How to Repurpose Old Christmas Décor

Don’t you love changing your holiday decor each year? But what do you do with last year’s decorations? And what about all those new styles when you have boxes and boxes of the old style? Well, don’t throw away those old decorations. Here is how to repurpose old Christmas décor to make it look fresh and up to date. See these eco-friendly and budget-friendly options to update old decor.

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Why Should You Repurpose Old Christmas Decor?

The number one reason to repurpose old Christmas decor is to save money. Christmas decorations can be expensive, and many of the latest trends are just minor changes from the items you have in your storage bins.

Some years, everything is flocked with snow, while it’s all-natural evergreens the next year. So it’s important to consider how to update your existing ornaments and decorations before investing in all new decor. With a little creativity, you can repurpose your old decor to the current trends.

If you are like me and love a vintage Christmas style, you may be looking to make new decorations look vintage due to the high cost and low availability of vintage decor.

Finding A New Style of Bottle Brush Tree

I just saw the cutest bottle brush tree and wanted to invest in the new style.

However, I have tons of bottlebrush trees at home, so I couldn’t justify buying more. No, they are not exactly like the new ones, and that’s how they get you! They change them just enough to make you want to throw the old ones away and buy new ones.

Well, I would not be tricked like that, so here’s how I repurposed my old bottle brush trees.

How To Repurpose Bottle Brush Trees

First, did you read my post about 2 Easy steps to Flock Christmas Trees? Well, this method includes those two steps plus one more.

Begin by mixing up some spackling as directed here. Then, add some glitter to the mix. I used a diamond fine glitter, and because I added so much, I had to add just a touch more water.

These are the inexpensive bottle brush trees that I already had at home.

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Once your mixture is a mayonnaise consistency, use a small brush to apply it to the trees. Begin at the bottom and lift the branches to get plenty of spackling on the lower branches.

Continue until you have the whole tree covered with the glittery mix.

Add Berries

When I pull out my Christmas decor, I always find several berries separated from my stems, so I’m using these discarded berries to complete the project. You can pick up a cheap berry stem at the Dollar Tree if you don’t have any.

Place them onto the tree randomly using a tiny bit of the spackling on each berry.

Here is the before and after. Once the spackling is dry, the berries will be secure.

(Posts on The Ponds Farmhouse may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See the full disclosure details here.)

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How to Repurpose Old Christmas Ornaments

If you like to use different ornaments on your tree each year, you may have an abundance of ornaments that will remain in storage. Here are some ways to use your ornaments to add sparkle throughout the house.

Fill a bowl with ornaments and greenery.

This thrifted tureen only cost $3.00 because the lid was missing. However, it’s a stunning display with sprigs of evergreens and mercury glass ornaments.

Hang Ornaments From A Light Fixture

The DIY light fixture has a festive appeal with vintage-inspired shiny brite ornaments.

Add ornaments to your table settings.

For a fun table setting, place a simple vintage ornament on a ribbon and tie it around a napkin and cutlery.

A Few More Ways To Repurpose Christmas Ornaments

• Add them to a ribbon and hang them in windows, from light fixtures, or over a kitchen island.
• Hot glue them to an old wreath to dress it up for another year.
• Paint them with craft paint. Add fun polka dots, stripes, or whatever inspires you.

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Repurpose Vintage Ornaments

This year, I didn’t use my whole collection of vintage ornaments on the Christmas Tree because I only used the red ones. Since I have several and love the vintage colors, I decided to add them around the cloche filled with bottle brush trees.

Vintage Inspired Bottle Brush Trees

I also have some special ornaments I don’t use on my tree but still want to display. Here is a cute snowman surrounded by a greenery candle ring and sitting in a vintage wooden bowl. See this adorable vintage snowman.

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Think Paint When Repurposing Christmas Decor

If you have items that are not in the current color palette for your Christmas décor, consider repainting them to match. I have painted some items three or four times over the years and continue to use them in my décor.

These white bells showed up in a big way a few years back. Last year, they were put into a galvanized bucket around the bottoms of some trees. Here’s what I have planned for them this year.

Spray paint the bell with your new color choice. I’m using Rust-Oleum Hammered copper spray paint to update these Dollar Tree Bells.

I love this updated look, and it will be perfect for another project I’m working on. These would also look great on the DIY Dried Fruit and Herb Garland or hanging on the DIY Shiplap Tree that I shared earlier.

A mixture of the white and copper bells creates a wreath around the vintage European cheese board when mixed with dried oranges and evergreen cedar.

How to Repurpose Christmas Wreaths

Another item I’ve repurposed this year is Christmas wreaths. I saw a beautiful, simple twig wreath with pinecones and a little flocking, and then I remembered that I had a gold twig wreath from a few years ago.

I began by mixing my flocking materials. I painted the twigs and pinecones with the mixture using a small brush. I allowed only a small amount of the flocking to adhere to the preserved greenery.

Here is how I am using the repurposed wreath this year in my home. It looks great with the newly flocked mini trees.

Those We Love Prints are available in the Store.

Add A New Style Bow To A Wreath

Something as simple as adding a new style bow will instantly update an older wreath. This year, droopy velvet bows are all the rage, and you can tie a loose bow and attach it to a wreath.

Here is another wreath that I picked up from a thrift store. It is perfect for adding additional items.

You can add simple pinecones and berries for a beautiful wreath.

This thrift store wreath will also look great with fresh greenery added to the stems. It would be easy to add because you can wrap the existing greenery around the fresh.

You can also combine wreaths to create a stunning display. Here, I have the thrift store wreath wrapped around the smaller wreath from Floral Treasure, allowing the smaller wreath to work in a larger space.

Ways to Reuse Old Christmas Garland

I have several different old garlands with greenery and berries, for example. Here are some ways to reuse an old faux greenery garland.

• Use the garland to fill bare spots in a Christmas tree
• Cut the garland with wire snips and attach the ends with a floral wire to make a wreath or candle ring. Add more pinecones, berries, or ornaments to create an up-to-date wreath or candle ring.
• Update the garland with additional pine cones or fresh greenery to make it fuller and ready for another doorway or banister.

Add Fake Snow to Trees and more.

Even a tired-looking tree can be enhanced with fake snow. However, you can add this easy DIY, No-Mess Fake Snow technique to pinecones, wreaths, and more.

How To Make New Ornaments Look Vintage

Vintage ornaments are so popular now but also so expensive. With this easy tutorial, you can make any new ornament look like vintage Shiny Brites. It’s such an easy process, and this tree combines actual vintage ornaments and the DIY new ornaments. Can you tell the difference?

Cover Old Ornaments With Vintage Book Pages

Last year, I added old book pages to some Dollar Tree ornaments. This craft would also be a great way to add rustic charm to some old, outdated ornaments. Just follow this easy Old Book Page Ornament Tutorial.

Birch Bark Angel

Another recently repurposed Christmas decoration was this thrifted glass angel. This technique could be used on almost any decoration that you want to update. Old ornaments, figurines, or even candlestick holders can all be enhanced with the application of birch bark. See the full tutorial at Easy DIY Birch Bark Christmas Angel: Thrift Store Transformation.

Additional Budget-Friendly Christmas Decor Ideas

• How To Build a Shiplap Christmas Tree
• 5 Sustainable Gift Wrap Package Toppers
• How To Use Fresh Greenery for Christmas DIY Projects
• How To Keep Greenery Fresh

I hope these tips will help you repurpose some of your Christmas items. If you have other tips, I’d love to hear them.

Thanks so much for joining me today.

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