Chic on a Shoestring Decorating: Sprucin' up my Christmas mantel on the cheap...

Hey there! How's the Christmas cheer coming along at your house? Mine is almost complete... Woo Hoo!

But... is it ever really complete? Isn't there always something you can add, move here or there, or maybe it's just my decorating ADD (addictive decorating disorder).

Anywho, it seems like it has taken me an extra long time getting everything set up this year. I had some run- ins with my decor and lots of my Christmas lights. Tons of dead lights this year!

When I got my garland out for my fireplace mantel the lights didn't work (Christmas lights 1, Kate 0) and the garland looked like it got hit by a truck. So scraggely looking even after I fluffed it. It's only a few years old, I don't know what happened to it, (Ok... maybe I do. Maybe it was smushed very bad in an over-filled rubbermaid bin with 10 pounds of x-mas stuff on top of it) but still, I do that every year and it always fluffs right up.

Here it is after I put new lights on it... so scraggely! And, it was shedding all kinds of junk that you will notice on my floor... just lovely...

Since the greenery looked extra disgusting this year I had to do something. This creates a problem because it's still Christmas selling season and I can't stand to pay full price or a measely 20% off for something I know is going to be practically free on December 26th.

Hobby Lobby has their garland 50% off but the one I picked out is still $70 on sale! Forgedaboudit! I always pick out the most expensive stuff... the champagne taste on a beer budget strikes again!

I decided to get creative and save my scraggely garland. I went to the floral department which also was 50% off and picked out two large greenery with berry picks.

They are really big and at 50% off were a steal at $3.50 each!

I took my scraggley garland and put it on my mantel, then I simply stuck in these large pine piks on each end which filled it in. Filling in only the ends worked very well because there isn't much room to lay anything in front of my mirror but there are lots of room on each side.

I have a red and white peppermint candy (not candy canes) theme (I know, so creative, right?) going on in my family room for the kids tree so I decided to pick up some of these that were 50% off too...

I added a few of these to my garland and the wreath I hang above it. They add a nice whimsical touch.

Adding 3 candy picks to the wreath is just enough since there are already berries attached. I just spaced them equally apart... easy peasy.

I love the look of chunky candle holders. I found these earlier this year for 90% off at Hob Lob and had planned on spray painting them ( the flash makes them extra ugly).

I then realized they'd look great on my Christmas mantel!

I also added my silver reindeer which were an after x-mas steal a few years back.

I added some fun stuff at the base of my fireplace this year... I had some other ideas but have to stick with unbreakables since my boys could accidently crash into any of it at any moment. :)

The lights on this little tree were dead too... Christmas lights 2, Kate 0.

I also added my skinny santa and of course the kiddos Pottery Barn Kids stockings...