This Money-Saving Decorating Hack Is My New Favorite Thing

As fun as holiday decorating can be, it’s tough to get creative using the same decorations year after year. You could buy new holiday decor — I’m all for trying cool home trends on social media — but it can get expensive. And if you constantly buy new decorations, you’re likely going to wind up with more than you can use in your home.

Ultimately, stocking up on new finds every year isn’t practical long-term. But that doesn’t mean you need to settle for being bored of the decor you already have. In fact, you can find a pretty creative solution.

This year, I’ve decided to host a holiday decor swap to help scratch the itch of switching up my decor without buying something I don’t really need, and it’s more sustainable than throwing out old decorations. As I’ve accumulated decorations that no longer spark joy or fit my evolving styles, a holiday decor swap offers a chance to refresh my holiday aesthetics, mingle with friends and neighbors.

If you’re also inspired by the idea of swapping instead of shopping this holiday season, here’s what you need to know about organizing and hosting a holiday decor swap of your own!

What Is a Holiday Decor Swap?

You’ve heard of (and may have attended) a cookie exchange, where everyone brings a different type of cookie and you end up with a container of so many different flavors. A holiday decor swap is similar, except it doesn’t require any baking.

Instead, the participants exchange holiday decorations they no longer want or need, like last year’s dollar section finds or the trinkets you once got on clearance in January.

You can approach the holiday decor swap a couple of ways: Everyone can bring one piece of holiday decor and do a one-to-one swap with someone else, or people can bring multiple items and exchange with more than one person.

If you go the second route, each guest will bring at least two or three gently used decor pieces — such as ornaments, wreaths, figurines, lights, and table settings. The key here is that you’re not bringing valuables or family heirlooms to send home with someone else. The goal is for every guest to leave the swap with fresh decor to use for the holidays without spending a dime.

How to Host a Holiday Decor Swap

Ready to swap ‘til you drop? Like any event, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure your holiday decor swap goes off without a hitch. Here are the main things I’m considering as I plan my holiday decor swap this year.

Set guidelines for the swap in an invitation.

Formal hard-copy invites are probably not necessary unless you want to be extra (I’m all for it), but sending digital invites is a good idea. The invites should state the event’s name, time and location, how to RSVP, and the guidelines for the event.

Here are some important pieces of information to include.

• Types of items that are acceptable. In this case, holiday decor you’d still use yourself, so it should be in good condition.

• What size your items should be. For example, they should easily fit in a large tote bag or a storage bin. You want to make sure people don’t bring anything too oversized.

• How much your items should be worth. This helps to keep the swap fair and “worth it” for all of your guests. For example, if you say to bring holiday decor that each cost (at the time you bought it) between $1 and $5, then people will know what to expect.

• How many items guests should bring. Depending on how many people you invite, at least two or three items per guest will ensure there is plenty to swap. Usually, the number of items each guest brings will dictate the number of items they get to leave with, so be sure to keep track of how many items each person arrives with.

Set up the swapping area.

Creating a specific area for the swap will help delineate the items that are up for grabs versus those that aren’t — you don’t want people accidentally snatching the holiday decor you have displayed around your home!

Depending on the size of your home (or wherever you’re hosting), you can set up in a separate room or a defined space in your hosting area. Just be mindful to keep food and drinks away from the decor.

You can use a few large tables to arrange the items; if you don’t have room for that, you can clear a kitchen counter or any space you have available.

Establish rules for your swap.

Your guests likely won’t bring the same number of identical items to swap, so it won’t work exactly like a cookie exchange. It’s something of a hybrid between a cookie swap and a white elephant.

I plan to have everyone put on display what they brought in a designated room and give people turns to browse and choose from the offerings. You can decide to have labels indicating which decor belonged to which guest, or you can keep it anonymous. Your guests should leave with as many items as they came with, so you can use a Post-it or something to write down how many items each person gets and hand it to them.

With the swap display set up, you can decide on a “shopping” order by pulling names from a hat. To make it more fun, you can send in a few people at a time to “shop” so they’re not doing it alone. Set a timer — a couple minutes or so — so they know when their time is over.

To keep it fair, they shouldn’t grab all their items at once. For example, if someone brought two items, they should go through at least two times, getting one item each time. If people bring more items, like six a piece, you can have them “shop” a few times, grabbing a couple items each time — still not all at once. (You can, of course, adjust that frequency to work best for your party.)

When the initial swap is over, people can exchange their “purchases” with one another if they so choose. You can decide to set strict rules on this (like not swapping with the same person twice), or just let people hang out.

If you have people just bring one decor item, you can still go the “shopping” route, but definitely send in a few people at a time so they can socialize.

Final Touches

Since it’s the holiday season, your swap can include drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and music to create a fun, party-like atmosphere.

Don’t feel pressure to go all out, though, because this swap is meant to help you save money during the holiday season. To really make it laid back, have a potluck-style gathering where everyone contributes something.

Further Reading

I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered

I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture