19 Ralph Lauren Christmas Decor Ideas on a Budget

One red and green tartan throw does more for this look than anything else you can buy. Drape it loosely over a sofa arm so the pattern falls in folds, rather than folding it into a neat square.

Budget plaid throws often run about $15 to $30. Wool-blend ones cost more, but acrylic looks close in photos and washes easily.

Brass is the metal of this style, and thrift stores are full of it. Mismatched candlesticks of different heights look collected on purpose when they're grouped in threes or fives.

They often cost a few dollars each secondhand. Add cream tapers and a sprig of fir around the bases.

A wide bowl of ornaments makes a coffee table centerpiece that costs very little. Stick to deep red, gold and hunter green, and tuck in a few pinecones for texture.

Target's Wondershop line has ornament sets at around $5, so a full bowl can stay under $20.

Classic Christmas decor leans on things that look like they've been around for years. A stack of three or four hardcovers with the dust jackets removed, tied with a tartan ribbon, does that for free.

Set a brass bell or a small pinecone on top and put the stack on the coffee table or a shelf.

Old-fashioned art finishes the look: a winter landscape, a horse, a dog or a moody still life. Thrift stores and flea markets sell framed prints like these for a few dollars.

Lean it on a shelf or dresser instead of hanging it. No nail holes, and you can move it after the holidays.

Tartan bows are the fastest way to get this look on a tree. Walmart sells ready-made tartan bows at roughly $3.88 to $12.95, depending on size and pack count.

On a 3-foot tabletop tree, eight to ten small bows plus red and gold balls is plenty. Clip them on near the lights so they glow at night.

In a small apartment, wrapped gifts are decor. Wrap them in tartan paper or plain brown kraft with red ribbon, and stack them under the tree or on a chair.

Wrap a few empty boxes early, so the spot looks full before the real gifts arrive.

Most pictures of this look center on a fireplace. A dresser, console or bookcase does the same job: a full fir garland across the top, small tartan bows along it, and brass candlesticks at each end.

Faux fir garland runs about $10 to $20 for 9 feet. Our Christmas mantle ideas without a fireplace cover more ways to fake the focal point.

Traditional nutcrackers are a classic Christmas decor staple. Three in a row on a bookshelf, between books, look like a collection without taking much space.

Small wooden nutcrackers often cost around $5 to $15 each at craft and discount stores, and they last for years.

Stockings can hang from weighted stocking holders on a dresser, from the knobs of a dresser's top drawer, or from an over-the-door hook rack. None of those need nails.

Choose knit stockings in cream, red or tartan cuffs to stay with the look.

A tartan runner turns a plain small table into a holiday table in one move. Add brass candlesticks and a low fir and berry centerpiece you can talk over.

For a round table, fold the runner to fit or use a square tartan scarf. Our Christmas table decor for a small dining table has layouts for tight spaces.

Gold chargers under plain white plates make the table look formal. Dollar Tree carries chargers in season, and most of its items run about $1.25 to $1.50.

Add red or plaid cloth napkins. Tie each one with a short piece of tartan ribbon and a sprig of rosemary.

Small tartan bows on cabinet knobs make a rental kitchen look festive, and they come off without a trace. Hang a small boxwood wreath on one cabinet door from a ribbon tied around the knob.

For the counter, our Christmas coffee bar ideas for small counters carry the same colors into a 2-foot corner.

A plaid duvet cover is the bedroom version of this look. Plaid duvet covers run about $57 to $60, and they work all winter, not just in December.

Add one deep green velvet pillow and a brass lamp. More cozy bedroom ideas are in our Christmas decor ideas for the bedroom.

Thrifted brass and silver ice buckets make great vases for evergreen branches. Fill one with fir, cedar and a few red berry stems for the entry or a side table.

Ask a tree lot for trimmings, and the greenery can cost nothing.

A full green wreath with one oversized tartan bow is the most recognizable piece of this look. Hang it with an over-the-door wreath hanger, usually about $5 to $10, so the door stays hole-free.

Check your building's rules on hallway decor before you hang anything outside your door.

Battery window candles with brass or gold bases give the classic, old-house glow from the street. Sets with timers turn on at dusk on their own.

They often run about $15 to $25 for a set. Lay a short fir garland with a tartan ribbon along the sill below them.

This look needs low, warm light, not one overhead fixture. Use warm white bulbs (around 2700K) in every lamp and turn on three lamps instead of the ceiling light.

A cream or pleated lampshade on a brass base adds to the old-fashioned feel.