3 Big Christmas Decor Ideas for Small Spaces

If you live in a small apartment or tiny house, you don't have to let limited square footage put a damper on your holiday decorating. Learn how to make the most of your space. Here are a few ideas you can try to spruce up your place for some merry-making with your loved ones.

Concentrate on Color

Adding splashes of bright, vibrant color to your home may be the key to transforming it from basic to beautiful this holiday season. You can hang a few colorful ornaments from your windows or cabinets. Purchased or homemade stained glass ornaments look especially charming when hung in the windows to soak up the sunlight. You could also hang some bright red ribbons on all the doorknobs throughout your home. If you have a neutral color scheme for your everyday decor and you choose one or two accent colors for most of your holiday decorating you can create a classy, sophisticated look. You could even add some inexpensive throw blankets or pillows to your couch in your favorite holiday color scheme.

There's no one-size-fits-all color scheme for the Christmas season. If you're not into traditional red and green, you could choose shades that are close to the traditional colors on the color wheel, such as burgundy, wine, teal, or sage. Once you've chosen your colors, you can scan the store shelves for any eye-catching curios that will fit in tight spaces. For a simple yet elegant centerpiece, find a small, clear mason jar. Fill it up one-third of the way with water. Then add small, round glass or plastic ornaments in the color of your choice. Add a white or complementary colored tea light candle on top. You can add a little fresh greenery around the jar as an accent. The result will be purely magical.

Revitalize by Repurposing

Rather than going out and purchasing a bunch of bulky decorations that will make your already small space seem crowded, decorate the smart way by repurposing items you already have around the house. For example, add some festive holiday covers to your existing couch cushions. Or slip some holiday-themed slipcovers over your chairs. An extremely economical way to really add holiday cheer to your entire home without taking up extra space is wrapping the paintings on your walls in Christmas wrapping paper. You can do the same thing with your entire front door to let the neighbors see your holiday spirit on display.

If you have any plants around your apartment you can easily glam them up for the holidays. Simply add small colored ball ornaments, tiny strands of lights, or a few strands of tinsel to their branches. You can even decorate a houseplant in lieu of a Christmas tree.

Miniaturize for Maximum Results

Many apartment and tiny house dwellers love to go all out for the holidays and decorate with the same exact types of items that those with larger homes use. If you're one of those people who wants to decorate the house from top to bottom, just opt for small sizes for the items you use. Instead of a large, full fir or spruce tree, you could select a slim Christmas tree for your living room. Find a corner to tuck it into so it won't be blocking any high traffic areas. If you're going to leave wrapped presents beneath the tree, choose ones that will fit in small bags or boxes. The wreath on your door can be a compact, rustic winterberry wreath. Instead of a large mantle to hang your stockings, you could opt for a sturdy line of twine hung in an unobtrusive spot. Just fasten your stockings to the line with clothespins decorated with a piece of simple ribbon.

When it comes to decorating your small living space for Christmas, let your creativity shine. Whether it's adding a few paper snowflakes hung on strings from your hallway ceiling or spraying decorative ice crystals onto your windows, a few special touches here and there can make a huge difference. So show off your holiday spirit by giving your compact living quarters a festive new look.