Yes, the title of this post is a reference to Pinocchio. Strange, I know, but the sentiment remains: I don’t have a wreath on my front door this year.

Oh, I have my blue glam wreath from last year in my dining room. And I have my straw and stir stick wreath on my mantel.

But I don’t have a wreath on my front door.

This year, I wanted simple. I wanted a little rustic. But most of all, I wanted free. Do you want to know what my Christmas door décor looks like?

It’s a swag. And here’s how you make one—for free.

Find a resource for some evergreen branches. I hear that you can get some from Lowes in their waste pile, but I don’t know. For the past two years, my source has been my sister. Almost anyone who has a real tree will lop off a little bit after they get it home so the tree “drinks” better. And around here, most trees grow in the mountains, so there are some branches that are lower than the rest from growing on a slope. So I took the “waste” greenery and made something out of it.

I took a few branches (I had way more than I needed), trimmed them down so it made a manageable bunch. You want a swag—not a small tree that attacks your guests as they reach for the doorbell. I tied them with some twine (I used bakers twine, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Wrap the twine with something decorative. I used a bouquet wrap I had on hand—you could use fabric, or ribbon, or burlap—whatever floats your boat.

And then, for a finishing touch, hang a large scale Christmas ornament on the swag. I chose this large snowflake. The nice thing about a simple, neutral swag with a wintry ornament is that if I am so inclined, I can leave the swag up for as long as the greenery lasts.

And that’s it. My non-wreath front door décor. It’s just another way I’m trying to keep this season simple—and frugal!