50 Cheap & Easy DIY Outdoor Christmas Decorations

Check out these DIY outdoor Christmas decorations that make it cheap and easy to get your porch and yard looking festive for the Holidays! Make your home the most festive on the block with these creative DIY Christmas decorations!

Wood Christmas Outdoor Decorations

Twigs + Branches + Logs + Thin Sliced Wood Pieces for Ears (Free)
+ Wood Balls for Nose ($1.50 – Craft Store)+ Wood Oval Shape for Eyes ($.50)
+ Red, Black and White Acrylic Paint ($0.50 a piece at Walmart)

You will need a drill to make appropriately sized holes in the log body
for the neck, legs, ears and antlers to fit in and secure with wood glue. This blog creates a similar wood reindeer and has a tutorial.

Various Sized Wood Rounds (for body) + Small Log (for top of hat) + Twigs (for arms) + Black and Orange Felt (Dollar Tree) + Red Felt for Scarf (Craft Store – $2)

Use wood glue to attach the pieces together.

Old Fence Posts + White Spray Paint ($1 – Walmart) + Assorted Christmas Fabrics ($1 each)
+ Black and Orange Acrylic Paint (for eyes and nose – $0.50 – Walmart)

White, Red and Black Acrylic Paint ($.50 each at Walmart) + Logs (Cut Diagonally) + Christmas Ribbon (Dollar Tree) + Pompom (for nose) (Dollar Tree)

Tip: You could also add a cotton ball for the top of santa’s hat or googly eyes instead of black dots. Full tutorial here

Slatted Closet Doors + Black and White Spray Paint ($1 each at Walmart) + Burlap Fabric ($1.50 at Walmart) + Christmas Pick ($0.98 – Walmart) + Wood Chip (for nose) + Orange Acrylic Paint ($0.50 – Walmart)

At Habitat for Humanity, you can get the doors for less than $10.

I don’t know where to find buttons that big or how much it would cost, but you could just use some black felt circles in place of the buttons.

If you have any spare wood boards lying around, then this is a cheap & fairly easy project. You just need some nails and green spray paint. You could also add lights or ornaments to it.

Wood Crate + Christmas Ribbon (Dollar Tree)+ Red Tissue Paper (Dollar Tree) + Ornaments (Dollar Tree) + Clear Lights (20 ct, Dollar Tree)

If you have any wood scraps, this is an easy project. You just need some masking tape and red and white paint!
Put tape on diagonally and paint unpainted areas. Let dry and put the tape on the painted areas and paint the other spots.  You can get the bows at the Dollar Tree (2 for $1).

White Paint Sampler ($2 – Home Depot) + Spindle ($4 – Home Depot) + Battery Operated LED candles (Dollar Tree)
+ Red Ribbon (Dollar Tree) + Christmas Picks ($0.98 at Walmart) + Berry Bushes (Dollar Tree) + Evergreen and Pine Clippings + Pinecones + Square Wood Base

You’ll need wood glue to fasten base to spindle and use a glue gun to hold the decorative items together.

Here is how to preserve evergreens to use as decorations

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Outdoor Christmas Luminaries, Candles & Light Ideas

White Paper Bags (Dollar Tree) + LED White Tealight Candles (Dollar Tree)

Christmas designs to print here

Mason Jars ($1 each) + Epsom Salt (Dollar Tree) or Fake Snow + White Votive Candles (4 pack, Dollar Tree)

Here’s how to make fake snow

Candle Holders (Dollar Tree) + White Votive Candles (4 pack, Dollar Tree)
+ Berries + Evergreen Twigs

Mason Jars + White Christmas Lights + Burlap Ribbon + Command Hook (Dollar Tree)

Tutorial here

Hanging Planters ($5 – Home Depot) + Clear Lights (20 count, Dollar Tree) + Ornaments (12 pack, Dollar Tree)

