Christmas Decorating Ideas For Small Spaces
If you live in a small home or apartment, finding room for holiday decorations can be a challenge. Whether you’re looking for a small tree or how to decorate your living room, these Christmas decorating ideas for small spaces will help you add holiday spirit without taking up too much floor space.
It is no secret that the rooms in my house are very small so I always have a challenge finding ways to fit in my Christmas decorations.
I absolutely love the Yuletide season. And one of the ways I express that fondness is to make my home look very festive and celebratory.
The tree goes up right after Halloween (if I am using an artificial one), and then I put up other decorations to highlight different locations in the house.
Each site has a coordinated but varied theme that compliments the existing colors and design of the space.
But I don’t want them to appear crowded or cluttered. Which will make the rooms look even smaller.
And my priority is to make sure pathways, surfaces and seating are unimpeded.
I remove very little furniture but I do swap out some table top and mantle vignettes.
My objective is to add festivity without disrupting the functionality in my small rooms. It is easier than you might think!
So here’s how to decorate a small living room for Christmas.
1 | Use a pencil Christmas tree
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For the tree, I use a slender artificial white tree* that is 24 inches in diameter and 7 feet high.
The height makes a vertical presence in the room but it doesn’t take up much floor space. Even with gifts tucked under it, the pathway to the rest of the house is clear.
Since it’s so thin, it fits against a 4 foot long wall between 2 doors
The colors of the ribbons, the myriad of ornaments in various sizes and shapes, and the fabric floral clips echo the purples and pinks of the room décor. Wrapping the gifts in coordinating paper speaks to the room and the tree decorations.
All of this helps it to blend in with the room decor so it doesn’t take up a lot of visual space.
For more details, read about my pink and purple Christmas tree.
Small Christmas trees like this are quite versatile with where they can be placed.
I have put it in a corner of the living room in previous years.
Or between two chairs.
I had to remove a table to fit this tree in. But it is an efficient use of space that allows for a tree that is a little wider than the pencil tree I have now.
2 | Put up a wall tree
To create a Christmas tree that takes up no floor space at all while creating a stunning wall decoration, hang up a wall tree.
I like to put one up in my living room where the gold tinsel branches compliment the gold accents and ceiling in there.
I picked blue, gold and white ornaments to acknowledge the color scheme in the room.
And hung up my prized blue and white ginger jar ornaments. They echo the larger ginger jars that are displayed throughout the room on the floor and another wall.
This tree is unlit but it sparkles whether the floor lamp is on or off.
You can also do a monochromatic color scheme for a more contemporary look.
Or use real evergreens instead of tinsel branches for a more traditional look.
It any case, it looks absolutely beautiful on the living room wall.
And adds a touch of glamor and a bit of an unexpected surprise to that area without taking up an inch of floor space.
3 | Hang garland over A doorway Or window
Another site to decorate that does not take up any floor space is over a doorway or window.
I have an archway between the living room and my home library which I decided to decorate on the living room side with complimentary colors to the gold and blue wall tree.
Here I used a green garland, gold balls and ribbon and my collection of DIY crystal ornaments.
The gold and crystal combination is sophisticated and elegantly glamorous.
It is visible from both sides, and makes a big statement without having any real estate footprint.
For more details on how to put it together, read how to decorate an indoor doorway Christmas garland.
You can also put up a garland over a window if that works better for your room.
4 | Or on a fireplace mantle
Of course, attaching a garland to your fireplace mantle is another way to add festive Christmas décor without crowding the space.
I have a narrow mantle above my electric fireplace in the library which I decided to decorate matching the room colors.
White ornaments echo the white tree, the rug, and the sofa while fuchsia ribbon ties in with the other hot pink accents in the room.
I also replaced some of the pictures on the mantel with white and purple trees, a shiny silvery/gold tree, low votive candles in crystal holders and a tall sparkly golden chalice with another candle.
I have done different variations of this garland over the years.
But having the colors matching the room and keeping the design simple allows it to make a statement without overpowering the small room.
5 | Decorate mirrors and pictures
Hanging a Christmas tree isn’t the only way to add holiday wall decorations.
You can also hang wreaths on mirrors, in front of windows or on the fronts of cabinet doors.
Using clear command hooks is a great way to do this so you don’t see the hanger (and don’t have to make holes in anything).
You can also put up a piece of evergreen garland with a bow at the top of a picture.
This picture is above the mantle so I used the same fuchsia ribbon to tie the scene together.
6 | Add mini tabletop trees
To avoid a cluttered look, I keep the other accents in my rooms to a minimum.
I display hand carved wooden trees on the coffee table. The warm brown tone of the wood enhances the beautiful walnut wavy base through its glass top. I leave at least 2/3rds of the table bare to keep site lines clear and leave a handy surface for a drink.
I have other groupings from my tree collection–always odd numbered like 3 or 5 together.
And made of different materials, such as marble, ceramic and gold metal to add interest.
Fitting them in with other tabletop decorations, such as a lamp or candles makes them look like they belong there.
Avoid the temptation to put a bunch of tiny things on display because they take up less space. What they do is look messy. I like large, interesting, artsy, sculptural things that make engaging statements and command attention.
7 | Light candles
In my opinion, nothing compares to candle light for facilitating a cozy atmosphere.
Along with the votives on the mantle, I have three fuchsia tapers in tall floor candle holders in front of the fire place.
There are also two more in wooden tree-shaped holders on the shelf behind the couch.
I love the aroma that scented candles add to the space.
But be careful of using different odors at the same time. They create an overwhelming smell that can be confusing and unpleasant.
Especially in a small room.
Out in the front porch, I have mostly battery operated candles with built in timers.
These white candles are in lanterns on the window ledges. The largest three are half filled with blue Christmas ornaments to match the surrounding blue and white décor.
A decorative white tray holds a candle vignette with the addition of blue balls and sprigs of garden greenery atop a small cabinet. Simple and effective!
8 | Put out seasonal cushions
Seasonal cushions are another fun and inexpensive holiday decoration that doesn’t take up much space.
I replaced the cushions on the two striped chairs in the living room with white ones decorated with gold trees. Another reinforcement of the gold tree theme.
And that’s how I have created several elegant Christmas decorations in my small living space. I hope you take away some useful ideas.
Other Christmas decorating ideas you might like
- Blue and white Christmas decorating ideas
- Black and white Christmas decorating ideas
- Easy DIY Christmas decor ideas
Or browse all of our Christmas decor ideas.