12 Small Space Holiday Decorating Tips

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Today, I want to share 12 small-space holiday decorating tips. Even if you don’t have much room for holiday decor, you can still decorate your home in style.

this Idea

Decorating Tip #1 – Use Tabletop-Size Trees:

If there’s no room for a Christmas tree on the floor, put one on a table or stool. This adds height to your space and guides the eye upward.

For years, I’ve stored a tabletop Christmas tree in a galvanized container. I have it in a beverage tub I found at the Tuesday Morning store years ago.

I always like to add white netting to resemble snow, wrapping it loosely around the base of the tree.

When the holidays are over, I use this beverage tub to store houseplants.

Decorating Tip #2 – Go Vertical & Layer Decor:

Utilize your vertical space. Below, I used vertical space and layered it on various surfaces at the same time. So there’s more to see, but it’s all arranged in one display.

I put a small table in front of the cupboard and decorated both surfaces for Christmas. It’s a step-by-step method.

You’ll be amazed at what you can fit in your home when you decorate vertically and layer.

Decorating Tip #3 – Christmas in the Kitchen:

I typically choose up to 3 colors for my holiday space and carry them from one room to another to create a cohesive look. This makes the space feel less visually cluttered.

I’m using red, green, and white on my kitchen countertops.

The only truly Christmas-related item in this photo is one of the tea towels. But the green, red, and white color scheme is Christmas-y.

Decorating Tip #4 – Christmas-Themed Dough Bowl:

Corral your small holiday decor into a vignette on a tray or cutting board. Small holiday decor won’t look as cluttered if you combine the elements into a vignette.

Here, I created a Christmas vignette in a dough bowl. Putting decor in one space rather than sprinkling it around more sparsely looks better.

Tip #4 – A Bowl of Christmas Ornaments:

I used an old vintage bowl to hold Christmas ornaments.

I don’t use this bowl often because I love it and don’t want it to break. So I bring it out mostly during the holidays.

I’ve used this same bowl and various Christmas ornament colors in it for years. I’ve also put a candle in the middle of it and wound bead garlands around it.

This bowl of ornaments is also my table centerpiece.

Tip #5 – Christmas Bottle Brush Trees:

If you’re fortunate enough to have a fireplace in your small space home, you’ll likely have a mantel to decorate.

I placed my collection of green bottlebrushes and wood trees on the mantel. Then, I strung tiny lights around and in between them.

Small bottle brush trees can replace larger Christmas trees. If you don’t have much space to store seasonal decor, this might be a better choice.

Tip #6 – Christmas Cookie Cutters:

Remember that many cookie cutters are reminiscent of the holidays. I displayed mine inside a vintage coffee can.

Below, I used a dough bowl for a non-holiday vintage cookie-cutter collection. It feels like Christmas decor to me, so I used it.

Tip #7 – Vintage Jars with Red Berries:

You can use items like Dundee marmalade jars to display Christmas picks. I chose to create a vignette around it using bottle brush trees.

You could also put candy canes, red berry picks, or greenery from your yard in the jar.

Tip #8 – What To Do When You Only Have A Few Shiny Brites:

Use what you have and add it to a vignette.

I don’t have many Shiny Brite ornaments. A fellow blogger sent them to me years ago, and I cherish them. I’ve managed to break a few, but I’m still cautious with the few I have left!

I added three Shiny Brite ornaments in the vignette above. They’re all I have left!

The little tabletop Christmas tree is at one end of my couch on a small side table.

Tip #9 – Elevate Santa Mugs:

Bring your Santa mugs out and elevate them on a cake stand. I used one of my white pitchers in the background.

Red cardinals are often associated with Christmastime, so I arranged my two cardinals in front of the white cake stand holding Santa mugs.

Tip #10 – Christmas Tablescape Ideas:

When space is tight in your home, there’s usually always room for a Christmas tablescape.

I like buying seasonal and holiday salad plates and mixing them with my everyday white dishes. It’s cheaper on the pocketbook that way.

Decorating Tip #11 – Wall Art for Christmas:

I switched the painting above the mantel for something more “Christmas-y.” Wall space is a great way to decorate vertically in a small home.

The artwork doesn’t have to be holiday decor. But this snow scene reminds me of Christmas.

Tip #12: Use Non-Holiday Decor:

You can use red-and-white transferware pieces as holiday decor.

If you have red transferware, you don’t need to buy anything if the holiday budget is tight. Just use the transferware you already have.

Below, I’ve added a small mug, a red votive, and a garland of greenery. These are reminiscent of Christmas, even if what you’re decorating with isn’t traditional Christmas decor.

You can place a miniature mug almost anywhere. Plus, you can use the decor after Christmas.

You can determine what colors you want to use, typically red and green, or white, silver, and/or gold, then shop your home. It doesn’t have to scream the Christmas season to be part of your holiday decorating.

I hope you found some inspiration from these 12 small-space home-decorating tips for the holiday season.