Big Lots is my Dad’s favorite store.  If you know him, you’ll immediately understand why he likes it. He is one of those guys who is super big on value, just like my Grandma, who I know taught him well. She also taught me to never skimp on quality. She was the world’s original bargain hunter who was always so proud to show off her latest find: a cashmere sweater, a piece of jewelry, some home decor. She’d keep the tag on to show me with a big smile on her face. 

Shopping at Big Lots always makes me think of them and growing up in Florida. That is a very good thing because I miss my Grandma, who passed away when Ronin was small. I love it when memories of her flood my heart. Also, now that we live in the Pacific Northwest, and my parents are still in Florida, we don’t often get to see them, particularly during the holidays. 

So, when I was invited to participate in the Big Lots National Decorate Your Home for the Holidays Week I of course jumped at the chance! I mean hello, who wouldn’t want to decorate their home with the wonderful seasonal decor available at Big Lots!? Have you seen their Christmas section? We don’t normally decorate until after Thanksgiving, but when I told the kids we’d start early this year they were absolutely thrilled. They so adore Christmas.

All of us love the look and feel our of home when it’s all decked out for the holidays. John and I have said for years we should start decorating earlier so we can enjoy it even longer. There’s such a beautiful glow and calming energy, when the sparkly decor and twinkly lights make their appearance.

Plus, I’m always so stressed out after Thanksgiving with everything that needs to get done. That last month of the year is a mad rush. So I feel like getting a jump start on our decorating, and spreading it out a bit, means a lot less anxiety for me. I’ll have more time to just have fun with holiday parties and activities. Oh yeah, and Christmas shopping. Ah! So much to do!

So this weekend, John, the kids and I headed to Big Lots for some fun holiday decor shopping. Ronin and Ellie were way too excited about everything we found. Ronin has his “cool dude” face on here, but trust me, he was excited. 

I of course was spinning with all of the adorable decor. I had so many ideas for what we could do, from outdoor lighting and decorations to new and chic ways to enhance our indoor space.

We decided to focus on two areas for National Decorate Your Home for the Holidays Week, our front door/garage area, and a giant window mantle we have in the dining room. 

Of course the kids wanted to pull out the big tree, but I’m not ready for that just yet. So I told them they could decorate their rooms a bit  too and their little individual Christmas trees.  We’ll be saving our big tree for after Thanksgiving. So in the the meantime, I’d like to share some Simple and Chic Holiday Decor Ideas using products from Big Lots. 

Chic Holiday Mantel

 

What You’ll Need:

Bling Holiday Snowman

Snowflake-Shaped Mirror

Hanging Jar Rack

Flameless LED Votive Candles

Shiny Red Wrapping Paper

Red and White Duct Tape

Double Sided Tape

Winter Wonder Lane Shatter Proof Oranaments (45 Count) – Packages of Red and Silver

 

Step 1: Create Wrapping Paper Back Drop.

The first step is to cover the window with the shiny red wrapping paper for a festive back drop. Cut the paper to fit your space. If you don’t have a window behind your mantle, you can still create this affect on a wall in your home. A good tip is to first use double sided tape to position your rectangle of wrapping paper. Then after it is taped to your wall, frame the wrapping paper using red duct tape. 

Ellie had a bit of inspiration and wanted to use white duct tape to cover the mantle, which was originally pine wood. She said it would look like snow, and I just loved her creative addition to the project. After we added the snowman, her idea really came to life. 

Don’t you just love this snowman? His arms and nose are made with real twigs, and his cute hat and scarf are so bright and sparkly.

Step 2: Fill Jars with Ornaments.

I found the cute jar racks in the kitchen section at Big Lots, and thought they would be a darling addition to my mantle. I envisioned filling them with colorful candy at first, but then I discovered the mini shatter proof ornaments in several colors. I purchased red and silver and used only the most glittery/shiny ones for the display.

Step 3: Add Mirror and LED Votive Candles. 

Our final step was to add the remaining elements to our chic holiday mantel display. The large mirror from Big Lots is just a stunning addition. We found it in the home decor section of the store. The glittery LED candles are awesome. I love adding lights or candles to any Christmas decor, and not having to use real candles (with young kids) is such a smart idea. 

Ellie was so proud of the finished product. She really was a huge help, handing me pieces of double-sided tape and helping me smooth out the duct tape around the edges of wrapping paper, among other activities. 

Pump Up the Doorway

Following the festive color scheme we started inside with our mantle, we also found this red “Welcome” mat with snowflakes that I added to our doorway. I love it! Then we decided to amp up our door decor even more.

Wreath Enhanced with Lights

I had the idea to make a wreath for our door out of lights, but as we shopped, I discovered a very nice selection of festive wreaths at Big Lots. As we strolled through the indoor and outdoor lights section, I noticed several battery powered light options, so I decided to use some to enhance this pretty wreath. 

What You’ll Need:

Premade Wreath from Big Lots

Battery Powered Holiday Lights (2 strings)

Step 1: Wrap Lights.

You will be using two sets of lights for one wreath. The first set will need to fill one half of the wreath nicely. Tuck the battery pack under the pine cone or other secure part of the decoration and then wrap the lights. I wrapped the other half of the wreath so that the 2nd battery pack ended up right next to the first. It makes it easier when turning it on and off to be in the same spot. 

Step 2: Hang on Door with Wreath Holder.

Using a clear plastic wreath holder, hang finished wreath on your door and turn on lights. Enjoy the sparkle!

Of course you don’t have to add the lights. This wreath is quite lovely on its own, but I just love the affect at night. 

Stylish Festive Garage

We have this giant white garage, and it is BORING and ugly. So this year we decided to use it as a blank canvas for some holiday decorations. 

What You’ll Need:

Winter Wonder Lane Glitter Snowflakes in Red (we used 10 total, 5 packs)

Winter Wonder Lane 6 Bling Snowflake Ornaments in silver

LED Color Changing Cool White/Blue Star Icicle Lights – 2 Boxes

Command Damage Free Hanging Light Clips – Clear

Duct Tape

Step 1: Snowflake Pattern.

You’ll want to figure out a pattern for how you’ll  alternate the red and silver snowflakes. My lovely assistant was so helpful once again in deciding what design looked best. We used duct tape to securely hold these to the garage door. 

Step 2: Hang Snowflake Lights.

Then my other wonderful assistant John hung the snowflake lights using the light clips just above the garage.

I think it looks so pretty at night too!

 

The kids REALLY wanted to do even more decorating this weekend so we also pulled out their little Christmas trees and picked up some new ornaments just for them. Ellie also got some cool Santa stickers for her wall. They are so excited for the holidays to arrive!

Join National Decorate Your Home for the Holidays Week Nov. 16th- 22nd and transform your home into a Winter Wonderland. Big Lots has everything you need to decorate inside and out, to get a start on the holiday season. Visit BigLots.com/Christmas to view the Christmas catalog for tips, ideas and inspiration.

Just look at the holiday decor selection at our local store! Please Note: Styles and assortment vary by store. 

Also check out Big Lots on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for more great ideas! Do you plan to get a jump start on your decorating during National Decorate your Home for the Holidays Week?