If you’re like me you love a beautifully styled tiered tray and the images are plentiful on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. You can easily use tiered trays for every season and occasion and it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune to do so!! This brings me to some tips on styling a tiered tray on a budget, which is a MUST for me!
Accumulating small accessories
The biggest problem I face when putting a tray together seems to be how I fill the space between my larger objects, such as a small sign or the black and white houses in the above tray. It seems easier to find my larger objects but I often feel the “filler” pieces are harder to come by. These are a few of my favorite finds when it comes to the less expensive pieces that I use year round in my tiered tray.
- cupcake pedestals (I have purchased all of mine for $1.00 in the Target Dollar Spot.) These are perfect to add height to items on your tiered tray.
- artificial succulents (I have had great luck finding these for a few dollars at Big Lots and even for $1.00 at Dollar General.)
- artificial flowers (These may be a little harder to find on the cheap, but always check Hobby Lobby when they are 50% off. It doesn’t take long to build a collection that you can use over and over.)
- 3D wood words (These are PLENTIFUL and can be purchased for as little as $1.00 everywhere from the Dollar Tree to Walmart.)
- small wood signs (These can be found for a few dollars. I’ve had great luck at Big Lots, Dollar General, and Target Dollar Spot.)
- greenery and Spanish moss
- Pom pom garlands (I know these are a tad “faddish” but I just LOVE them and they are inexpensive.
Friends, there are just so many options now in regards to less expensive decor, these are just a few that I have shared!! You can definitely style a tiered tray beautifully for little money!! One thing I do that helps is to start thinking EARLY how I want to style for a holiday. The stores typically put the decor for a holiday out months in advance, so you can look and plan ahead. Among my favorite places to find less expensive pieces are Big Lots, Dollar General, and Target in the dollar spot.
Recycling anchor pieces
When I say anchor pieces, I’m talking about larger pieces that I can change to fit each season. For example, the black and white houses in the tiered tray above. They can easily be transformed with spray paint or I can add a wreath for Christmas.
These little ceramic houses are pieces that I use year round and easily customize for each holiday. As you can see above, I simply used a bead of hot glue to attach spiders for Halloween and then a wreath for Christmas. Having pieces that are transitional are a must and will save you time and money.
Anchor pieces to keep on hand
- ceramic houses, such as the ones pictured above
- mason jars
- coffee cups (these are really popular right now (especially Rae Dunn) and are really cute in kitchen tiered trays.)
- wood bead garlands
- large wood or metal last name letters and/or numbers
- small book stacks (tutorial to make your own)
- small ceramic canisters
- small ceramic pitchers
- large wood tags
- small ceramic plates that are holiday specific (such as the Easter or Christmas Rae Dunn plates)
These are just a few of so many options!! When I’m styling my tray I prefer to place my larger, anchor pieces first, and then fill in the blank spaces with the smaller accessories. There’s really no wrong way to style, as long as you’re happy with the finished product!!
My favorite thing about a tiered tray is that they take up little space, but can add so much personality to your home. I hope you’ve been inspired by some of the tips I’ve shared and that I use myself to style a tiered tray on a budget! Thanks for following along and happy styling!! Don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Angela