5 Tips for Seasonal Decorating that Don't Break the Bank

I love decorating for different seasons and holidays because it makes my home feel fresh but, man, it gets expensive FAST. I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, I constantly rearranged my room. All. The. Time. I loved the feeling when everything seemed new and fresh. Seasonal decorating is my adult version of how I get that feeling.

Since joining Instagram (@sawdust.angel), I have gone completely overboard on seasonal decorating. You see all these beautiful homes decked out for every season, and you want the same for your house. What you don't take into account is that lots of those big accounts are getting products for free and/or are getting paid to share their decor. Before I go on, I want to say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Instagram or getting free stuff. I love the inspiration I get there; it's ME that needs to learn balance.

I just kept on buying, trying to keep up. After a year of doing that, I thought, "Ok. Good. I've bought for all the seasons so now I can just do the same stuff again next year without buying anything new." Y'all. Words cannot describe how crushed I was when my favorite accounts had completely different decor from the previous season. For instance, decorating with blue and green pumpkins was huge last year, but this year, I'm seeing more traditional fall colors.

What is a normal person supposed to do when they aren't getting free stuff? Most of you are probably thinking, "Duh, Jackie. Stop buying decor and decorating for every freakin' season." That might be the logical choice, but I dearly love to decorate seasonally so there has to be a way to do that without breaking the bank. I have been severely limiting my seasonal decorating budget and finding ways to use what I already have so here are my top 5 tips for seasonal decorating on a budget.

1. CURATE A HOME DECOR CAPSULE.

My favorite IG-er is Erin @cottonstem. She introduced me to the concept of a capsule wardrobe (check out her series here). I loved the idea of having fewer pieces that I really loved and that all worked together. Then, Erin really blew my mind and introduced me to the idea of a home decor capsule (read about it here). All I could think was "Duh! Why haven't I been doing that from the beginning?" Here is a direct quote from Erin's blog post on a home decor capsule: "Having a focused grouping of lovely, beautiful and coordinating pieces means you can mix, match and restyle any space and it will always create a result you love!"

Ever since reading that post, I focus on buying pieces that I truly love and that can work well together. When deciding to buy something, I always ask, "Does this fit into my decor capsule?" If the answer is no, it's got to go.

2. FOCUS ON ONE ROOM AT A TIME.

Can I tell you a dirty secret? I hate decorating for Christmas. I know, don't tell anyone. It just seems so overwhelming and your whole house is supposed to be like the darn North Pole. Let's not even talk about the cost of decorating your whole house for one month out of the year. If you're like me with other seasons or holidays, I feel you. Instead of trying to do your whole house, focus on one room at a time each year. For example, my dining room is my favorite room to decorate seasonally so that's the room I always do first.

The next year, I can buy a little more decor to focus on another room. Before you know it, after a few years, you can just about decorate your entire house for every season.

3. BUY ITEMS THAT CAN BE USED ALL YEAR.

As much as I love to decorate seasonally, I also don't want to make a million trips into our hot attic dragging a million things out. Instead, I like to have larger pieces that are out all year but that can be restyled to match the season. For example, I have a vintage wooden trough that sits under the church pew I made in our entryway. It always stays there, but it's easy to change out the seasonal greenery.

I also love this post box for seasonal greenery.

I also love using my cute vintage truck where I can just change out the package (check out that blog post with a free mini sign download here)

4. CHANGE OUT INEXPENSIVE ITEMS.

I like to keep my big ticket items pretty neutral because I can't exactly change out furniture every season. By keeping big, expensive things neutral, it's easy to change out smaller, inexpensive items. For example, in my dining room, I pretty much always use my shiplap chargers (buy them here) and white plates (buy them here). Those two items go with everything. I can buy inexpensive napkins to match the season.

Throw pillows and blankets are other inexpensive ways to update your home for the season. I adore my duvet cover from Linens & Hutch for my fall bedding, and it's so inexpensive. You can buy it here and use coupon code "sawdustangel" for 30% off your order.

My favorite way to change up inexpensive items is greenery. I have a crazy collection of faux flowers and greenery I've collected over the years so I can just grab what I need and stuff it in white pitchers, a dough bowl, or a large glass vase (all items from my decor capsule).

5. SHOP DOLLAR STORES AND THRIFT STORES.

Last year, I decided to decorate for Halloween for the first time. With 2 young kids, I knew they would enjoy a little bit of Halloween decor. I followed Tip #2 and just focused on my dining room. Other than inexpensive purple napkins (Tip #4) and items I already had on hand from my decor capsule (Tip #1), I bought everything exclusively at dollar stores, and it's the cutest tablescape.

You would never know how cheap it was. I had more fun decorating for that Halloween than I ever have for any other season because I didn't feel guilty about how much money I spent. Plus, dollar stores always have fun seasonal decor. Thrift stores and Target's Dollar Spot are also great sources of seasonal decor or home decor capsule items.

I hope this convinced you that it is possible to decorate seasonally without raising alarms at your credit card company. Take it from someone who used to spend an embarrassing amount of money: it's not worth trying to keep up with the Joneses. However, that doesn't mean you can't decorate seasonally. You just have to be intentional and mindful about your choices.