If you’re like most of us, you probably love Christmas. The smells, the gifts, seeing the family together again — all of it’s a wonderful part of the holidays. But Christmas decorating is another thing entirely.
Some of us are Pinterest-worthy Martha Stewart types. We make amazing DIY decorations and turn our house into a holiday wonderland. Some of us drag the box out of storage and throw up some lights. And then some of us ..well, let’s just say we didn’t inherit the decorating gene.
For those people, the thought of putting up Christmas lights makes them groan. They wish they could just kick back with some hot chocolate and enjoy a good holiday movie. Who wants to be standing on a snowy roof while trying to untangle a thousand tiny bulbs?
Good news: the internet is here to save the day. Lazy holiday decorators of the world are coming together to offer super-easy ways of making your house look festive while putting in minimal effort. No one said it had to look amazing — it just has to get done.
If you love the holidays but can’t stand decorating, join the ranks of these lazy decorators who came up with genius ideas.
1. What they said
Let’s be honest: when your neighbors are this over-the-top about Christmas, is it really even worth trying? You’re better off saving your time.
2. It’s festive AND a cinematic tribute
Do you remember when Clark Griswold famously hung off the roof while putting up Christmas lights? These geniuses made a festive tribute to it…until the police made them take it down, of course.
3. Well, now that Share a Coke is back…
Share a Coke was such a fun campaign. You got to look for your name among the cans. Luckily for us, Angel, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are pretty common names.
4. You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch
For the person who just can’t stand decorating for Christmas, this is a genius idea. It’s still festive with minimal effort — plus it’ll give everyone a chuckle.
5. Who stole Charlie Brown’s tree?
Remember Charlie Brown’s sad little Christmas tree that they turned into something beautiful? Apparently, you can make a tribute to the famous Christmas special with a regular old pine branch.
6. You can’t even tell the difference
A boyfriend and girlfriend had an argument about whether this technically counted as a Christmas tree. You can have whatever opinion you want. I just want to know where they got the traffic cone.
7. It’ll be hard to put gifts underneath that
This Christmas tree definitely didn’t take too long to put up or decorate. Of course, all the presents going underneath it will have to be very, very small.
8. Well, it saves time…
When a woman asked her husband to put the Christmas tree away in storage, she never expected this. He decided to put it away fully decorated to save time the next year.
9. Not everyone’s a fan
Not everyone gets in the mood to celebrate the holidays, but they still feel the pressure to decorate. This honest homeowner had a solution for expressing themselves.
10. You call it lazy and I call it economical
Halloween was a mere month ago, and many of us still have pumpkins on our porches. Just slap a Santa hat on those spooky decorations and call it good.
11. I told you we’d reuse that banner
Not everyone has a bunch of Christmas decorations on hand, but it’s easy to dig out some things used at the last birthday party you hosted. You’ll just have to do a little bit of modification.
12. It’s Jurassic Christmas
Gingerbread houses are beautiful, but they’re also difficult to put together. If yours falls apart, don’t despair. Just toss in a plastic dinosaur and pretend it’s a massacre.
13. Waste not…
As we said, Halloween was just a few weeks ago. If you haven’t thrown out those doorstep pumpkins yet, don’t. Just Christmas-ify them a little bit.
14. Well, as long as everyone’s happy
No one felt like unpacking the artificial Christmas tree in this family, much less decorating it. They came up with this creative solution that seemed like a good compromise.
15. It’s a tree…sort of
When you don’t have a Christmas tree but you have a lot of wine bottles, there’s an easy solution. Of course, you might have to field some questions about how much wine you’ve been drinking.
16. At least there are lights
At least these decorators put in some minimal effort. There are lights, a couple of small ornaments, and a candy cane. But…there’s no actual tree.
17. When you love Christmas but work in a hospital
Medical personnel is on the clock during the holidays, but that doesn’t stop them from making things festive. Of course, some of their ideas are a little bit unusual.
18. The stockings were hung by the, uh…
When you don’t have a tree, you can make one out of painter’s tape. It looks pretty terrible, but at least the kids are happy. You can still put presents underneath it.
19. Work with what you have
On average, a live evergreen tree costs almost $80. One of these pine car fresheners costs…well, less than that. It doesn’t have quite the same effect, but you’re really getting the bang for your buck.
20. Way to be a go-getter
When no one in the office was willing to put up the Christmas tree, one worker took the initiative. That doesn’t mean they took the tree out of the box. That would be silly.
21. How to save time and ruin Santa
When Halloween is over, don’t put that creepy butler figurine back in storage. Just repurpose it as the most nightmarish Santa ever to terrify all the kids. This guy definitely sees you when you’re sleeping.
22. When it’s Christmas but you live in Australia
On the other side of the equator, Christmastime occurs in the summer. Australians usually celebrate the holiday with a big barbecue…while running fans on high to beat that relentless heat.
23. Well, um that works
People who aren’t motivated to get a Christmas tree often come up with some bizarre alternatives. For example, a festive skeleton wrapped in Christmas lights.
24. For fans of science and Christmas
When you’re a chemistry teacher, you can use your classroom equipment to get into the holiday spirit. Just look at the beakers on the tree.
25. They just don’t smell like pine
Apparently, one trend involves putting up a “Christmas tree” made out of washi tape. People come up with all sorts of patterns for them, so it’s easy to get creative.
26. Decorated for Christmas in a snap
Those blow-up yard decorations are popular this time of the year and for a good reason. They’re super easy to inflate — then you’re done decorating.
