Christmas Party Decorations: 15 Dollar Store DIYs That Make Your Home Look Like a Holiday Ballroom

These Christmas party decorations will make your living room feel like a holiday ballroom, and most of the supplies come from the dollar store. Office parties, girls night, the big family get-together: whatever you are hosting this year, guests remember a room that feels fun and festive. People are going wild for this look online, like this DIY winter wonderland party decor video with nearly a million views. Below are 15 ideas for walls, tables, doors and ceilings. None of them need special skills, just a free afternoon and a few cheap supplies. Which one will you make first..

Christmas Party Decorations: The Balloon Garland Arch

Want one thing that makes the whole room say party? Build a balloon garland. Grab balloons in four colors from the dollar store, like deep green, red, cream and metallic gold, in two or three sizes. Blow them up, then push the knots into a plastic balloon decorating strip, twisting each one so the colors mix. Fill the gaps with tiny balloons and glue dots. Drape it over a doorway or across the wall above your snack table, then tuck faux greenery into the gaps for a grown-up look. It costs about fifteen dollars and looks like something a party planner charged hundreds for. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect start..

You will need: balloons in four colors and three sizes, a balloon decorating strip, glue dots, faux greenery, removable hooks.

How to make it: 1. Blow up balloons in mixed sizes. 2. Push the knots into the decorating strip, mixing colors. 3. Fill gaps with small balloons and glue dots. 4. Hang it and tuck greenery in.

Paper Snowflake Backdrop

Remember cutting snowflakes as a kid? Do it again, just bigger. Fold large squares of white cardstock into triangles, cut little shapes along the edges and open them up. Make them in three or four sizes. Then hang them on clear fishing line at different heights in front of a blank wall or a window. With a mix of big and small, it looks like a real winter wonderland scene. Add a few silver ones made from shiny gift wrap for sparkle. This is one of the cheapest Christmas party decorations you can make, since a pack of cardstock costs a couple of dollars. Put on a holiday movie and cut them while you watch.

You will need: white cardstock, silver gift wrap, sharp scissors, clear fishing line, removable hooks.

How to make it: 1. Fold cardstock squares into triangles. 2. Cut shapes along the edges and unfold. 3. Tie fishing line through each one. 4. Hang at different heights from removable hooks.

Festive Drink Cart

A drink cart does two jobs. It looks gorgeous, and it keeps guests from crowding your kitchen. Clear off a bar cart or a small side table and set up two glass drink dispensers, one with a cranberry spritzer and one with sparkling water. Stack glass tumblers on a tray next to them. Fill little bowls with fresh cranberries, orange slices and rosemary sprigs so guests can dress up their own drinks. Add a small wreath on the side of the cart or wrap some garland around the handle. The red berries and green herbs look so festive against the glass. Who needs a bartender when Christmas party decorations look this good?

You will need: a bar cart or side table, two glass drink dispensers, tumblers, a tray, fresh cranberries, rosemary, orange slices.

How to make it: 1. Clear and wipe the cart. 2. Set up two dispensers on the top shelf. 3. Stack glasses on a tray. 4. Add bowls of cranberries, oranges and rosemary.

Shatterproof Ornament Garland

Plain pine garland gets a party upgrade when you add ornaments. Pick up a few packs of shatterproof ornaments from the dollar store in red, gold and white. Cut short pieces of floral wire, thread them through the ornament tops and twist them onto the garland in little clusters of three. Mix matte and shiny finishes for a richer look. Then hang the garland over a doorway, along the mantel or across the top of a big window. Shatterproof is the way to go here, since guests will brush past and nothing will break. When the party is over, the garland can stay up all season. Isn’t it nice when party decor does double duty?

You will need: a long faux pine garland, shatterproof ornaments in three colors, floral wire, wire cutters, removable hooks.

How to make it: 1. Cut short pieces of floral wire. 2. Thread wire through each ornament cap. 3. Twist ornaments onto the garland in clusters. 4. Hang over a doorway with removable hooks.

Christmas Party Decorations for Photos: A Tinsel Wall

Every party needs a spot for photos, and a tinsel curtain is the easiest way to make one. Foil fringe curtains cost about a dollar each. Tape two or three of them side by side on a blank wall with painter’s tape so they will not damage the paint. Gold looks warm and glam, silver feels like a winter wonderland. Stack a few big empty boxes wrapped in pretty paper in front as props, and tie giant bows on top. Add a small balloon cluster at one corner. Guests will line up for pictures all night, and you will get a whole album of happy memories. It also hides a boring wall in seconds.

