Easy 5-Minute Holiday Decorating Ideas

Annie Schlechter

Between buying presents and cooking the big meal, who has days to devote to decorating every corner of their home for the holidays? But not decorating at all could earn you a reputation as a Scrooge. The happy medium? Deck the halls with these easy holiday decor ideas that take less than five minutes (seriously!) to set up. Tiny touches, like hanging ornaments from the stair railings and adding a festive scent with cinnamon sticks, are all you'll need to decorate your home for the holidays. Here are our favorite under-five-minute ways to set the scene for Christmas.

RELATED: 7 Decorating Ideas to Try From the West Elm Holiday House 2019

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Posts of Christmas Past

Annie Schlechter

For a mantel with extra flair, collect family holiday cards from Christmases past and clothespin them to a long, slim stick suspended between two vases. Arrange them in chronological order and, if you want, date the pins. The display will remind your family of holidays past.

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Hang a Wreath

The Magnolia Company

Try a painted magnolia-leaf wreath this year―and every year. Real magnolia leaves are coated and sealed with lacquer, which gives them the appearance of being trapped in glass and lets them last for multiple seasons.

To buy: From $118, themagnoliacompany.com.

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Step It Up

Annie Schlechter

Show off your most eye-catching ornaments hanging from beautiful ribbons throughout your home. Find everything you need with a one-stop shopping trip to your local CVS.

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Lend a Hand

Annie Schlechter

Pin mittens―either stray ones or pairs your kids have outgrown―to lengths of yarn and display them along a mantel or a bookshelf. You can also hang kids’ striped wool socks or knit hats.

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Darling Clementines

Annie Schlechter

Take several lengths of heavy-gauge wire, knot one end of each, and string through a clementine and a jingle bell (yes, your hands may get a bit sticky). Twist all the wires into a cluster and secure with a large bow. Hang on a stair post or your front door.

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A Pine Idea

Crate & Barrel

Perfectly at home in a modern apartment or an Adirondack-style log cabin, pinecone candles lend a touch of the forest to any decor. This set of three means you can scatter them along the dining table to create a dreamy glow.

To buy: $13 for 3, crateandbarrel.com.

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Bundles of Joy

Annie Schlechter

Try hanging something unexpected on the tree, like a bunch of fragrant cinnamon sticks. You can also leave fresh cinnamon sticks out in a bowl as a simple DIY take on traditional potpourri.

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Sweet Sensations

Annie Schlechter

Fill pretty glassware with sugar and mini marshmallows, then stuff old-fashioned stick candies inside. A holiday display that looks good enough to eat.

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Just Log On

ExperienceInteriors/Getty Images

Here’s one roaring fire that isn’t a huge bother to get started. Simply search "Fireplace for Your Home" on Netflix to watch an old-fashioned fireplace set to (you guessed it!) classic holiday tunes.

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Feast for the Eyes

Annie Schlechter

Gather a bunch of doilies in white and silver and tape them together (or secure with a dab of glue) to form a one-of-a-kind table runner. For an inexpensive wintry centerpiece, fill glass vases and large compotes of different heights with pinecones. Spray-paint the pinecones gold and silver for extra sparkle, or leave them as nature intended.

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Sunken Treasure

Annie Schlechter

It’s no secret that poinsettias can seem like nature’s equivalent of the fruitcake. But they can also make a sophisticated statement. The trick: take them out of their foil-lined pots and sink them into pretty vases.

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Letter Perfect

Annie Schlechter

Put your stamp on a wreath by hanging your surname’s initial in the center. This zinc version glitters in the light.

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Setting Pretty

Annie Schlechter

Turn old holiday cards into place cards. Cut them into star shapes and add tissue-paper cutouts to match; punch a hole, tie with a ribbon, and label accordingly.

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Take a Bow

Annie Schlechter

Finally, a use for those colorful store-bought bows you’ve saved every year―and a project the kids can do. Take a plain paper plate, cut out the center, and stick bows all over it to create a sweet wreath.

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Window Dressing

Annie Schlechter

There’s more to holiday decorating than just the tree and the mantel―consider window ledges and empty bookshelves, too. Place pine boughs in a large vase and hang a handful of ornaments on them. Fill old jars with pistachio nuts, winterberries, or red peppercorns and nestle a tealight on top. Or go for a seashore motif, assembling an array of starfish draped with a length of plain red string.

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15 Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas That Take Five Minutes or Less

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Posts of Christmas Past

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Hang a Wreath

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Step It Up

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Lend a Hand

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Darling Clementines

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A Pine Idea

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Bundles of Joy

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Sweet Sensations

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Just Log On

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Feast for the Eyes

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Sunken Treasure

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Letter Perfect

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Setting Pretty

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Take a Bow

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Window Dressing

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