Quick and easy Christmas table decorations we can make for cheap are life savers when we’re overwhelmed by hectic Christmas preparations and feeling intimidated by all the gorgeously, over complicated – and over expensive – Christmas centrepieces flashing around on Pinterest and Instagram.
So I have for you here a tutorial on how to make a simple Christmas centrepiece in less than five minutes that will help make your Christmas table look nice on a budget.
This simple Christmas table decoration is perfect for anyone who loves rustic Christmas decor ideas and works really well as a Christmas centrepiece for round tables.
But if you are looking for modern Christmas table setting ideas or even luxury look Christmas table decorations you can make quickly on a budget, don’t disappear yet.
I’ve also got a whole load of truly quick and easy modern and luxury look Christmas table decoration ideas you can make in just 5 or 10 minutes without any super duper crafting wizardry or fancy tools.
So to find the perfect simple Christmas table idea for your home in 2021 have a browse through :
Or head down to my quick & easy Christmas table tutorial.
Very Easy Christmas Centrepieces
Gorgeous Christmas centrepieces really don’t need to be complicated.
All of the table decorations I have collected for you on my Simple Christmas Table Decor board on Pinterest are genuinely easy to put together yourself quickly …
It is easier to keep our table decorations simple if we channel a Scandinavian vibe and go for more minimalist decorations but we can still do a luxury look simply.
The elegant Christmas table setting above has a luxury feel but is just a few vases of white flowers & pine with gold & silver baubles quickly spread amongst them and on layered plates. It’s as simple as that.
How To Decorate A Christmas Table Cheaply
If you need to decorate your Christmas table cheaply there are all sorts of lovely quick ways to create a Christmas centrepiece from things you already have in your home.
Reusing old stuff is key to a more zero waste Christmas but also a brilliant way to create fun and modern Christmas decorations.
Christmas Lantern Jars
Christmas lanterns made from old jars are nothing new but these ones truly are cheap, quick and easy to make for your Christmas table.
Christmas Luminary Jars
These Christmas luminary jars are incredibly striking but actually a very easy holiday centrepiece to make quickly and cheaply.
Just forage – or blag off neighbours – red berried evergreen and pop in jars of water with tealights.
Cranberry Christmas Centrepiece
Another lovely simple way to bring natural colour to your Christmas table is a Christmas cranberry centrepiece which is nothing more than cranberries added to a vase or jar with a small amount of greenery or Christmas flowers
Christmas Candlestick Cans
Old cans give a rustic Christmas decor a modern feel and are a clever way to do Christmas table decor on the cheap. Simply paint old cans with any white paint you have to hand, pop in candles and arrange amongst some pine cuttings.
Christmas Candlestick Buckets
Old craft buckets or pails – my daughter was storing chalks & crayons in some I “borrowed” – can be used to create simple but lovely Christmas candlesticks. Just fill with sand or gravel, pop your candle in and add a little Christmas greenery on top.
Christmas Tin Vases
Brighten your Christmas table with nothing more than red & white chrysanthemums and a few pieces of evergreen foliage popped in a colourful old tin can.
Bowl Of Christmas Baubles
A bowl of baubles in the middle of the Christmas table may not be original but it still makes a brilliant cheap, quick and easy Christmas centrepiece that will take just a few minutes to look lovely.
Use bright contrasting colours against clean white plates for a modern Christmas look or chose gold and silver for a more luxury feel.
Bottle Candlesticks
Keep you eyes peeled in autumn for great wine bottles. Use these tips to remove labels easily. And pop old candle stubs in them.
These quick candlesticks will bounce light around beautifully on both rustic and modern Christmas table settings and if you are doing Christmas on a budget, they are not just cheap, they are free.
Plant Pot Candles
I saw this idea for terracotta pot candlesticks for sale but you can easily recreate it for free.
Simply, clean up old garden pots and pop in some old candles with evergreen or pine cuttings.
Stunning Christmas Cakes
A stunning Christmas cake makes a wonderful centrepiece for Christmas table decorations whether it’s a traditional iced cake or a more modern alternative. For inspiration check out this guide to the top 10 best Christmas cake recipes …
More Quick & Easy Christmas Table Settings
If you are still looking for more inspiration explore this list of 50 Easy Christmas Centerpiece Ideas.
They are not – if I’m honest – all my cup of tea but there are lots of quick ideas for creating a Christmas centrepiece from baubles, candles and lanterns you already have.
Quick Easy Christmas Table Decoration Tutorial
Now onto my tutorial for how to make a quick and easy Christmas table decoration in just five minutes.
This Christmas centrepiece really is so easy it barely needs a tutorial.
But seeing each step clearly will hopefully convince you it truly is simple enough to do even when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
All you need for this Christmas table centrepiece is:
- A largish shallow bowl
- 4 or 5 pieces of evergreen just a bit longer than the radius of your bowl
- 20 odd smallish pine cones
- 10 – 15 small old baubles
- An old candle
Any pine cones you can find locally in the garden, park or woods will do.
You don’t need to bake or paint the cones. Give them a quick shake to remove bugs, cobwebs etc. Remember if you wash pine cones, they close up and won’t reopen until dry. So for this quick Christmas centrepiece don’t wash them.
- To start, simply lay your pine cuttings on the bowl making sure you have a good inch or so of overhang.
2. Then plonk your candle down in the middle of the setting. It doesn’t need fixing in place with glue or wire.
We’re going for a rustic Christmas look with this centrepiece so an old used candle is perfect.
3. Tip your pine cones in around the candle. Don’t worry about carefully arranging them. Just hide grottier ones at the bottom.
The pine cones I used here have been on the go for years – so if you have any squirreled away from previous years grab those.
4. Now intersperse baubles upside down amongst the pine cones.
I used up the cheap-as-chips baubles I bought an age ago for my first home. A good few have broken tops but as these are hidden by the cones it doesn’t matter.
And there you go – a truly simple Christmas table decoration made quickly, easily and cheaply in less than five minutes.
It’s not following the absolute latest decor trends for Christmas 2021 but I spent a happy five minutes making it with my tweenager on a stupidly busy day and it brought a real feeling of warmth and joy to the table.
And that is what the true spirit of Christmas is all about, isn’t it?
I hope you found inspiration in these ideas for a lovely, simple Christmas table setting for your home.
For more inspiration do explore my other simple Christmas ideas:
- 101 Simple DIY Christmas Gifts
- Cheap Yummy Christmas Recipes
- 75 Lovely Ideas For Christmas On A Budget
- 18 Simple Minimalist Christmas Decorations
- 20 Christmas Tree Ideas For Small Spaces
- 35 Rustic Christmas Decor Ideas
- 10 Zero Waste Christmas Tips
- 10 Simple Family Christmas Traditions
[…] Christmas crinkle cookies are also super easy to flavour if you want easy gingerbread or chocolate Christmas cookies and to colour in green & red Christmas colours to add to your Christmas table decorations. […]