You will need: two or three foil fringe curtains, painter’s tape, empty boxes, wrapping paper, wide ribbon, a few balloons.

How to make it: 1. Tape the curtains side by side on a wall. 2. Wrap boxes in pretty paper. 3. Tie big bows on top. 4. Stack the boxes in front and add a balloon cluster.

Charcuterie Board Christmas Tree

Here is a snack that doubles as a centerpiece. Grab a long wooden board and arrange the food in the shape of a Christmas tree. Start with a row of rosemary sprigs at the bottom, then build the tree in rows: cheese cubes, green grapes, salami folded into little roses, more cheese and more grapes, getting narrower as you go up. Tuck small rosemary sprigs between the rows so it looks like branches. Top it with a star-shaped cracker or a slice of cheese cut with a star cookie cutter. Put a pretzel rod at the bottom as the trunk. It is fun, it is easy, and it vanishes fast. Who knew a snack board could look this festive?

You will need: a long wooden board, cheese cubes, green and red grapes, salami, fresh rosemary, a pretzel rod, a star cookie cutter.

How to make it: 1. Lay rosemary in a row at the bottom. 2. Build rows of cheese, grapes and salami that get narrower. 3. Tuck rosemary between rows. 4. Top with a cheese star and add a pretzel trunk.

Velvet Ribbon Chair Bows

This might be the quickest way to make a dining room look fancy. Buy a roll of wide red or green velvet ribbon. Cut a long piece for each chair, tie it into a big floppy bow and attach it to the back of the chair with a small zip tie, then trim the zip tie tail. Let the ribbon ends hang long, almost to the floor, for that elegant ballroom look. If your chairs have spindles, you can tie the bow straight onto them. One roll of ribbon covers about six chairs. When you walk in and see a row of bows lined up, it feels like a holiday wedding. It is one of the simplest Christmas party decorations ever.

You will need: wide velvet ribbon, sharp scissors, small zip ties.

How to make it: 1. Cut a long piece of ribbon for each chair. 2. Tie a big floppy bow. 3. Attach it to the chair back with a zip tie. 4. Trim the tie tail and let the ends hang long.

Glass Vases Full of Ornaments

Got a few clear glass vases or bowls? Dollar stores sell them for a buck each. Fill them with mini shatterproof ornaments in one or two colors, like red and gold or silver and white. Add a layer of faux snow at the bottom of a few for a frosty touch. Group three vases of different heights together on a tray in the middle of the table or on a side table. They catch the light and sparkle all night, and you do not need any skills at all. After the holidays, swap the ornaments for lemons, pinecones or flowers and use the vases all year. Easy, cheap and pretty: the best kind of Christmas party decorations.

You will need: clear glass vases or bowls in three heights, mini shatterproof ornaments, faux snow, a tray.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the vases. 2. Add faux snow to the bottom of a few. 3. Fill with mini ornaments. 4. Group them on a tray in three heights.

Christmas Party Decorations From the Ceiling

Want guests to gasp the moment they walk in? Hang ornaments from the ceiling over the table. It looks like the inside of a fancy holiday hotel, and it costs very little. Tie clear fishing line to shatterproof ornaments, cutting each line a different length. Stick a few removable ceiling hooks above the table and tie the lines on in clusters, so the ornaments float at different heights. Mix big and small, shiny and matte, in two or three colors. Keep them high enough that nobody bumps their head. When the light hits them, the whole room sparkles. This is the photo everyone will post. Ready to give it a try?

You will need: shatterproof ornaments, clear fishing line, removable ceiling hooks, scissors, a step stool.

How to make it: 1. Tie fishing line to each ornament in different lengths. 2. Stick removable hooks on the ceiling. 3. Tie lines to hooks in clusters. 4. Adjust heights so nobody bumps into them.

Poinsettia Balloon Lanterns

This idea has been all over social media lately, and it is easier than it looks. Blow up six or seven red balloons until they are long and a little oval, then twist them together at the knots so they fan out like poinsettia petals. Add a few small green balloons underneath as leaves. In the center, tuck a small ball of battery fairy lights held in place with glue dots. When you switch it on, the center glows a soft warm gold. Hang a few on the wall or set them on a side table. They make a big splash for just a few dollars. Make a cluster of three for even more wow.

You will need: red balloons, green balloons, a string of battery fairy lights, glue dots, removable hooks.

