20 Cheap DIY Christmas Centerpieces That Are Stunning for Less
These simple, budget-friendly Christmas centerpieces bring festive charm to your table while using much of what you already have. From natural touches to clever DIY tricks, you’ll discover ways to make your holiday gatherings beautiful without spending a fortune.
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Many of these beautiful diy centerpieces can double as gifts or party favors for your guests too. Double win!
Stunning Budget-Friendly Christmas Centerpieces
The holiday centerpiece ideas below are all simple, gorgeous, and low-cost options for your dinner table.
1. Stovetop Potpourri
Stovetop Christmas potpourri jars are the perfect blend of festive scent and simple beauty. Each jar is filled with cozy ingredients like oranges, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. When simmering in water, they fill your home with the warm, comforting aroma of Christmas.
To turn them into stunning Christmas centerpieces, group a few jars together on a tray or wooden board, add sprigs of evergreen, a few pinecones, and twinkle lights for a soft glow. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to look elegant. Keep your jars or send them home with your guests as a small gift.
2. DIY Ornaments in a Jar, Vase, or Hurricane
From Home With Holliday, ornaments in a jar, vase, or glass hurricane make for a gorgeous Christmas centerpiece. Simply fill clear containers with a mix of shiny, matte, and glittery ornaments in coordinating colors. Stick with red and gold, frosty silver and blue, or cozy neutral tones.
Add a bit of greenery around the base. It’s a simple, affordable way to create a stunning holiday display that looks like it came straight out of a magazine.
3. Festive Snack Mix Centerpiece
These Christmas Snack Mix Jars are delicious and gift-ready! Turn them into a stunning holiday centerpiece by arranging a few jars of varying sizes down the center of your table. Fill them with the colorful snack mix and tie ribbons or twine around each lid. Then, scatter a few candles or twinkle lights between the jars to make them glow.
Finish by setting everything on a decorative tray or runner for a beautiful display that doubles as an easy grab-and-snack station for guests.
4. Simple Christmas Village
A cake stand is such a clever (and fun) stage for your Christmas village. Show it off by sprinkling a clear cake plate with faux snow, arrange your village, and lower the glass dome to seal it all in! It’s magic, using what you probably already have!
Don’t have a village? See what other decorations you have to put in your cake stand. Trees and ornaments would also be very pretty.
5. Plant Holiday Centerpiece
From Better Homes and Gardens, all you need is one trip to the store or nursery for this centerpiece idea. Pick out a beautiful plant that has a little color and you have a beautiful (no-fuss) centerpiece for the holidays.
6. Fruit Centerpiece in Jars or a Bowl
Via Hearth and Vine. Looking for a centerpiece that doesn’t add to your holiday storage or clutter up your home? Look no further! Combine colorful fruits and hearty nuts in a bowl and then eat it when Christmas is over!
Fun gift idea: After the dinner, have everyone pick out 3-5 fruits to put in a bag to take home. They’ll appreciate the healthier food around this time of year!
7. Herb Wreaths
These delightful, DIY herb wreaths serve both as festive table centerpieces and flavorful garnishes for your favorite holiday dishes. Select fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, thyme, and rosemary, then shape them into small wreaths. Secure the ends with pretty bows.
Then arrange them in the center of your table, allowing guests to pick fresh herbs to enhance their meals quickly and easily. It’s such a unique and interactive centerpiece!
8. Homemade Candle Centerpiece
These diy floating candles are made with only a few ingredients, and make for a simple pretty centerpiece.
How to make the candles:
- Just wrap some pretty ribbon around the jars.
- Add some cranberries and a few sprigs of evergreens.
- Fill up the jar 2/3 full with water.
- Add a floating candle.
9. Mason Jar Beauty
Transform old, recycled glass jars into delightful Christmas table centerpieces. All you have to do is fill them with sprigs of faux greenery, berries, branches, and a touch of glitter solution. Then, tightly secure the caps, turn them upside down, and enjoy your sparkling centerpiece.
10. Fruit, Nuts, Greenery Christmas Dinner Table
Natural elements make the most beautiful, vibrant, and inexpensive Christmas centerpieces. Like in this picture, play with garlands and pomegranates. All you have to do is spread evergreen branches, pomegranates, magnolia leaves, and berry sprigs along your table’s center. I also love how they use the pillar candles in glass holders with acorns in them.
