How to Get Your Chicago Home Holiday-Ready (Without Breaking the Bank)

Between work, family, and the Chicago hustle, finding time to deep clean your home for the holidays can feel impossible. You want a space that feels warm and welcoming for guests, but who has the energy? We get it—sometimes you need a little help to make your space shine.

Create a Luxe Look on a Budget

You don’t need a designer budget to create a high-end, Ralph Lauren-inspired holiday home. The secret is combining a few quality, textured pieces to create depth and elegance. Think deep greens, burgundies, and velvets mixed with natural elements like pine cones and berries.

If the thought of prepping your home for decorating feels overwhelming, remember that you can always get a head start with a professional home cleaning to create a fresh canvas.

Dollar Tree Finds That Feel Expensive

Velvet Ribbon & Wreaths

Velvet ribbon is a holiday game-changer—it instantly elevates everything it touches. For just a few dollars, you can create elegant bows for wreaths, mirrors, and door decor. Pair them with affordable $5 wreaths for a luxurious look.

Lighting & Ambiance

Ralph Lauren style is all about mood lighting. Skip overhead lights and opt for fairy lights, flickering candle lights, and mini lanterns. These create that warm, inviting glow that makes any space feel special.

When your space is clean and ready for decorating, these touches really stand out. If you need deep cleaning help first, our team can handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on making things festive.

Building Your Tablescape

What makes a tablescape feel expensive? It’s all about layers and texture. Start with a centerpiece bowl and add three elements:

• Pine cone sprigs
• Berries
• Fresh greens (free from your yard!)

Combine Dollar Tree finds with thrifted pieces like crystal candlesticks and charger plates. The mix of high and low creates that sophisticated Ralph Lauren depth.

If you’re short on time to get your dining area guest-ready, consider booking fast cleaning services to quickly transform your space.

Tree Decorating Secrets

For a traditional Christmas tree that looks straight out of a magazine:

• Start with a mix of ornament sizes—oversized ornaments add gravitas
• Incorporate velvet ornaments for texture
• Use berry sprigs and bells for natural elements
• Consider a dramatic bow instead of a traditional star topper

After the decorations come down in January, many Chicago residents schedule a cleaning to start the new year fresh.

Complete the Look Throughout Your Home

Don’t forget these finishing touches that make your entire home feel cohesive:

• Festive doormats welcome guests in style
• Lanterns with flickering candles create warm ambiance
• Stemware and chargers make your table setting sparkle
• Scented candles that smell like balsam fir add sensory luxury

As a local Chicago cleaning company, we love seeing our neighbors create beautiful holiday spaces. Sometimes all you need is someone to clean my apartment first to make decorating feel joyful rather than stressful.

You Deserve a Beautiful, Clean Home for the Holidays

Creating a warm, inviting holiday home should be enjoyable, not exhausting. By combining strategic Dollar Tree finds with a clean foundation, you can achieve that luxurious Ralph Lauren look without the designer price tag.

If you need help cleaning my place before the holidays hit full swing, we’re here to make it easy. Our cleaning services in Chicago are designed for busy people who want their space to sparkle without the stress.

