Guest Author - Cate Brizzell

Are you feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of holiday decorating? Want to create the Christmas home of your dreams but think you need to spend hundreds, if not thousands, to get the look you want?

Take heart. With a little thought, creativity and personal touches, you can deck your halls for a lot less money than you think.

Take time to plan your theme. What kind of mood do you wish to set? Cozy and warm, or elegant and sophisticated? Whimsical? Cottage? Country? Classic? Sketch out any ideas you may have or items you're longing to purchase.

Think back to holiday homes you've admired in the past. What stood out to you? Colors, collections, individual pieces, even specific food items and yummy smells - write down anything you'd like to duplicate in your own home.

Begin to simplify your current decorating. Go through all your decorations and get rid of any that don't match your theme or you don't wish to use. Be ruthless! Avoid overdecorating by starting with just one or two accents per room.

Choose one or more pieces to decorate around. Do you have a sentimental item that you'd like to highlight? A collection that needs prominent display? A message you'd like to get across to visitors? Put your special item in a central location and decorate around it.

When it's time to shop, purchase high-quality items that will last for years. Save yourself money and extra hassle by ensuring your outdoor decorations, Christmas tree lights, tree skirts, stockings, and other hands-on items are the highest quality you can afford. Consider purchasing LED Christmas lights. They cost more up front, but will last much longer than traditional bulbs.

Consider going "fake". We used to purchase a live Christmas tree and wreath each year. By shopping after-Christmas sales, we now have a very pretty natural-looking wreath for our front door and two beautiful fake trees for our family room and kitchen. The kitchen tree holds our more formal decorations, while the family room tree is perfect for bright lights and gaudy kids' ornaments. With the average live Christmas tree selling for around $50 and wreaths going for $25, you could save a bundle!

Let others buy your decorations for you by putting special decorative items on your Christmas wish list. This works especially well for collectibles and theme decorating. Not only will you save money, you'll find yourself smiling each year as you put out your favorite pieces, recalling the thoughtfulness of your friends and family.

Don't overlook nature for fantastic decorating ideas. Gather pine cones and spray them with metallic paint, or simply allow them to dry. Scatter throughout your home in bowls and baskets. Add fragrant dried fruit and votive candles. Cut a few evergreen boughs to place atop cabinets, tables, bookshelves, and more. Use the boughs to help display pine cones, candles, ornaments or collectibles.

The grocery store can be a great place to find decorations, too. Use fresh cranberries to easily and quickly create colorful holiday accents. Make a great centerpiece by placing a pillar candle on a pretty plate, then surrounding the pillar candle with fresh cranberries. Or, fill decorative bowls with cranberries and votives and place throughout your home. Gather the kids and make adorable Christmas tree garlands by stringing cranberries and marshmallows together.

Store-bought fruit also works well for holiday decorating. Buy red and green apples, pears, oranges, pomegrantes and pineapples. Simply group together on pine boughs or platters with candles or fragrant potpourri. When the party's over you can simply slice the fruit and enjoy a healthy snack!

Above all, keep in mind that holiday decorating is about filling your home with love and the spirit of giving. Colors and trends will fade away, but memories will last forever. Focus on creating simple, timeless decorations that you and your loved ones will cherish forever.