ALDI Deck-Out Contest 2026: Win $10,000 in Gift Cards

Your holiday decorating could earn more than compliments this year. The ALDI Deck-Out Contest 2026 invites eligible fans to show their ALDI enthusiasm through an indoor or outdoor holiday display.

One grand prize includes $10,000 in ALDI gift cards, a holiday food spread and a trophy. Up to ten honorable mention winners can receive smaller prize packages.

This is a judged decorating contest. Entering requires original photographs and a short explanation of your display, rather than simply filling in a form for a random drawing.

View the ALDI Deck-Out contest and official rules

What are the ALDI Deck-Out prizes?

One grand prize: approximate value $10,400

• $10,000 worth of ALDI gift cards.
• A spread of holiday-themed foods.
• A custom trophy.

Up to ten honorable mentions: approximate value $1,250 each

• $1,000 worth of ALDI gift cards.
• A spread of ALDI holiday-themed foods.

If all ten honorable mention packages are awarded, the combined advertised prize value is $22,900. The rules say “up to” ten honorable mentions, so the maximum should not be described as eleven guaranteed winners.

The gift cards are not a cash payment. Specific prize components and any permitted substitutions remain subject to the sponsor’s terms.

Who is eligible to enter?

Entrants must be at least 18 years old and legal residents of an eligible area within the contiguous 48 United States or Washington, D.C.

Excluded states: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Alaska and Hawaii are also outside the eligible territory because the rules specify the contiguous states.

Previous winners of the ALDI Quarter Club Contest and ALDI Honor Roll Contest cannot enter or win. Employees of the sponsor, administrator and other specified organizations, together with certain family and household members, are also excluded.

Check eligibility before spending time preparing a display or taking photographs.

What do you need to submit?

Complete the registration form and provide both parts of the creative entry:

• One or two photographs showing your residence’s indoor or outdoor ALDI holiday-themed décor.
• An English essay of 100 words or fewer explaining the inspiration behind the décor.

There is a limit of one entry per person and email address. Using additional email accounts to enter again can lead to disqualification.

No purchase is necessary. The sponsor encourages using items purchased from ALDI, but explicitly states that doing so is not required.

How are the winners selected?

A sponsor-selected judging panel evaluates eligible entries using four weighted criteria:

• Best Overall Holiday Design: 35%.
• Brand Enthusiasm: 30%.
• Essay Sincerity: 20%.
• Uniqueness: 15%.

Tied entries are judged again using Best Overall Holiday Design alone.

The practical implication is that the explanation matters alongside the photographs. A clear account of your actual inspiration is more relevant to the published criteria than a generic holiday slogan. There is no published formula promising that a larger display or a bigger shopping bill will win.

Originality and AI restrictions

The rules require your original work and expressly exclude the use of artificial intelligence or modification of an original work from qualifying as original work. Create your own submission and follow the complete restrictions before uploading anything.

The entry must not have been submitted previously to another giveaway or promotion. The rules also restrict prior public exhibition or sharing beyond your immediate circle of friends and family.

Do not assume a display already posted publicly on social media is eligible. Likewise, do not use a generated promotional image or a copied essay as your contest submission.

Check the scene before taking your photographs

The rules restrict third-party branding, competitors, personal information and representations of other people. Review the full entry requirements before photographing your space.

As a practical check, inspect the background for unrelated packaging, visible addresses, photographs of people or other details that could conflict with those restrictions. Frame the actual display clearly and avoid adding unrelated content.

Outdoor displays must comply with applicable property, condominium, co-op or homeowners association rules. If you are not the owner or primary resident, obtain any necessary permission before decorating.

When does the contest end?

The contest opens November 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time and closes November 22, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

The closing time is 10:59 p.m. Central, 9:59 p.m. Mountain and 8:59 p.m. Pacific on November 22. Those conversions describe the same deadline; they do not change the state eligibility restrictions.

Allow time to prepare the essay, select your photographs and complete the form. Proof that you attempted to submit is not necessarily proof that the sponsor received a valid entry.

How will potential winners be contacted?

Potential winners are initially contacted by email and must respond within the deadline provided. Required eligibility, liability, publicity and rights documents must be returned within three days of the notification attempt, except where prohibited.

The potential grand prize winner will undergo a background check; honorable mention candidates may also be checked. Selection remains conditional until eligibility and the required verification are complete.

Use an email address you monitor, check its spam folder and keep enough mailbox space available for messages.

Prize taxes and submission rights

Winners are responsible for applicable taxes and expenses not included in the prize. The rules state that the grand prize winner will receive a tax form for the actual value awarded.

Entering also grants extensive rights to use the submitted material and specified personal content for promotional and commercial purposes without additional payment. Read the Release and Grant of Rights section before deciding whether to submit.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a random sweepstakes?

No. A judging panel selects winners using the published design, enthusiasm, sincerity and uniqueness criteria.

Do I have to buy ALDI decorations?

No. ALDI-purchased items are encouraged, but purchasing them is not required to enter.

Can I submit only an essay?

No. The entry requires photographs of the qualifying décor as well as the short English essay.

Can I enter every day?

No. The limit is one entry per person and email address for the contest.

Is the $10,000 prize paid in cash?

No. That part of the grand prize is awarded in ALDI gift cards.

Official rules and more opportunities

Visit ALDI Deck-Out and open Official Rules for complete submission, eligibility and prize conditions.

Browse Double Deal’s giveaway and contest guides to compare other opportunities before choosing where to spend your time.

Last verified: November 10, 2026. This guide was checked against the ALDI Deck-Out website and its official rules. No contest entry was created or submitted.