Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family gatherings, and creating a warm, inviting atmosphere in your home. But Thanksgiving Home Decor Ideas for the holidays doesn’t have to drain your bank account!
According to a recent survey, Americans spend an average of $431 on Thanksgiving food, drinks, and decor, marking a 19% increase from the previous year.
As someone who loves both crafting and saving money, I’ve spent years perfecting the art of budget-friendly holiday decorating.
In this article, I’ll share my favorite DIY Thanksgiving decor ideas that cost less than $100 !
DIY Thanksgiving Wreaths and Door Decor
I absolutely love greeting guests with a festive door display during the holidays!
Creating your own Thanksgiving wreath is surprisingly easy and way cheaper than buying one from those fancy home decor stores. Last year, I gathered fallen leaves from my backyard, spray painted some in metallic gold (dollar store paint, folks!), and attached them to a simple grapevine wreath form that cost me less than $5.
The turkey-shaped door hanger was actually my daughter’s idea, and we made it together using scraps of burlap, some ribbon from my craft stash, and felt pieces for the feathers. It looked adorable and only cost about $12 total!
My wheat and dried flower wreath has been my best investment yet. I splurged on quality dried wheat ($15), but mixed in flowers I dried myself from my summer garden. The beauty of this wreath is that it works from early September through December!
One mistake I made early on was creating decorations that couldn’t transition between holidays. Now I always make reversible door decor — Halloween on one side, Thanksgiving on the other. Smart, right? Saves both money and storage space in my tiny apartment.
Budget-Friendly Thanksgiving Table Centerpieces
The table centerpiece sets the mood for your entire Thanksgiving feast, but fancy floral arrangements can cost a fortune!
I discovered the magic of mason jar centerpieces completely by accident when I was desperately looking for something festive but cheap. I wrapped some jars I already had with twine, added a flameless candle inside each (safer with kids around!), and surrounded them with mini pumpkins and acorns. The whole setup cost about $8 and looked amazing!
Making a cornucopia centerpiece seemed intimidating until I tried it. The trick?
Start with a dollar store wicker basket, shape it into a horn using wire, and fill it with artificial fruits and vegetables. Mine has lasted for three years now!
The floating candle display was born during a power outage two Thanksgivings ago. I filled some glass bowls with water, added cranberries and fallen leaves from the yard, and floated tea lights on top.
The candlelight reflecting through the water created such a beautiful ambiance that I now use this decoration intentionally every year.
For anyone with empty wine bottles (we’ve all got ’em!), don’t throw them away! I painted mine in matte fall colors, added some twine around the necks, and grouped them together as vases. They looked chic with just a few dried wheat stalks—no expensive flowers needed.
Inexpensive Thanksgiving Mantel and Shelf Decorations
The mantel is prime real estate for holiday decorating, but filling that space doesn’t require spending big bucks!
My gratitude garland has become a cherished family tradition.
I cut leaf shapes from brown paper grocery bags, punched holes in the tops, and strung them on twine. Each family member writes what they’re thankful for on a leaf, and we add to it throughout November. Cost? Practically nothing!
Pine cone turkeys might sound childish, but I promise, when done right, they’re adorable!
I collect pine cones during fall walks (free!), add felt or paper feathers, googly eyes, and a tiny red felt waddle. They make charming mantel decorations and conversation starters.
Our thankful tree has become a favorite with guests. I placed tree branches in a vase, cut leaf shapes from colored paper, and provided pens for everyone to write what they’re grateful for before hanging their leaf.
It grows more beautiful throughout the day as it fills with sentiments.
For typography art lovers like me, free printable are a goldmine! I downloaded some beautiful “Give Thanks” and “Grateful” designs, printed them at home, and placed them in frames I already had. Instant mantel decor that looks custom-made!
DIY Thanksgiving Wall Art and Banners
Wall space offers so many opportunities for temporary holiday decor that makes a big impact!
My “Give Thanks” banner cost less than $8 to make but looks so professional.