Welcome to Dollar Tree and the Christmas preview. I am so excited for today’s video. Ralph Lauren style at a true Dollar Tree budget. This is the best I’ve ever seen the store. We’re headed to Dollar Tree to grab the exact pieces you need to pull off a high-end holiday Ralph Lauren look without spending hundreds. I’m here to show you it’s totally possible and some hidden gems. Today’s video is brought to you in part by HelloFresh. So, sit back and enjoy. The Christmas section is so good this year and I am looking for a luxurious Ralph Lauren styled Christmas much like this. Think deep traditional Christmas colors like greens, burgundies, and even dark blue. Velvets as well as texture, layers, and I just want to have something feel opulent. But we are working with a tiny Dollar Tree budget. But if you come to Dollar Tree right now, they have velvet ribbon. I can guarantee you this is going to sell out this year because velvet style ribbon is expensive. I spent $3 on two rolls and all of that ribbon covered everything I’m sharing in this video. I’m so excited about this. And over here, come here. I love these with a velvet satin bow to put over mirrors, to put in your bathroom, just these little touches around your home. These are very affordable. The quality on these wreaths is unparalleled. They’re $5 each. I take a ribbon and make two looped loops at the top to support the wreath. And then I take a zip tie to connect them all together, set over a hook, on the mirror, or on your door. These look so elegant. Coming up, I’m piecing together an entire Ralph Lauren tablescape. So stay tuned. I promise it’ll have your jaw on the floor. Pine cones and berries are staples for any Ralph Lauren look. These are great from Dollar Tree. When choosing lights, pick a white light and a fairy light is going to give you that dainty look. These are sound responsive lights from Dollar Tree. You get a hundred and they are so quality. But the point is, you don’t need a lot of excess. You need a few quality items that when they’re together, they sing. Also, be on the lookout for these decorative tree topper bows. They’re $5 and the $150 tartan style ribbon. It’s great. I have so many tips coming. First, let’s begin the tablescape. What makes this feel high-end is that when you get close to things, they look and feel real. We want all of this to read really elegant. So, what I’m first going to do is I’m going to grab a centerpiece bowl and I’m going to add three elements to it. The first is going to be these pine cone sprigs. The second is going to be these berries. And the third, I just went outside and for free cut down some greens. And this is going to make all of this look really real when it’s put together. Check it out. Dollar Tree sells glass bowls. I thrifted this one for just a couple of dollars. You could use silver, too. And to create a runner, I’m putting three wreaths together and one wreath around the bowl. This gives it Ralph Lauren depth. The other thing Ralph Lauren is known for are antlers and reindeer. And this year, Dollar Tree has some really cool reindeer that are $5 each. Mix in your Dollar Tree finds with thrifted finds. Okay, these are crystal candlesticks. And these were quite affordable from the thrift store. Dollar Tree also has very similar to crystal candlesticks. And when you have real crystal mixed in with some of the Dollar Tree finds, it’s still going to look high-end. All three of these pieces are from Dollar Tree. I absolutely love them and they are in most stores. Check the candle section, but this is going to make our tablescape look awesome. Stay tuned because the full reveal is going to be worth it when I dress the entire table. Don’t go anywhere. I don’t play around, okay? They brought back the tree Christmas plates. This is a Pottery Barn dupe at an amazing score. All of these items save money, so you can actually spend money on the food you put on your table while keeping the Ralph Lauren vibe. And when it comes to the food that I put on my table, I’m so excited that today’s video is brought to you by the new HelloFresh, a meal kit subscription delivered right to my door. We’ve been trying to eat more vegetables, eat healthy, too, and have portion sizes that actually feed our family. You know me, I love an opulent tablescape. But what I love even more is the new HelloFresh has doubled the size of its menu with bigger portions than ever, including more rice, grains, and chicken in every single meal. They have 15 plus high protein recipes every week. For us, it’s been the easiest way to cook dinner and eat healthy. Today, I’m making a spicy and sweet glazed pork. I actually swapped this out for the chicken to try something new. Their sauces are so good. and take advantage of the new HelloFresh by using my code dime FM at hellofresh.com for 10 free meals plus free breakfast for life. One free meal per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as a discount on the first box, new or returning subscribers only. Varies by plan. Sign up today. Click the link below or use my code dimem at hellofresh.com. These are some products I believe will sell out when it comes to ornaments. This pack is awesome. Now, this is $7, but you get 30 ornaments. This is a very good deal and they have velvet ornaments inside. This is definitely the building blocks for a Ralph Lauren Christmas tree. Subscribe because that’s the next video. I also fell in love with these pink and purple and gold bulbs. Oh my gosh, I could not believe I found this in Dollar Tree. Every year their large ornaments sell out. Now, when I’m decorating a tree, I like to have a few oversized ornaments just to give the tree some gravitas. This is a great spot to come. This is brand new this year. Dollar Tree has a 6ft Christmas tree. Now, this comes in a bright white, which could be super cool. And this comes in a green. 