Hello friends! I am popping in today—right in the midst of decking the halls—to share seven easy tips for holiday decorating that take less than 15 minutes.

Between decorating my own home and styling our Airbnb properties, I have truly mastered the art of getting festive quickly. I’ve learned that you don’t always need a massive effort; sometimes a quick vignette or a lovely bowl of ornaments is the perfect touch to bring a touch of festivity without the stress.

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If you are popping over today from the wonderful Holiday Décor and More blog hop, welcome! I am so thrilled you are here. I love joining up with friends this time of year, especially when we get to share our best ideas for all kinds of holiday décor—not just the quick stuff! This fantastic hop was organized by my sweet friend Laura from Décor To Adore, and she has gathered seven of us in total to bring you tons of inspiration. Once you’re finished grabbing these quick tips, please head to the hop list to see the amazing projects from the other six talented bloggers!

Let’s get started!

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Swap Everyday Art for Seasonal Prints

Want to completely change the vibe of a room in under five minutes? You don’t need to purchase or rehang all-new art or worry about replacing entire galleries. All you need are a few downloaded files and a little holiday magic!

I swear by this method for both my own home and our Airbnbs because its inexpensive, and takes zero time to install you’re using the frames you already have hanging on the wall.

The Speedy Holiday Wall Swap:

• Prep Your Prints: Buy a few high-quality digital downloads from online sources (I love looking at shops on Etsy, I’ve rounded up my favorites here You could also check out free art resources like The Library of Congress or search for public domain imagesh.
• The Quick Print: Upload your files and send them to your local printing service. I always use the closest option for convenience—Office Max, Target, or Walgreens all offer fast, inexpensive prints. They often run sales on printing. 
• The Quick Swap: Head over to the frames already hanging on your walls Remove the backfromf your frames an, simply place the new holiday print right over the existing artwork inside the frame It’s a true five-second job Since the size is the same, no need to touch the nails or rehang things!
• Bonus Hack: Wrapping Paper  For extra-large frames, or if you are looking for a cohesive look, don’t overlook beautiful Christmas wrapping paper Cut a piece to size and pop it in the frame for a high-end, custom look.

A Creative Way to Display Christmas Cards & Holiday Memories:

This decorating hack is all about nostalgia and connection Instead of fussing with complicated card displays or finding space to hang every ornament you own, try grouping them in a beautiful container This instantly creates a spot for guests to pause, reminisce, and feel invited into your family history.

Option 1: The Festive Card Bowl

Taping cards to a doorway or stringing them up is classic, but it can look cluttered fast For a sophisticated look that encourages interaction, grab a large bowl, basket, or wooden dough bowl.

• The Look: Simply toss your incoming holiday cards right into the vessel.
• The Vibe: When you place the bowl on a coffee table or sideboard, it allows your family and friends to thumb through the cards, almost like a guestbook or a collection of beautiful mail art This is such a warm, inviting gesture.

Option 2: Personalized Ornament Vignette:

A Few of my favorite decorative bowls for decorating.

My daughters have given me these personalized Christmas ornaments for years -they always include a sweet memory, and while they look lovely on the tree, I realized they were always searching them out I love having a second spot dedicated just to these special, memory-filled pieces.

• The Look: Gather all your sentimental, personalized ornaments (the ones with dates, names, or special trip engravings) and place them tightly in a shallow, pretty bowl or on a mirrored tray.
• The Vibe: Placing this vignette on a coffee table or entry console invites friends and family to pick it up and share the memory it evokes. It’s a beautiful way to share your history without having to climb up to the top of the tree!

Elevate Simple Cut Flowers with a Holiday Vase

This trick is my go-to when a room needs an immediate festive lift. You don’t need a professional florist—you need a great container and $15 in grocery-store blooms.

The 15-Minute Hack

The secret to making this look custom is the vessel For this project, I chose a festive Nutcracker-shaped container. I love how it instantly sets the holiday mood!

1. Shop Your Grocery Store: Grab $5–$10 worth of flowers in classic holiday shades (I love mixed pink and red for a softer, slightly unexpected look).
2. The Quick Cut: Quickly trim your stems so the heads just peek over the top of your festive container. Arrange them tightly for a rich, full look. TIP: If your roses are tightly closed run warm water directly over them to open them up.
3. Optional: Add Greenery. If your grocery store bouquet doesn’t include any, grab free cuttings of pine or cedar from the garden. Or pick up a $3 bundle of filler greenery. Christmas greens are perfect for the holidays.

In less than 15 minutes, you have a beautiful, inexpensive centerpiece perfect for a side table, a mantle or a even a bathroom counter.

Add Holiday Sparkle to Everyday Houseplants

We often focus all our decorating energy on the tree, but what about the plant babies we have around all year Your everyday houseplants are already beautiful structures just waiting for a holiday glow This is one of the easiest 15-minute decorating swaps because the plants are already there.

Quick Tips for Festive Foliage

You can use the simplest items to transform your plants into mini holiday vignettes:

• Light Them Up: Drape battery-operated micro-LED lights over the leaves of a large houseplant, tucking the battery pack into the pot’s soil or behind the planter, instantly creates a warm, ambient glow without needing to worry about nearby outlets.
• A Touch of Texture: Tie bows or drape narrow ribbons from the outer branches of your plant for an elegant touch of color.
• Mini-Ornaments: Hang small, lightweight ornaments on the stronger branches I often use metallic balls or delicate wooden shapes so they won’t weigh down the foliage.
• Garland Glow: For a unique and chic look, try a special accent, like decorating an Olive Plant with a pretty brass garland  The metallic shine against the soft green leaves looks incredibly sophisticated.

