Ladies,

Happy Christmas decorating season! I am buzzing with enthusiasm to dress this little rental house for Christmas. It led me to reflect on so many years where I worked with very little money to make things beautiful, and this year is no exception. Since I have champagne taste, here are the best luxury finds at Hobby Lobby this year.

There seems to be a misconception among women that affordable big box stores equal cheap inauthentic decor while thrifting or shopping expensive decor stores is where you find the best pieces. Decor is not that cut and dry. With more options than ever in large stores, there are bound to be pieces that defy the “cheap” landscape. Likewise, I find that high end stores do not always have better counterparts, rather, decor made out of the same materials with the same look as the less expensive stores.

Some of my best decor pieces consistently come from Hobby Lobby and are not merely a cheap substitute for something I could not afford. In fact, I shop there because I am able to find items that look high end on a budget price point. These budget items enhance my higher end items well, never detracting from them.

Case in point, this antique white crackled vase is from Hobby Lobby and this type of pottery with the cracked finish is found in expensive and budget stores and it tends to be around no matter the trends. That is how you know something is a “classic” or “traditional” style. Those pieces defy and even clash with what is trendy, but it is still sold at large as well. I prefer the glossy glaze to a matte pottery look, and it is also easy to dust. This vase shape is urn like, giving it a French Country look.

This vase is priced at $24.99 but every week Hobby Lobby has different items on sale for 50% off. If you wait for the week that vases are 50% off, you only pay half price, which is what I did.

Let’s talk about this little countertop sized Christmas tree. Many trees look cheap. I look for the most realistic looking branches, and while they will not look real, some look “good fake”. HA! It’s true. Sometimes flocking and glitter can look glamorous but other times it leans chintzy looking. I tend toward the simpler trees that look the most realistic. This is the pinecone spruce tree from Hobby Lobby priced at $10.99, but I waited for the week that Christmas decor was 50% off so I paid half that.

Here is an entire article on The Best Mini Christmas Trees at Hobby Lobby 2023 to point you in the right direction!

And here is another article on The Best Garlands & Wreaths at Hobby Lobby 2023 to help you find the best of those too!

Here is another money saving idea: if the tree is pretty on its own, you do not have to decorate it. The simplicity of a pretty shaped tree with nice branches is enough, especially in a nice vase/pot. This one has little pinecones which is a nice detail. I did not buy a string of battery-operated lights, ribbon or ornaments. By choosing a nice looking $5 tree and a beautiful vase/pot for $13, it was beautiful without more trimmings.

I plunked my trees into the vases at the store and made sure they would sit nicely. The burlap wrapped bottom and the simple twine bow was elegantly understated and had a country look.

My countertops are full of other pretty items, so it was not only inexpensive to keep the trees simple, but with all the other decor, it looked fancy.

For a grand total of $36 I bought two new vases and two new mini trees that look so understated and elegant these pieces will work indefinitely for me. And they could be decorated further as you collect items!

Focus on making your decor purchases last beyond this year. Buy what suits your long-term taste, things that you tend to always admire no matter the trends. Buy bigger items like vases, rather than a bunch of little nick knacks. Not to mention that these vases are a year-long decor item! Previously they had faux boxwood branches in them, and they graced my countertops before I added the trees.

Happy decorating ladies!

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