21 Ways to Decorate with Ornaments Besides Hanging Them on Your Tree

The minute that leftover turkey stuffing goes into the refrigerator, we waste no time with filling our house with Christmas decorations to make it cheery and bright. Sure, the tree is the centerpiece, but there are tons of other ways to spruce up the house for the season. After years and years of changing up the tree decorations, we have ended up with quite the collection of tree ornaments. We’re going to try out some new ideas this year and repurpose those ornaments around the house.

If you’ve got an extra box (or 10) of ornaments that you haven’t quite found a spot for on your tree, here’s a roundup of some of the best ways to decorate with ornaments (besides just hanging them on your tree). Check them out in the slideshow.

More Holiday Decor Ideas:

21 Ways to Decorate with Ornaments Besides Hanging Them on Your Tree

Ornament Garland

Load up on those cheap ornaments from Target and make a gorgeous mantle runner.

See the project on Brit + Co.
Vintage Ornaments on a Cake Stand

If you are lucky, you have a box of your grandmother's ornaments hiding away somewhere. While they may not fit on your tree, they can make for some wonderful decor around the house.

See them at Vintage Whites Market.
Picture Frame Wreath

I love this interesting take on a Christmas wreath. Paint a picture frame a bright red and hang a selection of ornaments in the middle.

See the project on A Diamond in the Stuff.
Ornament Advent Calendar

This is a great project for an alternative advent calendar. Sadly, this has far less chocolate than I like my advent calendars to have.

See the project on Home Depot.
Ornament Door Hanger

A festive way to decorate a door without hanging a wreath is to decorate the door handle.

See the project on Casa e Jardim.
Large Ornament Wreath

If you have an abundance of ornaments, you can always make a wreath to match your tree. If you want it extra large, try using a pool noodle instead of the standard foam wreath frame.

See the project on Bliss at Home.
Ornament Vases on a Budget

Find some large glass vases at the dollar store and fill them with your favorite ornaments. Ornament jars all over the house!

See them on Frugal Wife Wealthy Life.
Ornament Lantern

This lantern is perfect for next to the fireplace or in front of the house. Fill up a lantern with some ornaments and lights to lead the way.

See this project on Dimples and Tangles.
Ornament Vases

Just remove the hook, and your ornaments can become cute little vases for your table setting.

See the project on Mamma Papera.
Ornament Mantle

Find all your old candlestick holders and line them up on your fireplace for a fun and modern decoration idea.

See them on Organize Your Stuff Now.
Ornament Pallet Tree

You can't have a roundup without one token pallet DIY. Make a great little ornament tree on some painted up chevron pallet wood.

See the project on Mommy is Coocoo.
Ornament Drinking Glasses

What a cute way to serve drinks at your holiday party! Pull out the hooks and give them a base, and suddenly you can be drinking egg nog and hot cocoa out of a straw.

See the project on Not Just a Mommy.
Ornament Tree Frame

A DIY version of Crate and Barrel's ornament tree frame, this is a great way to decorate a house that doesn't have room for a full size tree.

See the project on Remodelaholic.
Ornament Ribbon Garland

Hang this ribbon of ornaments from your windows for a bright and cheery look.

See the project on Pretty Quirky.
Ornament Topiary

A quick DIY to make an ornament topiary for your home. All you need is a pot, a large foam ball, a stick, and your batch of ornaments.

See the project on Southern Scraps.
Ornament Hot Chocolate

This is not exactly a decoration, but it makes a great party gift. You can make a bunch of these and hang them on your tree and then let party guests take them home as favors.

See the project on Bubbly Nature Creations.
Ornament Tree Mobile

An awesome hanging installation to put up instead of a tree. Just think, no more pine needles!

See the project on Not Martha.
Ornament Window Frame

An excellent use of an old window frame---hang ornaments on it and place it on your mantle.

See this project on The Feminist Housewife.
Ornament Wreath

Another DIY for making ornament wreaths, this one has you wrap a foam wreath frame in ribbon and hot glue ornaments into place.

See this project on Pretty Quirky.
Mini Ornament Trees

These can be made by getting a foam tree shape and gluing ornaments in place.

See this project on Southern Scraps.
Ornament Chandelier

This is a great instruction video on how to make your very own instrument chandelier to hang over your table.

See this project on Home Depot.