5 Yardsticks ($1.50 each at Walmart) + White Spray Paint ($1 at Walmart) + White Christmas Lights

Small and Medium Round Ornaments (Packs of 16 – Dollar Tree) + Christmas Lights ($2.28 for 100 count at Walmart)
+ Large Red Bow (Dollar Tree) + Command Light Clips ($7 – Walmart)
Optional – Snowflake Ornaments (Dollar Tree) + Fishing Line ($2 – Walmart)

Tutorial here

Chicken Wire + Christmas Lights

Here’s the tutorial

Globe Lights ($4 at Walmart or $2 at Thrift Stores) + Empty Tuna Can + Screw Eye Hooks ($1.50 for small pack) + LED white tea light candle (Dollar Tree) + Letters or Christmas Stickers

Tutorial here

Pallet + Dark Green Spray Paint ($2 Walmart) + Red Bow (Dollar Tree) + Clear Lights ($2.28 for 100 count at Walmart)

You can gets pallets free if you don’t already have one. People give them away on Craiglists.com all the time and if you ask, many businesses will let you have one for free as well.  This is a very easy project, but you will need a saw to do this. Here’s the tutorial.

If you don’t have a saw, you can do this instead. Just use the pallet as a frame and spray paint it white. All you need is a small log, Christmas star, ornaments and clear lights — all of which you can get at the Dollar Tree. Total cost is around $6.

Clear Christmas Lights ($2.28 for 100) + Command Light Clips

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Outdoor Christmas Porch Ideas

 Small, Medium and Large Terra Cotta Pots ($1-$4 at Home Depot)
+ Wood Blocks ($1each- Craft Store) + Black Acrylic Paint ($0.50 Walmart) + Wood Balls (Pack for $1.50 – Craft Stores) + White & Black Spray Paint ($1 each- Walmart)

Garland (Dollar Tree) + Colorful Large Ornaments (Dollar Tree)

Basket with pinecones and fall berries + Flannel fabric ($3) + Small Pillows

Target has flannel fabric at the dollar spot for $3 and you can sew it onto a spare pillow. Here’s how. It’s easy and only takes 10 minutes. Also, you can get the fall berries from Dollar Tree and use wire cutters to cut them from the stem.

Milk Pails (Dollar Tree) + Red Fabric + Clippings of Evergreens + White Sharpie ($2 – Walmart)

You could use an old red shirts or pick up some red fabric linens at a Thrift Store for $1.

Here’s how to preserve your evergreens
Also, you could frost the evergreens with fake snow.

Plastic Garden Planters ($2 each at Home Depot) + Red and White Spray Paint ($2 – Walmart)
+ Large Wood Letters ($1.50 each – Walmart) + Evergreen branches + Accents ($1 each at Dollar Tree)

Urn or Garden Pot + Wood, Pinecones, Evergreen, etc. + 20 Count Clear Lights (Dollar Tree) + Poinsettia Leaves or Large Ornaments (Dollar Tree)

Lanterns (Thrift Store $3) + Ornaments (Dollar Tree) + Pinecones

You can take any lantern you find at a thrift store and spray paint it white ($1 at Walmart). The lanterns in the picture come from IKEA ranging from $8 to $15.

Large Plastic Candy Canes (Dollar Tree) + Red Ribbon (Dollar Tree)

If you don’t have a flower pot or urn, you can get plastic ones for $5-$7 at Walmart or Big Lots and paint it white with a $1 can of spray paint.

Plastic Candy Canes + Tin Pail ($1-$2 – Craft Store) + Fake Snow + Red Ribbon (Dollar Tree)

Paper + Fishing Line

You can use printer paper and get it laminated at your local library for free or trace the pattern onto white foam.

