There’s something irresistibly charming about an elegant old-world Christmas, the kind that feels like stepping straight into the warm, nostalgic glow of a classic carol. Candlelight flickering in the windows, fresh greenery draped over the mantel, the scent of oranges and cloves hanging in the air and the sound of a fire roaring in the hearth.
But here’s a secret: most of that old-world Christmas decor you see is surprisingly easy to recreate and often uses affordable materials you can thrift, forage, or make by hand. What looks old and monied is, in reality, one of the most budget-friendly ways to decorate for the holidays.
Here’s 10 different ways you can create an old world Christmas on a budget this holiday season!
1. Make Your Own Fresh Evergreen Wreaths & Garland
Evergreen garlands and wreaths have been at the heart of Christmas decorating for centuries, tracing back to ancient pagan traditions where evergreens symbolized life and resilience through the darkest days of winter. By the Victorian era, they had become essential holiday decor, draped over mantels, doorways, and windows, or shaped into wreaths and hung with ribbon to welcome guests.
Luckily this is one of the most budget-friendly ways to decorate for Christmas!
I made the wreath and all the evergreen garland you see here for only $3. Click here for the garland tutorial, and click here for how to make your own fresh evergreen wreath.
2. Decorate With Clove Studded Oranges
Clove-studded oranges, or pomanders, have been around since the Middle Ages (originally used to mask unpleasant smells and ward off illness). But by the 17th century, they’d become a holiday staple in Europe—tucked into drawers, hung by ribbons, or simply left out to scent the room with their warm, spiced citrusy glow. Today, they’re an easy, old-world way to make your whole house smell like Christmas without lighting a single candle.
When you’re done displaying them, toss the cloved oranges into a pot to simmer along with a few other mulling spices to give your mulled wine or cider some extra flavor!
DIY NOTE: If you’re going to make these, have a thimble handy to save your fingers!
3. Embrace Red Velvet Ribbon Everything
Red velvet ribbon became associated with Christmas during the Victorian era, when rich textures and deep jewel tones were all the rage in holiday décor. Velvet itself dates back centuries, but it was Queen Victoria’s influence, and the era’s love of luxurious, handmade touches, that brought red velvet into favor for trimming trees, wreaths, and gifts.
BUDGET TIP: To save money, I like to keep my eyes out at the thrift store all year long and snag any red velvet ribbon I find. I usually have quite the stockpile by the time the Christmas rolls around.
4. Pull Out The Brass & Silver Candlesticks
In my heart, Christmas is eternally lit by candlelight. In the 18th and 19th centuries candlestick holders were of course everyday household staples, and during Christmastime, they took on a special glow, lighting up parlors, church pews, and dinner tables with a warm, flickering ambiance. Their gleam against evergreen garlands or set beside a bowl of oranges and cloves feels like pure old-world magic.
BUDGET TIP: This is another item I look for all year long any time I pop into a thrift store. Over the years I’ve been able to amass quite the collection and paid only .50 to $1 for most of them.
5. Hang Vintage Christmas Wall Art
One of my favorite budget-friendly ways to decorate is by using FREE public domain wall art. I’m so passionate about it I created an entire Public Domain Print Shop filled with free printable wall art. Even better, I curated an entire gallery of free Winter and Christmas art! Click here to explore the entire collection.
For an extra old-world vibe, I like to display these in gold frames, hanging from a long velvet ribbon like this:
6. Display Old Christmas Books & Sheet Music
Books and Christmas have been linked for centuries. In Victorian England, gifting books was as common as giving sweets or oranges. And in Iceland they have a tradition called Jólabókaflóð, the “Christmas Book Flood,” where everyone exchanges books on Christmas Eve and spends the night reading. (Petition to bring that here, please.)
Books also make beautiful old-world décor. You can stack a few antique volumes or display an open illustrated edition on a side table.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, first published in 1843, is the epitome of old-world Christmas spirit. Written in just six weeks, it helped revive interest in holiday traditions that had been fading in industrial England (things like feasting, caroling, and decorating with greenery). Its imagery of candlelit rooms, plum pudding, and snow-dusted streets has shaped how we imagine a “classic” Christmas ever since.
To honor this I always love displaying an illustrated copy of A Christmas Carol along with some old caroling sheet music I’ve collected over the years.
7. Create DIY Brass Jingle Bell Garland
Bells have long been a part of Christmas tradition, with roots going back to pagan winter festivals where they were rung to ward off darkness and evil spirits. As the holiday became more closely tied to Christian celebrations, church bells marked midnight mass and called townsfolk to worship. By the Victorian era, small brass jingle bells were showing up in holiday decor, sleigh rides, and even on Christmas trees.
BUDGET TIP: You can create this DIY jingle bell garland from stringing dozens of cheap brass jingle bells from The Dollar Tree on some sturdy twine or thin wire!
8. Hang Simple Evergreen Wreaths In Your Windows
Hanging wreaths in windows is a tradition that dates back to ancient times, but it found its Christmas footing in Europe, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries. Evergreen wreaths symbolized eternal life and hope through the dark winter, and placing them in windows was both a welcome to guests and a sign of holiday cheer to anyone who may pass by. In true old-world fashion, they were often handmade (twisted from foraged greenery, adorned with ribbon, dried fruit, or candles) and every window got one, inside and out.
I made the wreath you see below using this tutorial, however, I used a smaller wreath form and sparser bundles for this one.
9. Place Sprigs Of Garland On Chair Backs
Decorating chair backs with garland isn’t just a modern Pinterest idea, it has roots in old-world holiday traditions where every corner of the home was dressed for the season. In grand Victorian dining rooms, greenery would spill from mantels, chandeliers, and yes, even chairs, often tied with ribbon or tucked with herbs like rosemary for a fragrant touch. It was a way to bring nature indoors and make even the simplest meal feel festive.
For these chairs I used a single sprig of evergreen greenery and a jingle bell, clipped together with a brass curtain clip, and then tied onto my chairs with red ribbon.
10. Swap Your Christmas Tree Lights For Clip On Candlestick Lights
Candles on Christmas trees were a cherished tradition in 18th- and 19th-century Europe, especially in Germany and Scandinavia. Tiny wax candles were carefully clipped to the branches and lit for a few magical moments on Christmas Eve, filling the room with flickering light as everyone sang carols and shared stories. While I love the nostalgia, I’m definitely not willing to risk burning down my house for the sake of historical accuracy. Thankfully, modern candlestick string lights give us all the old-world charm without the fire hazard.
I will admit these are a bit of a splurge compared to the other items in this post, but luckily you only have to buy them once and you only need one (maybe two) strands to light your entire tree! (For extra vintage charm I like to liberally apply tinsel to my tree as well.)
TODDLER PARENTS: If you’re struggling to decorate for Christmas with small children, these lights are great. We did our entire tree in *just* these lights and some red ribbon on top and it was perfect.
Final Thoughts
While Christmas is hands-down my favorite time of year, I also know—firsthand—how easily it can become a source of financial stress. My hope is that this post has shown you that creating a warm, beautiful holiday home doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. With a little foraged greenery, a few well-chosen thrift finds, and some dollar-store supplies, you can capture all the charm and magic of an old-world Christmas, without overspending.
I also love the memories and moments that crafting some of these items each year brings as I sit around with friends and family (or just a good Christmas movie) making them. It always reminds me that the best part of the season is simply slowing down and soaking in the magic.
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