Don’t want pomegranates? Try this idea with pears instead!
11. Rustic Christmas Centerpiece
From Press Print Party, this rustic centerpiece is perfect if you need to make multiple centerpieces without spending a fortune. You can double or triple the materials and have them done in no time.
To put together this look, you’ll need:
- a short piece of wood cut from a medium sized limb
- a mason jar painted white
- red and tan twine and a rustic jingle bell holding a strip of burlap around the jar
- pinecones
- fake red berries
- Christmas tree greenery free from the Christmas tree lot
- spray snow
- a painted, dollar store candle holder owl
- LED tea light
- All on top of a silver tray also from the dollar store
12. Winter Wonderland Kits
A Winter Wonderland Kit in a Jar is a simple wintry gift. Fill jars with cozy and festive items like hot cocoa packets, mini marshmallows, peppermint sticks, fuzzy socks, and a small candle or snowflake ornament. You can even add white tissue paper for that snowy touch.
To turn them into a simple yet stunning Christmas table centerpiece, group a few jars together on a white or mirrored tray, sprinkle fake snow around the base, and weave in fairy lights or frosted pine branches. Then, when the party’s over, guests can each take a jar home as a thoughtful, ready-to-enjoy gift.
13. Cranberry Delight Centerpieces
From Two Purple Couches, all you need are cranberries, greenery, and a simple glass vase and candle to make this centerpiece come to life. The color really pops to create a sweet and simple holidayscape.
Can’t find fresh? Use what you can find or head to the craft store for faux greenery and color.
14. Christmas Tree Centerpiece
From Color By K, simple trees and pear table settings make for an affordable Christmas centerpiece that’s elegant without being too lavish. This is also a wonderful centerpiece to use on big tables or when hosting outdoors.
15. DIY Paperwhite Flower Bulbs Gift
A Paperwhite Bulbs in a Jar gift is simple, elegant, and full of natural beauty. It’s perfect for bringing a touch of nature indoors.
Group several together at varying heights on a tray or runner, tuck in sprigs of evergreen or holly, and add a few small ornaments or pinecones around the jars.
You can also plan ahead and sprout these yourself first, then use them as a centerpiece and party favor.
Related: Best Mason Jar Gift Ideas
16. Dollar Tree Christmas Centerpiece
This Dollar Tree centerpiece proves that a beautiful Christmas table centerpiece doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. This can be done in $5 or less!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- a grapevine or greenery wreath $1 at the Dollar Tree
- red candle votive $1 at the Dollar Tree
- 2-3 berry twigs $1 at the Dollar Tree
17. Holiday Mason Jars
Sprinkle Epsom salt and glitter on a mason jar, then add fresh greenery, wrap with twine, and top it off with a glowing tea light. The result? A simple yet sparkling holiday jar centerpiece that brings cozy charm to any space.
Related: Christmas Crafts to Make & Sell
18. Candy Sleighs for the Kids Table
Next, set these out on the kids table (with or without the gift card). Then, let the kids take one home when Christmas dinner is over. All you need is candy canes, tape, and candy to make them come to life.
19. DIY Hot Cocoa Mix
A Hot Cocoa Mix in a Jar is the ultimate cozy Christmas gift. It’s simple, sweet, and guaranteed to warm hearts (and hands). Group several together on a rustic tray or cake stand, add a few candy canes, pinecones, and sprigs of evergreen around the base, and tuck in a strand of twinkle lights for a warm, inviting glow. It’s a centerpiece that doubles as a take-home treat, making it cozy, charming, and totally unforgettable.
Related: Tasty Homemade Food Gifts
20. Cinnamon Stick Candles
Craft cozy holiday candles by bundling cinnamon sticks around simple white candles, tying them together with twine, and adding festive accents. These scented creations make charming centerpieces and thoughtful handmade gifts too.
How to Make Your Christmas Centerpiece For Less:
1. Start with your foundation.
- Choose your tablecloth or runner.
- Consider how much room you have to work with for your centerpiece.
- Look through your home, borrow from friends and family, and go outside to find decor before heading to a store.
2. Add Height and Texture
Varying your heights and textures add visual intrigue to your table settings.
3. Keep it simple
A simple, elegant Christmas centerpiece can be just as beautiful and inviting as a more elaborate one. It’s not about how much you spend. It’s about how it makes you and your family feel.
Don’t miss more holiday savings:
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