Fishing Line or Ribbons to Hang Ornaments + Assortment of Decorative Ornaments

3 Basic Wreaths + Cardboard Top Hat (tutorial here) + Sticks + Scarf and Gloves ($2 each – Walmart)

Empty Boxes + Kraft Paper + Christmas Ribbon (Dollar Tree) + Pine Branches + 20 Count Christmas Lights (Dollar Tree) + Ornaments or Other Accents (Dollar Tree)

If you don’t have any spare boxes, you could use the free priority mail boxes from the post office.

Old Shovel + White Spray Paint ($1- Walmart) + Garland (Dollar Tree) or Pine Clippings with a Bow +
Black and Orange Acrylic Paint ($0.50 each at Walmart)

Pinecones + White spray paint ($1- Walmart)+ Birds Ornaments (Dollar Tree)
+ Christmas Ribbon + Small Decorative Pot (Dollar Tree) + Berry Bushes (Dollar Tree)

Making the pinecone tree is pretty easy. You just need a glue gun and cardboard. Tutorial is here

Large Empty Can + Red Spray Paint ($2 – Walmart) + Old Belt +
Berry Bushes (Dollar Tree) + Clippings (from your yard)

Snowflake Ornaments (Dollar Tree) + Large Letters ($2 a piece at Walmart)

You could paint the letters or add glitter to them if you wanted. Use Command hooks to avoid damage

Simple yet stylish! You can get the bow at Dollar Tree

Burlap Ribbon (Dollar Tree) + Pinecones

Even just some red bows and plain garlands can look festive. Both of which you can get at Dollar Tree.

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Christmas Door & Window Decorations

Picture Frame ($3 – Thrift Store) +White Spray Paint ($1 – Walmart) +
Christmas Door Hanger (Dollar Tree) + Ribbon (Dollar Tree) + Christmas Pick for Accent ($0.98 – Walmart)

Large Letter ($3 – Craft Store) + Red Acrylic Paint ($0.50 – Walmart)
+ Snowflake Foam Stickers (Dollar Tree) + Red Stripped Ribbon (Dollar Tree)

Use a hot glue gun to attach letter to the ends of the ribbon

Red Fabric Strips ($2.50 – JoAnns) + Decorative Bow ($1-$2)

All you need for this project is red ribbon and pinecones! Just glue the pinecones to the ends of the ribbons.

Twigs + Twine (Dollar Tree) + White Spray Paint ($1- Walmart)+ White Ribbon (Dollar Tree)+ Red Ornaments (Dollar Tree)

Personally, I think this Christmas Red Jute Twine from Dollar Tree would look the best to secure the sticks together, but you could also use the cotton twine from Dollar Tree.

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Outdoor Christmas Yard Ideas

Straws (Dollar Tree) + Red Spray Paint ($2 – Walmart) + Zip Ties ($2 – Walmart)

Here’s the tutorial. It’s super easy!

Frosted PVC Box ($1-$10, depending on size) + Large Red Ribbon + Battery Operated LED Candle (Dollar Tree)

Tutorial here. Only disadvantage is that the boxes are hard to come by and you’d probably have to order them online.

Wood (to make frames) + Wide Christmas Ribbons (Dollar Tree) + Clear Christmas Lights ($2.28 for 100 count at Walmart) + Christmas Fabric ($3-$5 – JoAnns)

Tutorial here

Inflatable Beach Balls or Giant Bouncy Balls ($1-$2) + Wood Dowel  ($3 – Craft Store) + Metallic Spray Paint

Paper plates + Wooden Dowel ($3 – Craft Store) + Cellophane ($2 – Craft Store)
+ Red Ribbon (Dollar Tree)+ Green and Red Acrylic Paint ($0.50 each – Walmart)

Tutorial here

Perfect decoration for those who live in more tropical climates (like me). All you need is ornaments. This also works on small palm trees like sago’s – just hang the ornaments off the branches.

3 Grapevine Wreaths ($1-$6, depending on size. All 3 wreaths shouldn’t cost you more than $10) + Small, Medium and Large Ornaments ($1 to $3)m + Evergreen clippings + Christmas Bow (Dollar Tree)