You can find even more ideas and photos on transforming your greenery in this post I wrote.

Create a DIY Holiday Ornament Centerpiece

When time is short, one of the fastest way to get sparkle into a room is to use ornaments, but not on the tree This tip is all about transforming everyday bowls, vases, and glasses into instant, dazzling vignettes And here is the best news: Any ornament works  Use plastic, glass, ceramic, or handmade clay ornaments—whatever you have on hand.

Three Quick Ornament Vignettes:

The key is finding beautiful vessels you already own and filling them to the brim for high impact.

• Kitchen & Bar: Don’t forget the kitchen I love using something small for a quick festive pop Try filling an empty wine glass or martini glass with tiny, sparkly ornaments and placing it on your countertop or bar cart It’s unexpected and charming.
• The Powder Room Pick-Me-Up: Bathrooms often get overlooked, but they are easy to decorate in a flash. Place a small, elegant bowl full of pretty, coordinating ornaments on the vanity. It’s simple, sparkling, and guests always notice it.
• Living Room Focal Point: For maximum impact, use a large vessel—like a wooden dough bowl, a deep platter, or even a glass hurricane—and fill it with a colorful collection of assorted ornaments  Placing this on your coffee table or entry console gives you an instant, pretty centerpiece that takes just seconds to put together.

Style a Winter Wonderland Terrarium

I adore this tip because it’s decorating on a miniature scale, which means its always quick and easy! The beauty of a terrarium or any large glass cloche is that it instantly creates a little world, perfect for capturing the cozy feeling of winter.

The Themed Scene:

The key to keeping this quick is to choose a theme based on items you already have on hand and build on it Grab a glass container, cloche, or even a large lantern, and follow these steps:

1. Set the Base: Add a little faux snow to the bottom of the container This instantly establishes the “Christmas” look.
2. Choose Your Main Star: This is where you bring your theme to life For a cozy, rustic theme like mine, use reindeer figurines and add a tiny, handmade wreath For a classic Christmas vibe, incorporate small bottlebrush trees in a variety of heights or maybe a miniature gingerbread house or candy cane figures-think candycane lane.
3. Add Some Final Touches: Introduce a few natural elements, like tiny twigs, pinecones, or preserved moss.

Place the lid back on or simply set the container on a tray for an elevated look In a few quick minutes, you have a charming, detailed scene that rivals anything from a fancy boutique!

When in Doubt: Add Festive Bows and Ribbon

This is my favorite tip for creating high-impact holiday style with zero fuss PUT A BOW ON IT Ribbon is the darling of 2025 Holiday trends and, for good reason. It’s affordable, easy to store, and provides instant texture (I’m looking at you velvet), color, and festivity. If you can tie a simple knot, you can master this quickdécorr fix and elevate any spot that feels just a little empt

The Power of the Perfect Bow

This trick works everywhere—from the kitchen to your bedroom—and takes less than a minute per spot!

• Kitchen & Cabinets: Tie small, perfectly proportioned bows for the cabinets in your kitchen Choosing a velvet ribbon makes even the simplest cabinets look custom-decorated.
• Dining & Entry: Use a wider ribbon to dress up the backs of dining chairs, or a narrower ribbon for candlesticks or lanterns. Simply wrap the ribbon around the base and tie a classic bow. This works beautifully on the backs of dining chairs, too!

• The Staircase Swap: Instead of draping an entire, heavy garland, tie large, dramatic bows along the banister at every few spindles. This gives the feel of a full holiday staircase installation with a fraction of the time and effort.
• Doorway Upgrade: Add ribbon to your doorframes Tie a gorgeous bow around the center of a simple, everyday mirror or picture frame near your entryway It adds an immediate, welcoming holiday focal point.

And that’s it! I hope these seven easy tips prove that holiday decorating can be entirely effortless and fun By focusing on small, impactful moments—whether it’s dressing up your everyday plants, styling a bowl of sparkling ornaments, or adding a vibrant bow—you can fill your home with cheer and charm in just minutes So grab a festive container, some printed art, or a spool of beautiful ribbon, and enjoy the season with a beautifully decorated home that never asked you to sacrifice your precious time!

Happy decorating,

-Libbie

More Holiday Inspiration:

I am so happy to join my friend Laura and five other talented bloggers for the Holiday Décor and More hop this year. I’ve gathered all sorts of inspiration, from quick DIYs to full home tours and gift wrap ideas. Grab your favorite beverage and go check out everyone’s amazing projects.

• Laura ofDécorr To Adore | Holiday Décor and More
• Amber of Follow The Yellow Brick Home | Cranberry Christmas Kitchen Tour
• Melanie of Southern Crush At Home | DIY Gingerbread House ChristmasDécorr
• Shelley of Calypso in the Country | Ralph Lauren Christmas Dining Room
• Tammy of White Lilac Farmhouse | Plaid Skates and Sprigs: My Cozy Christmas Porch Reveal
• Missy of Sonata Home Design | Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas