It’s time to deck the halls for the festive season. But dressing up your house for Christmas doesn’t have to be an expensive affair. In fact, once you’ve gotten your hands on some decorative pieces that you love (which suit your home too), creating that wonderful Christmas holiday atmosphere becomes a breeze. As a gift to you, we’ve scoured through Chinese e-commerce site Taobao for some beautiful, practical and inexpensive Christmas decor that you can get for under S$10 (49.80 yuan) — and reuse them over and over again. Here are 10 decorative items that won’t break your bank this Christmas:
1. Mini Christmas tree, $8
While you can’t get a large standing tree from Taobao for S$10, you can however, get your hands on this adorable mini desktop Christmas tree that’s great for small apartments where space is a constraint. And check this out — it comes with lights too! Now that’s a good bargain.
2. Fairy lights, $3.80 for 2 metres
Christmas is incomplete without these hipster fairy lights. Those blinking Christmas lights in assorted colours from the ’90s are probably a little tacky these days, while these warm white fairy lights add a touch of whimsical magic to your home without overdoing it. And you can always reuse them for other parties too. They’re available on Taobao for 19 yuan (S$3.80) for 2 metres, 29 yuan for 3 metres, 39 yuan for 4 metres, and 49 yuan for 10 metres.
3. Cute Christmas rattan wreaths, $5
If classic green wreaths are too conventional for you, Taobao has some fancy Christmas wreaths made from rattan. There are plenty of designs, ranging from Santa Claus plush figurines to reindeer or snowman ones. The wreaths come in different sizes too, from small to medium and large ones that are around 30cm. Fun and cute, they’ll inject a little playfulness into your decor.
4. Minimalist Christmas tree ornaments, $2.40 – $7.60
Give the typical Christmas bauble a miss and go for these minimalist Christmas tree decorations instead. Both stylish and chic, they give a modern touch to your tree. The ornaments are made out of wood and come in various sizes, colours and designs that’ll look good on any tree. Prices vary depending on the design and size of the ornament.
5. Mr and Mrs Santa chair covers, $5 each
Decorating your house for Christmas isn’t just about placing ornaments on a tree. Other parts of the house can be dressed up too, such as your dining area, especially if you’ll be hosting guests over for Christmas dinner. These Santa chair covers come in two designs, which the Taobao seller has named as “husband” and “wife”. How cute.
6. Assortment of Christmas stockings, $1 – $3 each
These beautifully designed stockings will give your mantle an extra dose of Christmas cheer. This seller on Taobao has so many designs, sizes and colours that it is such a joy to go through all of them, but that also means it can be rather difficult deciding which ones to purchase. But at such low rates, it makes things a whole lot easier.
7. Christmas photo frames, $7.60
Christmas is a time for family and friends to gather and it’s moments like these that you’ll want to capture and frame up for posterity. These photo frames, which come in many designs and shapes such as Christmas stockings and mittens, also serve as great decor for the house during the festive season. Prop them on a desk or use them as Christmas tree ornaments.
8. White or silver reindeer , $6
Now why in the world would you want a reindeer in your house? Well why in the world not? At only 29.99 yuan (S$6), this reindeer is a steal. It’s only 15cm x 28cm and makes a nice centrepiece for the dining table during Christmas. And when it’s not the festive season, you can use it on your dressing table as an ornament to hang your accessories on. Worth it.
9. Mini felt Christmas tree for your desk , $0.96 – $1.16 each
Festive decorations shouldn’t be constrained to your sanctum sanctorum — inject some Christmas spirit into the office with mini desktop decorations like these felt Christmas trees. They’re around 20cm, 30cm and 40cm, a good size to gently remind your colleagues to lighten up a little because it’s the festive season.
10. Linen Christmas banner, $4.60
If keeping things simple is your thing, this rustic Christmas banner will do the trick. Made from raw linen, this hanging is an effective (and lazy) way to dress up your home instantly without all the fuss with lights, sparkles and whatnot. Not only is it practical, you can reuse it every year since the material is made to last.
ALSO READ: 15 BEAUTIFUL, INSTAGRAM-WORTHY CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATIONS IDEAS TO TRY