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The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree

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It is officially December and that means I can finally share my Christmas tree with you all.  This year I am joining a whole group of other ladies. who are also showing us their trees.

Because I just moved I was not about to spend a fortune on decorations for the tree.  I wanted to find the most affordable way to decorate the Christmas Tree! I went with a color palette that was new to me.  I chose blue because … well do I really need a reason?  And I balanced it out with silver, gold and bling.  But I also added a bit of rustic in there.  Sort of a melting pot, but it works for me. 

Side view of Christmas Tree, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com

Welcome to our First Annual Christmas Tree Decor Blog Hop


​We have 51 talented bloggers joining up to share their decorated Christmas Trees with you! So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, settle in and get comfortable because you are going to love the beautiful Christmas Tree Decor shared today! 
Christmas Tree Decor Blog Hop Logo, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com

Let’s Meet the Hosts!

My Blue Christmas Tree

This year I was starting from an almost blank slate.  My boys had bought Christmas decor a few years back, so when I got here I saw that it was a large variety of ornaments.  But I wanted to have a theme this year. I decided to look at what we had  and go from there. 

The first thing that caught my eye was this lovely fella!  And so I took my cue from him and made the theme silver and gold, with a dash of blue and of course white. 

Glass Angel, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
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​I also found a few of these half shaped globe ornaments.  All I had to do was to remove the excess greenery inside (because it was too colorful) and I had a ready ornament. 
Half globe ornament in Blue, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
​Next I spotted this lovely horse, and although he did not fit in exactly with the theme, I kept him because he was too pretty not to. 
Horse ornament, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
Here is a pretty good representation of the color scheme.  Again the half circle ornament was simple and pretty. 
Blue, gold and half globe ornaments, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
Another lovely find, was this white sparkly star ornament.  I guess my guys had good taste after all. 
White sparkly star ornament, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
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​From there on I had to upcycle a few ornaments.  Like this light blue one you see below.  It was originally a whole ‘nother color, not that you can tell now.  It is amazing what a little amount of paint can do. 
Painted blue globe, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
These silver mini-globe ornaments were bought at a yard sale.  I think I got 36 for a dollar.  This is why I love living here!  I grouped them into threes and tied them with jute. I ended up with a whole bunch of these triplets on the tree. 

And those blue longish icicle ornaments, also at that same yard sale.  I left those alone.

Silver globes grouped in 3 with jute and blue icicle ornament, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
​And to add a bit more sparkle, these pretty crystals.  Can you guess where I got them from?  Nope, not a yard sale.  I had them left over from a chandelier we had many years ago.  I think they really add lots of interest to the tree. And make a nice contrast to the jute. 
Chandelier crystals as ornaments, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
This next one may surprise you.  The oval shape was actually a bracelet. And the rest is a gold bead garland. Put them together and you have a unique ornament. Because you know I let nothing go to waste.
Faux Gold bracelet used as ornament, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com

​Another piece of jewelry, this time a pearl necklace.  I simply wrapped it around itself and added a pretty grey bow! 
Blue and white pearl necklace repurposed into ornament, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
This is one of the homemade ornaments I had made years ago.  You can get  the simple tutorial here. 
Handmade circle ornament in blue, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
And this oh-so-special ornament was given to me by Angela of Simply Beautiful by Angela for our Ornament Exchange 2017.  You can see her tutorial here.  It is very dear to my heart because the text is from “Twas the Night Before Christmas” one of my favorite stories to read to the kids, when they were younger. 
Rustic spool ornament with text, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
And the ornament I gave to Angela?  Well I gave them all away so I made a cardboard copy.  I promise when I find more of those pretty wooden stars I will replace this one. Or maybe not!  😉
star ornament made with cardboard, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
For the garland I came up with a new for me idea.  I took a sheer piece of ribbon in grey and wrapped jute around it.  The jute also had bits of sparkly silver on it. 
Garland made with grey ribbon and jute wrapped around it, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
Below you can see how it was wrapped and then knotted every foot or so. Oh and that old blue globe, it looks all vintagy from wear but I think it looks great!
Knot on the garland and blue ornament, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
And to top things off I added this delicate golden star.  I had also gotten this at a yard sale a few years ago. I love the vintage feel of it.  Did I mention how much I love yard sales?
Gold star at the top of the tree, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
Finally on the bottom of the tree I added our train set that my son bought a few years ago.  And of course the presents are pushing the train tracks out of the way. 
Train set on the bottom of the tree, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
I have to say for a thrifted Christmas tree I am over the moon happy with how it turned out. And how affordable it was!  The only thing I bought from the store was the jute threaded with silver. Everything else was upcycled, repurposed or bought at a yard sale.  Not bad at all.  Don’t you agree?
Blue, silver and gold Christmas tree with thrifted, repurposed and upcycled ornaments, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
A night view when all the lights are on. 
Night view of the Christmas tree, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
Blue, silver and gold Christmas tree with thrifted, repurposed and upcycled ornaments, The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
And these are my tips on the most affordable way to decorate a Christmas Tree! I think I did a pretty good job considering I only spent a few bucks for the jute.  With a little outside of the box thinking we can all thrift, recycle and repurpose to create a beautiful tree for Christmas. 

