Whether your historic wedding venue won't let you bring in a big installation, or you just want to keep the décor to a minimum, we have 15 totally doable ideas to turn your reception space into a celebration that's all you. 1. Drape the Ceilings It's amazing what a little fabric can do. Keep it formal and elegant with white fabric, or if you're after a fun vibe, opt for a bright color like yellow. Bonus: Take this approach and you can go light on the table décor and still get the same decked-out reception look. From A Rustic-Glam Barn Wedding at Olympia's Valley Estate in Petaluma, California 2. Pick Up Patterned Pillows If you have a lounge area in your reception space (or made one with some rental furniture), get yourselves to a housewares department for some pillows. Find them on sale (IKEA-style) and cover them with your favorite patterned fabric for a few low-maintenance pops of festive color and pattern.From An Elegant Barn Wedding at a Private Residence in St. Helena, California

3. Create an Escort Card Display Instead of the old escort card table idea, create a bulletin board of seating assignments and display it near the entrance of the reception space. Bonus: You won't have guests squinting at tiny tented cards, trying to decipher their table number. From A Kate Spade–Inspired Beachside Wedding at Sanderling Resort in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina 4. Hang Your Flowers Think flowers are just for your tables? Suspending lush arrangements a few feet above your guests' dinner plates is a fun way to create a more intimate space. (This tip is especially handy if you're not so fond of your venue's carpeting—just keep people looking up!) From A Murray Hill Wedding in Leesburg, Virginia 5. Make Chalkboard Signage Chalkboards in a photo booth are pure fun—but they're also a great way to decorate an entrance or jazz up the cocktail bar. Personalize it by thrifting an old frame and spray-painting it to match the rest of your décor. Drape with greenery or a flower garland and chalk away!

From An Elegant Tented Wedding at Pebble Hill Plantation in Thomasville, Georgia 6. Use Table Lamps Create height on those tables using table lamps. Tip: You can skip flowers altogether if you want, but surrounding the lamps with flowers or greenery is an easy way to hide cords.From A Modern Garden Wedding in New York, New Yorkways to decorate your room with paper 7. Add a Sprig of Herbshome decor tile ideas Just because you're having a formal wedding doesn't mean you can't have a little fun with your décor. neat ways to decorate a christmas treeAdd herbs like rosemary or lavender for a fragrant touch on the place settings.cheap 21st birthday party decorations

From A Rustic, Romantic Wedding at Shady Canyon Golf Club in Irvine, California 8. Rent Colored Glassware Instead of pouring your entire reception décor budget into the centerpieces, consider using part of that budget to rent extras like colored glassware—it'll make your tables pop in an instant.From A Country-Chic Wedding in Sonoma, Californiachristmas tree ideas for 2013 pinterest 9. Order Calligraphed Menuscheap easy christmas decorations ideas Rather than printing out your escort cards and menus, take the design one step further with calligraphy. There are different scripts for every type of affair, like traditional copperplate for black tie formal or something more free-hand for farm-to-table chic. Your budget doesn't allow for 200 professionally calligraphed place cards?

Invest in young talent—post the job in your local college's art department and test out a few students for the job. From A Vintage-Style Wedding in Boston, Massachusetts 10. Use a Table Runner That Pops Look for modern table décor inspiration, like this patterned table runner. Rather than having several big floral centerpieces, space them out in smaller bud vases to span the length of the runner (and show off the pattern). This colorful detail will make your rental china pop. From A Buena Vista Farms Wedding in New Castle, Delaware 11. Reshape Your Table Numbers Want something original for your table labels? Think about number presentation. Display your table numbers or names on unique vessels like wine bottles, lanterns, moss topiaries or festive pennant flags.From A Fiesta-Style Wedding in Scottsville, Virginia 12. Make a Family Photo Wall For an easy conversation starter, create a wall of family wedding photos. Devote a row to his family, one to yours or just mix them all up.

Alternative idea: Showcase your (new!) family tree.From A Romantic Old-World Wedding in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 13. Hang (a Ton of) Paper Lanterns We know—paper lanterns are nothing new. But multiply the number of lanterns you usually see hanging in a reception space by 100 and it's a totally different story.From A Classic Garden Wedding in Newport, Rhode Island 14. Mood Lighting En Masse When paired with some dramatic uplighting and luxe fabrics, the addition of tall taper candles turns your space into a magnificent scene of dancing lights. Create a stunning focal point that doubles as a photo backdrop. Layers of different colors and shapes give guests different elements to marvel at. Think about materials that are easily customizable like tissue paper tassles, balloons, garlands of greenery or paper flowers.From A Colorful, Whimsical Wedding at Station 3 in Houston, TexasThe 8 Best Mason Jar Gifts You Could Give Your Child's Teacher The best D.I.Y. home decor projects deliver a satisfying "I did it!" payoff in an afternoon, or better yet, an hour.

The smarties from the home blog Young House Love are all about that—and sticking to a budget.The couple has spent years drywalling, painting, stenciling, and blogging their way through two homes, while millions of readers followed along. Without any formal design training–they both worked at an advertising agency in New York City before moving to Richmond, VA–they've transformed badly dated homes from the '50s and '60s into sunny, modern spaces. And they've done it on the cheap. The Petersiks' book (on named Young House Love) is jammed with more than 200 ideas–everything from rehabbing furniture to customizing a backsplash. Think of the ones we've chosen here as your D.I.Y. call to action: nine impressive projects you can pull off without huge amounts of sweat or cash. "For me, the zero-dollar projects, like hanging a mirror or rearranging furniture, can be the most rewarding," Sherry says. "You get lots of change without spending money, which equals major decorating endorphins."

For less than $10...For less than $10...Give your bookshelf a fashion moment.A patterned backdrop is gorgeous–and so easy. Just measure the space of each cubby and cut a piece of cardboard to those dimensions. (Check the fit before going further.) Using fabric, wallpaper, or even your favorite wrapping paper, tightly wrap the cardboard like a gift. Push it to the back of the shelf: done! 9 DIY Crafts That Make the Most of Those Leftover Bottles From Summer Parties 40 Valentine's Day Crafts You Can Make Using Stuff Around the House 20 Kitchens That Are So Insanely Gorgeous, They're Basically #RoomPorn Beautiful Bins on a Budget The Top 10 Home Decor Trends You Must Know for 2017 8 Decorating Hacks to Make Your Home Feel More Unique 20 Easy Thanksgiving Decor Ideas to Get Your Home In the Holiday Spirit 15 Easy DIY Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids 11 Nursery Trends That Will Make Your Baby's Room the Coolest On Instagram 20 Gorgeous Holiday Decorations You Can Easily DIY