usual, and may spend more this year in an attempt to make things feel normal.

But there’s some good news: you can easily create holiday decor without breaking a sweat:

Make your own wreath, Dollar Store style

Go to Michael’s, or Homegoods and you won’t find a wreath for under $30, if you’re even lucky. And it’ll be small, a bit sparse, and possibly poorly-made. 

But see, the Dollar Store offers wreath-making supplies too, and you can still make that amazing wreath you want for a fraction of the cost.

In fact, with $15-20, you could be all set. 

The trick is to purchase a cheap styrofoam wreath base, not the more ornate ones, and use hot glue to make it sturdier. Then purchase the bulk of your decorations from the Dollar Store. Look for big fake leaves and branches if you can, since you’ll need to use less of them. 

From there, to elevate the look, use the remainder of your budget to buy more premium decorations that still don’t break the budget. Think of ribbon, or fairy lights. You can even use pine cones from outside.

In a matter of about half an hour you have a pretty wreath for your door. Boom, done.

Reuse what you have (or what you can get from outside)

You know what’s easy? Going outside and using gardening sheers to collect evergreen branches. Gather enough of them, alongside pine cones and you have yourself a pretty mantle garland. You don’t even need to “put it together” since you can lay the branches in a way that hides the stems a bit. Whatever isn’t easily covered gets a pine cone on top.

Oh, and if you have any white pumpkins or pillar candles left over from Halloween, feel free to add those in too!

Make it a winter scene

You know that white sponge material sold at Michael’s, Target, Walmart, the Dollar Store, and so on? They’re often called white snow blankets, at least according to Hobby Lobby.

Well, placing that on top of cabinets and furniture is a cheap, lazy way to decorate for the holidays. Tie the look together with some candles, $5 Christmas trees from Target, and candy canes.

As a bonus, you won’t need to dust as much since your surfaces will be covered all season long!

— By Jennifer Mendez

Jennifer Mendez is a content creator and Lynnwood resident who specializes in copy, graphic design and photography for her clients. Whenever she’s not creating something, she’s exploring new places to eat in the area.