27. How about a Christmas ladder?
When you don’t want to put up a Christmas tree, try putting up a Christmas ladder. Yes, it might make your guests raise an eyebrow, but plenty of people are turning to this simple switch.
28. This is even simpler
This Christmas ladder is even simpler than the first. There’s no end to the ways you can customize and decorate these out-of-the-box holiday ladders.
29. Well…it’s easy to decorate
Don’t feel like decorating or tired of trying to keep kids and pets off of the tree? Go from traditional to unconventional with a wall tree that looks like this one. It’s a breeze to set up.
30. When in doubt, throw some stuff in a pot
If you’re stumped for simple holiday decorations, don’t make things overly complicated. A couple of decorated pots with plants or pine cones — you’re ready for Christmas.
31. Just tell everyone your kids made them
We’ve all made crafts like this in elementary school. They are actually easy to make and pretty adorable. With a couple of paper plates and some construction paper, you’ll have your home decorated in no time.
32. Martha Stewart would be proud
They say that laundry is the never-ending chore so why not dress it up a little? Okay, this might not replace real holiday decorations, but it’ll give everyone a chuckle.
33. When you can’t find a tree, use sticks
You might not think a Christmas tree made out of sticks would look very good, but you might be surprised. With the right decorations, this simple item is quite charming.
34. Or pallets
Are you one of those people who always has a bunch of wood pallets lying around? Why not repurpose them? There are tons of projects you can use them for, including Christmas decorations, believe it or not.
35. When you don’t want to decorate, just draw
Do you have a big chalkboard and a bit of artistic skill? There’s no need for any special materials when it comes to this simple decoration. Simply grab some chalk and start drawing.
36. Love books – hate decorating
If you have a bunch of books on your shelf, don’t let them gather dust over the holidays. Use a stack of them to throw this adorable literary Christmas “tree” together.
37. Who needs an expensive wreath?
You could drop a bunch of money on a Christmas wreath made of evergreens. Or you could put together this charming candy cane wreath for a fraction of the price.
38. Boom, it’s a Christmas pillow
It’s easy for the holidays to sneak up on us, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have time decorate. To turn your pillows from normal to festive, just slap a red ribbon on them. Done.
39. This construction paper snowman is super easy
If you do one thing to decorate your home for the holidays, focus on your door. This construction paper snowman door is simple yet eye-catching and festive.
40. Pine cones + a bowl = Christmas
Who said holiday centerpieces had to be complicated? Grab some pine cones and throw them into a bowl. If you’re feeling fancy, give them some white painted tips to look like snow.
41. Slap a ribbon on it
When in doubt, turn to the ribbons. An oversized red or gold one is a decoration that looks great but only takes a few minutes to put together. It’s everyone’s favorite kind.
42. Use wrapping paper to make your door festive
You probably still have wrapping paper left from last Christmas. Don’t let it go to waste. Grab the leftovers and wrap up your door for easy and fun decoration.
43. Hospitals during the holidays
Hospital workers get creative when the holiday season rolls around. You’ve seen decorations made out of crutches. Now get ready for a Christmas “tree” made of surgical gloves.
44. Not a fan of the holidays
Excuse me, does Ebenezer Scrooge live here? This person is making use of their Christmas lights — just not in the way that most of us do. But hey, everyone celebrates differently.
45. It’s lazy, but it’s complimentary
When your neighbors go all out on Christmas decorations, don’t try to beat them. Just put up a sign that says “OMG” to express your appreciation of their work.
46. Ready for Christmas, you are
Frankly, this is genius. They didn’t even have to blow up their inflatable yard decorations. All they had to do was set the stage with this festive sci-fi tableau.
47. Cut up a sweater for instant ornaments
If you suddenly realize you can’t find your ornaments, there’s no need to despair. Just grab an old sweater, cut it up into fun shapes, and thread some ribbon through it.
48. Make a wreath out of cookie cutters
You don’t need a traditional evergreen wreath when you can express your love for something else: baking cookies. This cookie cutter wreath is anything but, well…cookie cutter.
49. Direct and to the point
We’ve all gotten to this point with Christmas decorations. Sometimes, you just run out of patience trying to untangle those lights. Call it good and go get some eggnog.
50. Well, that’s cheating
Say what you want about people who leave their Christmas lights up all year. They have the easiest decorating job ever: do it once and never again.
50 times people were too lazy to decorate for Christmas, so they came up with genius ideas
Cedric Jackson
12.04.19
If you’re like most of us, you probably love Christmas. The smells, the gifts, seeing the family together again — all of it’s a wonderful part of the holidays. But Christmas decorating is another thing entirely.
Some of us are Pinterest-worthy Martha Stewart types. We make amazing DIY decorations and turn our house into a holiday wonderland. Some of us drag the box out of storage and throw up some lights. And then some of us ..well, let’s just say we didn’t inherit the decorating gene.
For those people, the thought of putting up Christmas lights makes them groan. They wish they could just kick back with some hot chocolate and enjoy a good holiday movie. Who wants to be standing on a snowy roof while trying to untangle a thousand tiny bulbs?
Good news: the internet is here to save the day. Lazy holiday decorators of the world are coming together to offer super-easy ways of making your house look festive while putting in minimal effort. No one said it had to look amazing — it just has to get done.
If you love the holidays but can’t stand decorating, join the ranks of these lazy decorators who came up with genius ideas.