I used cardboard from an Amazon box as the base for each letter, covered them with scrap fabric, and connected them with jute rope. It’s been hanging proudly for three Thanksgivings now!
For my rustic wooden sign, I found an old fence board in my neighbor’s discard pile (always ask first!). After a light sanding, I painted “Thankful” in white and added some simple leaf designs.
It looks like something from a high-end boutique but costs only the price of paint I already had.
Photo displays of past Thanksgivings connect us to our family history.
I strung twine across an empty wall space and used wooden clothespins to attach photos from previous years’ celebrations. Everyone loves reminiscing about “that time when…” as they look at the pictures!
Upcycled and Repurposed Thanksgiving Decor
Turning trash into treasure isn’t just eco-friendly—it’s budget-friendly too!
Those tin cans heading for the recycling bin? Stop right there! I removed the labels, punched decorative patterns into the sides with a nail and hammer, and spray painted them in copper and gold tones. With a candle inside, they cast beautiful patterned light across the table.
Cardboard pumpkins are ridiculously easy to make.
I cut pumpkin shapes from Amazon boxes, painted them orange, and added real stems I saved from Halloween pumpkins. Grouped together on a sideboard, they look surprisingly sophisticated!
Wine bottles have endless decorative potential. Last Thanksgiving, I filled them with fairy lights (those thin copper wire ones), which created a magical glow throughout our dining room. Guests couldn’t believe they were just old bottles!
Old sweaters make the coziest fabric pumpkins!
I cut up a shrunken wool sweater, sewed it into a pumpkin shape and stuffed it with plastic bags (more upcycling!), and used a real stem. The texture is amazing, and they add such warmth to any display.
Turning vintage silverware into napkin rings was a happy accident. I found mismatched forks at a thrift store for 25 cents each, bent them into circles using pliers, and secured the ends with wire. They add such a special touch to the table setting!
Quick and Easy Last-Minute Thanksgiving Decorations
We’ve all been there—suddenly it’s Thanksgiving week and you haven’t decorated a thing!
Paper leaf place cards saved me last year when relatives announced their last-minute visit. I quickly cut leaf shapes from construction paper, wrote names with a gold marker, and placed one on each plate. Simple but effective—and only took 5 minutes!
Pantry item candle holders are my go-to emergency decorations.
Just arrange cinnamon sticks around a pillar candle and tie with twine, or fill small glasses with coffee beans, cranberries, or even colored rice with a tea light on top. Instant ambiance!
Paper bag luminaries lining the walkway make guests feel special from the moment they arrive. I cut simple designs in lunch bags, put a bit of sand in the bottom for stability, and added battery-operated candles. Total time investment: 15 minutes.
You can use balloon for fast decoration. Because it is one of the easiest way to decorate your room and home. If you want to how to decorate home with balloon then click here.
Kid-Friendly DIY Thanksgiving Decor Projects
Getting kids involved in decorating makes the holiday more meaningful and keeps them busy!
Hand-print turkeys aren’t just for school projects! My niece and I traced her hands on different colored cardstock, cut them out, and assembled them into turkeys with googly eyes.
We hung them from ribbons on the wall, creating an adorable “turkey flock” that she was so proud of!
Thankful chains are perfect for the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. Each day, we write something we’re thankful for on a strip of colored paper, form it into a ring, and connect it to the growing chain.
By Thanksgiving Day, we have a colorful paper chain decorating the stairway.
Tissue paper pumpkins are possibly the easiest kid craft ever.
Crumple orange tissue paper around a ball of newspaper, secure with a rubber band, and add a pipe cleaner stem. My son made ten of these in one afternoon, and they looked adorable scattered throughout our home.
Natural place cards connect kids with nature and add a personal touch to the table.
During our pre-Thanksgiving nature walk, we collected large, flat leaves, let them dry, and wrote guests’ names on them with gold markers. The kids felt so important placing them at each seat!
