Christmas Decorating Ideas For Store Windows

We've come back to December again, and tis the season for holiday windows displays. Retail window displays are possibly never more beautiful than now. Retailers go above and beyond to outdo yourselves.

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Anthropologie might just be one of the best at Christmas window displays:

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Anthropologie's windows, though, require the budget of a large retailer.

The good news is: There's no reason your small store can't make equally beautiful holiday displays. You might just need to get a bit more creative. I've put together a list of some beautiful displays you can put together on the cheap this holiday season below. (If you're looking for a list of budget-friendly displays for the rest of the year, I made one of those too! Look over here! )

1. Christmas trees don't need to have leaves.

There's no need to limit yourself to Christmas trees made of real wood, or ones meant to look like actual trees. Many beautiful holiday displays create Christmas "trees" in some insanely creative ways – plenty even incorporate merchandise into the design. Check out these innovative "trees" below:

via Apartment Therapy

This is, obviously, perfect for any bookstore. Use books that aren't selling well to build the tree. You may even want to use some large, hardcover books to push out as "shelves" throughout the tree to display standing books on (kinda like ornaments).

Star "tree"-topper: $4.33

Tape (to keep the star in place): $2.68

Total: $7.01

via two oh two seven

Here's an Anthropologie display you can replicate! It's absolutely perfect for displaying the smaller items that you have around your store (think jewelry and small toys). Keep in mind, if purchasing a boatload of boxes is too expensive for you, you can always do a mini-version of this "tree" for table displays. Final note: I would suggest actually gluing the boxes together, for safety, and for convenient use over the coming years.

Wooden boxes: $2 , $14 for a set of 3 ≈ $66 for 9 larger boxes, and 12 small boxes

White spray paint: $4.74

Red spray paint: $4.16

Silver spray paint: $4.98

Epoxy: $3.91

Styrofoam cone base: $5.99

Total: $89.78 (for a fairly large "tree")

Finally, if you're into building things, I love this display:

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via BWD

To be totally honest, I'm not sure how to build this, but I do think that it's worth including here. The bare wood is very on-brand for an outdoors store. To dress it up for a more glamorous look, spray paint the "tree" silver, and put some sparkle on it.

2. Play dress up with your mannequins.

Mix things up: Don't put leaves on your trees, put them on your mannequins! I talked about putting mannequins in unusual "dresses" a bit in my previous post about displays, but you can really go nuts during the holiday season. Put your mannequins in beautiful holiday gowns made of greenery, Christmas lights, ornaments, and burlap. You should also work your products in creatively. Check out the ones below:

Perfect for a clothing retailer

Perfect for a jewelry retailer

Perfect for an ornament company

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That last mannequin I priced like this:

Bust form mannequin: $69

Twine: $2.33

Burlap $4.53 (for 3 yards)

Christmas greenery: $2.99/each

Total: $135.66 for 20 individual Christmas swags

Without mannequin: $66.66

As a note – if you can't figure out how to do this yourself, you might want to check out this page. They sell instructional packets on how to create these mannequins for $10 each.

3. Board up your windows.

If you're good with scissors, you can create some fabulous homemade holiday decorations. Check out this reindeer scene made entirely with cardboard:

via Etsy

This particular scene costs around $99 on Etsy , but you can make this for far cheaper if you're crafty. You could even do this for free by using the cardboard from the boxes your stock is shipped to you in. Follow this tutorial to create an adorable little cardboard reindeer. You can't really display your products on these light little fellows, so display your usual mannequins etc. around this little scene.

Cardboard sheet: $1.69

Exacto knife: $3.39

Glitter glue: $11.99

Christmas lights: $11.66

Total (for the whole scene): $33.80

You could also make a Yule log scene with cardboard and spray paint. This Pinterest tutorial makes it super easy:

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4. Frame the windows.

No matter what you're doing in the window, you should definitely frame your display with Christmas decorations. Use tinsel, Christmas lights, greenery, or even old fashioned beading, like this window:

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Bath and Body works also got creative with their window framing:

via Maryland Route 5

Tinsel: $6.99

Christmas lights: $11.66

Garland: $16.99

5. Let it snow.

You may live in a climate that doesn't see snow in December almost ever (anyone else in DC?), but there's no reason your windows shouldn't be snow-filled. At the store I used to work at, we'd roll tons of cotton batting into the window and pour inches of this weird sparkly fake snow stuff on top of it. You inevitably finish the project not only coated on the outside with the odd substance, but it would have somehow worked its way into the undersides of all your clothes and into your shoes. Dreadful stuff.

Fortunately, that's not the only way to get snow-drifted windows this holiday season. Check out some of these windows for inspiration. (And look! There's another copy-able Anthropologie window!)

via W. Loves Design

via Apartment Therapy

via C.R.A.F.T.

These window displays are so easy, a 5-year-old can make them. Literally. Every kindergartener in the US will be making these paper snowflakes this season. Check out this post for a tutorial on how to put the snowflake curtain together. To achieve the look of Anthropologie's curtain, work in some snowflakes made of blue paper throughout.

Paper: $3.99/400ct

Scissors: $2.99

Fishing line: $1

Needle: $1.49

Total: $9.47

More?

That's my wrap-up of cheap holiday window display ideas. What are your favorite budget-friendly displays for small stores? Let me know in the comments below! Leave me a picture if you can, as I'd love to see what you've done.