Hop on below to see lots more ideas for Christmas trees!

What theme have you chosen for your tree this year?

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Blue, silver and gold Christmas tree, and ideas on the most affordable way to decorate a Christmas tree with thrifted, repurposed and upcycled ornaments, #ChristmasTree #MostAffordable #ThriftedXmasTree #Repurposedornaments #Upcycledornaments The Most Affordable Way to Decorate a Christmas Tree, www.theboondocksblog.com
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Now let’s check out the rest of the beautiful Christmas Trees!

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  1. Lela says:

    Hi, Mary! I know it’s after Christmas, but your tree looks great! Those half-circle ornaments are truly eye-catching. I decided to break away from the “traditional” red and green on my tree this year too, and went with more of a white/silver approach. I don’t know about you, but I think the different colors make a room look brighter! In any case, yours looks great, and happy new year to you!

  2. Your tree is beautiful and I enjoyed reading your post on how you pulled it all together for very little money. Great tips to remember for next year.

  3. Michele says:

    I love your pretty blue, gold and white tree. Every Christmas tree is beautiful in its own way. I have never done a themed tree, but might have to try it next year. We did cut down a live tree this year for the first time in a long time and it smells nice! I am struggling to get in the spirit of decorating this year, so maybe all of these pretty trees will get me in the mood to make my house festive.

  4. Mary, Your ornaments are lovely and your tree is beautiful! More special handmade!
    Jeannee

  5. You did a great job Mary, as always! I love the train!

  6. What a beautiful tree! I like the chandelier ornament so much. I have some extra ones I need to make one.
    Kim

  7. Oh, Mary — it is lovely! I especially love your gift from Angela and the upscaled ball trio but there is so much to love here.
    I just posted about my Southern Exposure trip and we did a blue juniper wreath. He explained that blue is considered a traditional Christmas color (especially in Europe) because of the pictorial description of Mary’s cloak in so many paintings. Makes sense to me — so now if someone wants a reason other than “I liked it,” toss that one out!

  8. Patti says:

    Your tree is beautiful and I’m a sucker for anything thrifty. Very inspiring!

  9. Your tree is beautiful Mary! Love the color scheme, and all the pretty ornaments. I love the idea of repurposing older ornaments, and upcyling items into ornaments. Inexpensive and beautiful is the best. 😊

  10. This is a beautiful tree, I love your color pallet.

  11. Marie says:

    Not bad indeed!!! What a great idea using bracelets with pretty ribbon (might have to steal this idea). Love how you tied the three ornaments together with jute (another idea I may have to steal). Your tree looks awesome, Mary and for $10 – you did good, girl! Pinned 🙂

  12. Your tree turned out beautiful! I am a huge fan of garage sales and thrift stores, and have gotten many nice Christmas decorations that way!

  13. Elise Ho says:

    I love all of the holiday ideas. Eventually i will switch to a themed tree as we will give the kids the ornaments I have collected for them through the years.

  14. Julie says:

    Hi Mary, I just popped back to let you know your lovely ideas are one of the features at this weeks Handmade Monday 🙂

  15. Julie says:

    So many great ideas here, lovely.
    in our house we just bung all the same old things every year, the kids especially like to see the things they made when they were little! Occasionally a new one gets added. This year we’ve been given quite a few cards that have a removable ornament on them – it seems to be quite a trend – so that has given us even more things for the tree.

  16. Jelica says:

    Such a great tree, Mary! I love the choice of blue and all the mix of interesting ornaments, including that sheer garland which has a pretty, shimmering quality to it. My favourite piece, though, has got to be that horse! It works so well in your rustic mix. Happy holidays 🙂

  17. Erlene says:

    Love that you repurposed so many things to make beautiful ornaments. Lovely tree. Pinned.

  18. Mary, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful tree with us and your tips for affordably decorating a tree! Love all the diy ornaments!

  19. Lina says:

    Your tree is lovely Mary! And I like the wooden spool ornament. Thanks for sharing at Sew It Cook It Craft It!

  20. Amber Harrop says:

    I love your Blue decorations I have a blue tree too. My daughter decided we needed to put up the Tree my eldest had in college, like that we had no decorations- so I took some inspiration from you Mary and I made them and it doesn’t look too bad

  21. Lynda Hardy says:

    What a lovely tree! I like the jewelry repurposed into ornaments! Thanks for sharing with Awesome Life Friday!

  22. Teodora says:

    Your tree is gorgeous! And, yes, I agree that you can decorate your tree affordably. Our tree is white and the decorations are mostly red, we have the same baubles from 2006! And we add a few handmade elements each year, either bought from other crafters or made by myself.

