That she blows! Or maybe I should say “thar she glows!” Either way, we finally got our Christmas tree up and decorated for the season.

This year our decorating theme was simple and practical:

1. Use free items we already had at home (no last-minute runs to the store).
2. Avoid anything pointy, hard, or breakable for child and pet safety.
3. Emphasize color—bright, bold, and playful—to match our tabletop tree in the living room.

We gave our full-size tree a fresh look using only materials on hand, including a stash of leftover paint chips. If you’ve ever saved swatches, you know they’re incredibly versatile for DIY holiday decor projects.

I keep old paint chips for crafts like small framed art and temporary displays, so it was easy to repurpose them into tree ornaments. For this project I cut each chip into narrow strips—getting two or three ornaments from a single swatch—then punched a small hole near the top.

Through the hole I looped twine from my craft bin to create an instant hanging ornament. The result looks like a collection of modern, colorful icicles that cover the tree. Besides being cheerful and cohesive, these ornaments were essentially free, which is always a win.

Another easy element was ribbon. I used several spools from our gift-wrapping stash—leftovers from previous holiday sales. We simply unrolled each ribbon, found the midpoint, and draped that point over the top of the tree so equal lengths hung down both sides in a soft inverted V shape. It’s an effortless way to add texture and motion without needing a ton of ornaments. For a tree skirt, I layered three faux sheepskins from Ikea to create a soft, cozy base—one of our holiday traditions.

I even had enough ribbon left to fashion a small bow for the tree top, which gave the whole display a playful, feminine touch.

You might notice a couple of small details in the photos: first, we’d just put the tree up and hadn’t yet caught up with our advent calendar, so only a few of the advent ornaments were attached. By now we’ve added more, and we’re back on track with one new advent ornament per day. Second, we did a quick mantel styling in the kitchen to echo the festive energy of the tree.

1. We’d only just started the advent decorating when the photos were taken, but more ornaments have been added since.
2. We added simple holiday touches to the kitchen mantel to tie the rooms together.

On the mantel I placed a couple of vintage-inspired feather trees on the floor beside it and perched two small ceramic birds on the mantel to read like a pair of white holiday doves. A little thrifted rocking horse that I painted for our daughter sits nearby, adding a handcrafted, nostalgic note. Our stockings hang above—this year arranged a bit differently just to mix things up. Even though there are three stockings visible, everyone is included: one stocking labeled for Mom and Dad, one for Clara, and one for our pup.

I also staged a basket of faux wrapped gifts in the fireplace to add color and fullness to the hearth without worrying about open flames. These fake packages are a clever way to make the mantel feel celebratory while keeping things safe and family-friendly.

One of the best parts of this year’s changes to the house is a new opening between the kitchen and dining room, which allows the tree to be visible from the kitchen. It’s wonderful to catch a glimpse of the decorated tree while cooking or grabbing a cup of coffee—an added everyday joy from a recent demo project that opened up the space.

It feels so nice to have multiple festive focal points: the large tree in the dining room, the mantel in the kitchen, and our colorful tabletop tree in the living room. Having holiday decor spread across rooms makes the whole house feel warm and celebratory.

There’s still a bit more to share: I’m planning a holiday frame gallery and a few other small decorative updates, plus for the first time we also decorated the exterior with lights, stars, and a homemade wreath, along with a couple of bright, ceramic-look reindeer. I’ll post photos of the outdoor display as soon as I can shoot them and write up the details.

Psst—We’ll be back with a kitchen update soon. We’re working on detail-oriented tasks like resizing an old cabinet to fit and conceal a built-in microwave, so progress is steady but careful.

Update: We’ve rounded up favorite holiday decor ideas and budget-friendly finds for inspiration—many of them are inexpensive and easy to source. They make decorating simple and approachable while keeping the look thoughtful and festive.