How to make it: 1. Blow up red balloons into long ovals. 2. Twist the knots together so they fan out. 3. Add green balloon leaves below. 4. Glue a ball of battery lights in the center.

Christmas Party Decorations: Wrapped Box Risers

A flat table full of snacks looks a bit boring. Add height and it suddenly looks styled. Save a few sturdy cardboard boxes in different sizes and wrap them in pretty Christmas paper, just like gifts. Tie a ribbon around a few. Set them on the snack table under a tablecloth or right on top, and put cake stands, cookie plates and bowls of treats on them. Mixing high and low makes the table look full and fun, and it gives you more room for food. When the party is over, flatten the boxes or keep them wrapped for next year. Christmas party decorations do not get much cheaper than this.

You will need: sturdy cardboard boxes in three sizes, wrapping paper, tape, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Tape the boxes closed so they are sturdy. 2. Wrap them in Christmas paper. 3. Tie ribbon around a few. 4. Arrange them on the table and set treats on top.

Coat and Gift Drop Station

When guests arrive with coats and gift exchange presents, where does it all go? Set up a pretty drop station near the door. Use a standing coat rack and wrap a bit of garland around the top. Tie a big ribbon on it so it looks festive and not like an afterthought. Next to it, set a large basket or a small tabletop tree with space underneath for the gift exchange pile. A little wooden crate works too. Now coats do not pile up on chairs and gifts do not get lost. It also turns your entry into one of the sweetest Christmas party decorations in the house. Guests will know exactly where to go the second they walk in.

You will need: a standing coat rack, faux garland, wide ribbon, a large basket or crate, a small tabletop tree.

How to make it: 1. Wrap garland around the top of the coat rack. 2. Tie a big ribbon bow on it. 3. Set a basket or crate beside it. 4. Add a small tree for the gift pile.

Napkin and Cutlery Kits

Party buffets get messy when everyone digs for a fork. Make little napkin kits ahead of time. Lay a fork and knife on a plaid napkin, roll it up tight and tie it with a piece of twine. Slip a cinnamon stick or a tiny sprig of rosemary under the twine for a cozy touch that smells amazing. Stack the bundles in a basket or a wooden crate at the start of the buffet line. Cloth napkins look fancy, but paper plaid napkins from the dollar store work too. It is a calm little task you can do the night before while watching TV. Guests will love grabbing one, and your buffet will look organized and pretty.

You will need: plaid cloth or paper napkins, forks and knives, twine, cinnamon sticks or rosemary, a basket.

How to make it: 1. Lay cutlery on a napkin. 2. Roll it up tight. 3. Tie with twine and tuck in a cinnamon stick. 4. Stack the kits in a basket.

Front Door Party Wreath

Make the party start before anyone even steps inside. A big wreath on the front door tells guests they are in for something fun. Start with a basic wreath, real or faux, and wire on clusters of shatterproof ornaments in red, gold and silver. Go bold and use more than you think you need. Then tie a giant bow from wide ribbon and wire it to the bottom or the top. For a bigger look, layer a second smaller wreath inside the first. Hang it with an over-the-door hook so there are no nails. It takes about thirty minutes, and it will make every guest smile on the way in. Isn’t that a great first hello?

You will need: a basic wreath form or faux wreath, shatterproof ornaments, floral wire, wide ribbon, an over-the-door hook.

How to make it: 1. Wire ornament clusters onto the wreath. 2. Fill in until it looks full. 3. Tie and wire on a giant bow. 4. Hang it on an over-the-door hook.

Christmas Party Decorations: Mini Tree Centerpieces

Finish the room with a little forest on the table. Bottle brush trees are a dollar store favorite and they come in all sizes and colors. Group five to seven of them together on a mirrored tray, mixing tall and short. Sprinkle faux snow around the base so it looks like a snowy hill, and scatter a few mini ornaments or tiny pinecones. The mirror bounces the light and makes the whole thing sparkle. Make one big cluster for the center of the table or a few small ones down the middle. These centerpieces stay low, so guests can still chat across the table. What a sweet way to wrap up your Christmas party decorations!

You will need: five to seven bottle brush trees in mixed sizes, a mirrored tray, faux snow, mini ornaments or tiny pinecones.

How to make it: 1. Set the tray in the center of the table. 2. Group trees from tall to short. 3. Sprinkle faux snow at the base. 4. Scatter mini ornaments or pinecones.