  23. Your tree looks so pretty and lush Mary, and your ideas of using jewelry and crystals from chandeliers are definitely keepers!
    A little ingenuity goes a long way!
    xxx

  24. Lauren says:

    You did SUCH a great job on this! I love how you so creatively repurposed so many ornaments to fit the look you were going for and I REALLY love the way you re-worked the jewelry.

  25. I am always surprised of how you use items in your house and your Christmas decorations are no exception. I love your blue them this year. Well done my friend, well done!

  26. Beverly says:

    Your tree is lovely, Mary. The blue is a beautiful touch. It’s great that you found so many items on a budget that worked for your tree.

    • Mary says:

      I really lucked out at those yard sales. Gotta love all those folks who don’t want their ornaments. And they were all brand new.

  27. Lisa says:

    Your tree is wonderful! My favorites are the Twas the Night Before Christmas ornament and your rustic stars.
    Happy Holidays Mary!

    • Mary says:

      Lisa that ornament is so special for me. I really lucked out with Angela’s idea.
      Merry Christmas to you.

  28. Thank goodness we haven’t put our tree up yet. I’d have to redesign everything after seeing all this inspiration. I do so love how you’ve used old and new ornaments and even a few borrowed and blue ones too 😉 My favorite has got be that bangle – that’s so typically you.

    • Mary says:

      You know the best thing we can do is shop around the house and sometimes the most unexpected things can be turned into an ornament. As you have shown us with your washboard ornament.

  29. Leanna says:

    This is such an important and helpful post. You create beauty almost out of air sometimes. This is needed because everyone wants a Christmas to remember and not everywhere has the budget to splurge on it. I
    Your tree is beautiful and of course my favorite part is the chandelier crystal ornaments.

    • Mary says:

      Aside from the budget Leanna I think it is wasteful for people to throw perfectly good items out and start anew every year. With just a little ingenuity we can get the desired effect. And we are good to mother earth.

  30. Katrin says:

    How do you do it Mary, you are so thrifty and frugal, I just love that you used the bracelet! It would have never ever crossed my mind, but I love it, you are amazing! The horse is really too cute to not be included and I love it too. I have to say that the blue touches really make a lovely tree colour!

    • Mary says:

      Thanks Katrin. After so many years of red and green it was time to try something different. And I have a small space so I didn’t want too much going on.

  31. Mary your tree is beautiful! What a great idea to up-cycle other things (like crystals from an old chandelier) to add to your tree. I also love the idea of painting ornaments!

  32. Florence says:

    It’s a lovely tree & I like your blue theme! Handmade ornaments are far better than the other kind. And I knew the one you made with a bracelet was originally a bracelet, but you did a good job on it with those pearls. Good job for spending so little on it! So you’ve found some yard sales? Good for you! I was wondering what you’d found.

  33. Your tree is beautiful Mary! Love your rustic stars!! Totally agree with you on not spending bucket loads!! Love shopping my home first! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your wonderful tree!! 🙂

  34. Jamie says:

    That turned out beautifully!!! Merry Christmas to you and your family! 🙂

  35. I loved your color combination Mary! I didn’t expect that blue would be nice but it gives a wonderful frosty touch!

  36. Maya Kuzman says:

    What a beautiful tree you have Mary – love the color combo you decided to have!
    Most of our Christmas baubles and decorations are colorful so during the years our tree has been a motley sight, however Eva has been slowly changing that insisting we have 2 colors mostly (last year it was red and gold) but this year it seems we’ll use some pinks and golds and silvers or I go crazy again and do all the colors – one never knows 🙂
    I enjoyed going through your post, discovering your beautiful decorations and the stories that accompanied them scroll by scroll – thank you for that! Made my afternoon cup of coffee more enjoyable!

  37. Meegan Fast says:

    Oh Mary. I have so enjoyed reading this blog post. I love how your creative juices flow. From your color theme to your gold bracelet as an ornament. Your Christmas tree is pure perfection.

  38. Gabi says:

    Mary, you tree is really something! And the colors speak Greek for themselves: it’s awesome how you can combine summer colors (golden sand, blue water, white waves) with the winter decor. I love it! I have to steal the idea! 🙂

    • Mary says:

      You know Gabi I had never thought of it in those terms but you are absolutely right. Thanks for pointing it out. I like the blue water and white waves part the best.

  39. Keri Roberts says:

    Mary, your Christmas tree is gorgeous!!! I love the color scheme you chose! Great idea to tie the little ornaments together into triplets. You’re right, your boys have great taste, that white snowflake is so pretty. Yard sales are awesome sauce and i wish we could go shopping together at some of them one day, wouldn’t that be fantastic?! Anyway your tree is beautiful, and you did a great job decorating it and in a frugal way.

    • Mary says:

      Keri I honestly did not know what I was going to find when I first opened up those bags full of Christmas stuff. Lucky for me it was an easy project. With a little paint I was able to get the desired look. And the rest I just threw out. They were in pretty bad shape.
      I would love to go thrift shopping with you. We have lots of yard sales around here.

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