Infusing your home with the magic and spirit of the holiday season is accomplished in large part by the warmth that comes from family, tradition and sharing with friends. Another element is the seasonal decor that dresses the home for the holidays.

In many homes, the decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving. Garlands and lights are strung outdoors and wreaths and baubles are hung indoors, all to create a festive look throughout the house.

Some homemakers simply cannot resist adding to collections of holiday decorations that have been gathered over time. But this year, budgets may be tight. So we've taken a look at catalogs and websites with an eye to style, whimsy, glamour — and bottom line.

If you buy just a single decoration or holiday accessory, look for pieces most likely to make a statement. None of our ideas sells for more than $100, many items are less than $50 and some won't cost a penny.

Where to start?

"If you're on a shoestring budget, it's all about lighting," says Jennifer Sypeck, director of product trends and development for Smith and Hawken. "Make sure you have lots of lights. You can do that as inexpensively as you want."

Indeed, lights are available from many sources, even the local drugstore. For something a bit more special, check out lights that are molded in stylish shapes or offer additional sparkle. Decorate an eave with a string of candy-cane-striped, bell-shaped cones or wind a string of pretty red faux flower lights around a banister. Both are available from Smith and Hawken.

One of the season's most ethereal light treatments comes in the form of sheer flexible ribbon. The silvery tone-on-tone ribbon glows in front of small, clear lights on a 16-foot strand. It's a little pricey at $45, but used smartly, it can create a fabulous focal point.

A simple accent at the front door is a seasonal doormat, and it sets the tone for the rest of the house. You'll find them with images of poinsettias, reindeer – almost any holiday image you can conjure. Among the seasonal motifs featured on Garnet Hill doormats are gingerbread men, snowflakes and Christmas trees.

Before you decorate, stand back to see where you can create a "moment".That's what Stephen Perfetto, style director of Country Home, likes to call a beautiful vignette, a tablescape or a grouping of objects for design "oomph".

That can be something as simple as evergreen branches gathered from the garden. The scent of pine or fir is one of the defining elements of seasonal ambience. Nestle them in the base of a chandelier (away from the light source, of course) or on a mantel. Then embellish with ornaments in unexpected hues such as turquoise or lime green. In a neutral interior, just about any colour works.

Martha Stewart's Web site (www.marthastewart.com) offers simple ideas for inexpensive decorating. But wherever there's an opportunity for adding sparkle, seize it.

Snow globes long have fascinated children and adults. One that's part of Martha Stewart's collection at Macy's features glittery snow falling on a green tree decorated with golden ornaments and a gold star at the top. The seven-inch musical globe plays "Oh, Christmas Tree" and sells for $100. Another take on snow globes is a bright pair of Santa-shaped salt and pepper shakers, $45 from Neiman Marcus.

Glass ornaments, candlesticks and garlands are dramatic because of the way they catch the light. Mercury glass candleholders in assorted sizes from Pottery Barn are especially elegant this year. In addition, mercury glass ball ornaments in muted colours of aubergine, chocolate, olive, Capri blue and wine red are available through the Wisteria catalog. They sell for $29 or $49 for a set of five, depending on size.

A 5-foot-long garland of glass and brass beads positively glows when stretched along a mantel or buffet table or around a chandelier. Available at Smith and Hawken for $39, the garland was inspired by Victorian beaded pillows.

Pretty beaded picture frames also lend a luxe look on a table in the living room, an entry or a bedroom. Add images from past Christmases and they become even more special. An especially fetching example is a jeweled frame in cranberry with gold accents from Garnet Hill. It measures 5 ¼-inches square and sells for just $20.

Small beaded picture frames can be strung together to fashion a festoon. Another option is to create tree ornaments from photos.

Through the Exposures catalog and online (www.exposuresonline.com), your photo can be transferred onto an oval ivory porcelain ornament in black and white, color or sepia for only $15. For an additional $5, you can even personalize the back with up to two lines of gold script. It comes with an ivory satin ribbon from which to hang it.

Other photo ornaments from Exposures are printed as postcards (either horizontal or vertical) or on four- by three-inch tin ovals or rectangles. The tin is dipped in beeswax for protection. The postcards are $19, and the tin ornaments are $49.

Textiles offer colourful, graphic, nostalgic or lighthearted holiday accents. Traditional holiday scenes often are interpreted in old-fashioned needlepoint pillows. More modern images are available in felt, with colorful silhouettes of reindeer, trees and the like. An example is a reindeer stocking accented with holly and berries that match Rudolph's nose, available for $29 from Wisteria.

Jester-styled Christmas stockings in colourful silk stripes, plaids or polka-dots from Mackenzie-Childs would be the star of any mantel. The 17-inch-long stockings are $75 apiece from Neiman Marcus.

Don't forget the bath and bedroom. Tea towels embroidered with wreaths, trees or reindeer can dress the bath or powder room, and most come in sets for $30 or less. And in the bedroom, consider special flannel sheets decorated with seasonal images to keep you toasty.

But the dining room gets special attention. Add a holiday dish or serving piece to your collection. Among the most attractive patterns to suit the season are bold red blooms and medallions in red on white, available through Target.

Or try a piece from Kate Spade's new Holly Heights dinnerware as an accent plate. It has a delightful snowflake pattern in peppermint-stick red and pink or crisp lime and green on white. Inspired by a Pennsylvania Dutch folk-art pattern, the dinnerware is available from Macy's.

And one more thing: Sypek says there's no need to overdo it. For the most impact, she says, "less is more".

That's good news in a year when beauty on a budget is the goal of holiday decorating.