20 bucks is a great deal for a sixfooter. Those were flying off the shelves at my store. And yes, I bought one because I’m going to be decorating it soon. I know, maybe it’s a bit early for Christmas, but I’m super excited I get to show all of this to you guys. Wrapping paper. Dollar Tree now has $3 and $5 wrapping paper, which I’m honestly really happy about because you get more. My four favorites are these. These are $3 each, but you can see the deep Ralph Lauren greens and also the deeper reds. I really like the golds and kind of the tartan look on this one. So pretty. I spent less than 15 bucks on all my wrapping paper this year. To make this look really cohesive, a Ralph Lauren aesthetic would take this plaid pattern and tie it with a red or a velvet green bow. When I’m in Dollar Tree, I do not mess around. You know, this is one of my favorite times of year. They also brought back these bells. Now, this is another product that is selling out. I really like it and it jingled in a pretty way. I have lots of DIYs to come on this channel. Here were a few finds that I loved. I love these Christmas trees with the gold bases. There were lots of options, but there is a secret product you might not know existed right here. Now, I know this has got a lot of glitter on it, but not a lot comes off. And this smells exactly like balsam fur. Think a sensical scent. This smells so much more high-end, the green one does, than any candles I’ve ever smelled at Dollar Tree before. They also have nutcrackers this year. And I really like the glitter ones. These are really cool. This guy, I think, is my favorite because he has a little fuzzy hat. But I think I’m going to go with a non-glittered variety like this guy back here. And then if I want to, I can paint him in richer colors. This would be a really fun project. If I recommend something, I want you to bring it home and be like, “Oh my gosh, Catherine was right and I really love it.” You absolutely have to try the zip tie bow. Give it a double bunny ears. Pinch in the center and then wrap your zip tie around. I also found this lantern for $5. The smaller ones are $3. This balsom fur candle is awesome. Just trust it’s one of their best throws. Great. I feel like it could be kind of fun like in a Christmas tree. Actually, this could be our Christmas tree topper rather than having a star. Yes, they have merry Christmas doormats. Okay, this one is so pretty. Love this. Okay, this to me is the most classic. So, I think this is the one I’m going to go with. Yes, it’s only $5. Okay, this is a really good deal. I really like this one. The mini flickering lanterns at Dollar Tree are such a good deal, too. These are absolutely beautiful and worth the $7 price point. They also have larger lanterns with trees on the inside. And what I like to do is put these at the base of my Christmas tree for an extra glow. But the real hero that reminds me of Ralph Lauren is a flickering candle light. These I cannot believe are $1.50. These retail for up to $50 a piece in other stores. They are quite expensive. The key to a Ralph Lauren look is no overhead lighting. Everything should be candle lighting, mood lighting right on the table, which I’ve got coming up. But you can see how amazing these look from the road. I highly recommend this product. And something else I like to do is to see how really traditional trees are decorated. Take a walk into some of the high-end stores with traditional Christmas colors. These bells were $16 a piece. And Dollar Tree has a very similar dupe for $1.50. I love these on Christmas trees or just on mantels. And be sure to subscribe because coming up soon I’ll have an entire home tour. I wanted this video to just give you a taste of Christmas and give you some inspiration when you’re in Dollar Tree this week or next. Something else that screams Ralph Lauren are berries. I really like these. They have flocked ones and white ones, but these you get 36 pieces for $150. So, I’m really excited to use these. They’re really great for centerpieces with chargers. Dollar Tree also sells amazing chargers. Their gold chargers are beautiful and I like to thrift pretty plates to put on top. Definitely, it’s giving Ralph Lauren. Dollar Tree stemware is amazing. These are the water glasses. And then these are the champagne glasses. And mixed in with some of your nicer pieces. You’re never going to be able to know these are from Dollar Tree. I’ve used these for years and love them. Ralph Lauren is all about depth, texture, and layers. So, I’m going to combine Dollar Tree items with some thrifted finds to achieve that style. Can you guess where it’s from? These clear salad plates are from Dollar Tree, and I thrifted these Christmas tree plates. All of the taper candles are from Dollar Tree, too. They’re great. And I’ll be sure to link down below the tablecloth. Mine was less than $20. It’s a great deal on Amazon and of true quality. And now for the tablescape reveal. I wanted to go full Ralph Lauren in this area. And I think I totally achieved it. I don’t think you’d walk into my home and think that any of these items came from Dollar Tree or thrifted. And that’s the beautiful thing about creating a home that makes you happy. Decorating for Christmas in a traditional way. It is absolutely possible. And I don’t have to spend a lot to get there. Be sure to check out HelloFresh and claim your 10 free meals. The link is down below. Be sure to subscribe so you can see what I do with all of these fun finds. My beautiful friend, if nobody has told you today, you are enough.