Simple Ways to Decorate for Christmas
As many of you know, a couple of years ago we packed up our family of six and moved into an apartment. It was interesting figuring out how to put a 2400 square foot home into a 1200 square foot apartment, that’s for sure. One of the more challenging parts of this epic squeeze was decorating for Christmas — I couldn’t possibly use all the goodies in my three giant Christmas tubs. Many of my Christmas decorations were too big for our smaller space.
In addition to the space constraints, there was also the problem of my, well, lack of decorating ambition. I loved the idea of crafting up some new decorations, but actually getting my crafty on was another story. Instead of intending to be crafty and fill my apartment with homemade Christmas goodness but failing miserably, I opted to take the simple route. No glue gun, no floral wire, no fabric needed.
Here are three simple ways to decorate a small space for Christmas:
Use canning jars to decorate
Emily talked about this, and I am constantly amazed at all the ways you can decorate with a simple mason jar.
This one was easy peezy. I saw boxes of small colored bulb ornaments at Fred Meyer (near the mini-tree items) and thought they would be perfect displayed in a canning jar.
I love that there were glossy and matte bulbs in the same box to give the display extra interest. There were several colors to choose from.
I also picked up some cranberries in a bag in the Fred Meyer produce department and some 50% off candles in the home department.
I love how some fruit, a candle and a jar come together to make a beautiful table decoration.
I also poured some Epsom salt into smaller canning jars and put a candle on top — Epsom salt looks just like snow and it’s crazy cheap (you might just have some in your bathroom cabinet). In fact, you should search Pinterest to find all the wintery crafts that you can do with Epsom salt (I also just found this sweet craft).
Use stocking holders to hang stockings anywhere
I was fretting a bit trying to figure out how to hang our stockings without a fireplace mantle or without nailing seven holes in the wall (I’m not against messing with the walls, but I’d rather not pay part of our damage deposit on holes that served a purpose for only three weeks). The Halleluiah Chorus starting up when I found these simple stocking hangers.
They aren’t exactly the cheapest option available, but at 50% off, they were an investment I was willing to make (and probably cheaper than the damage deposit hit) and I didn’t have to put any creative energy into it (that all has been sapped by endless laundry and face washing). I hung the stockings from the breakfast bar, but these would also work on a window ledge. These will work for hanging stockings or other decorations at any place we live in the future.
Use tomato cages to make an outdoor tree
I’m sure most of you even casual gardeners have a few tomato cages sitting in your garage or garden shed. Pull them out and make a quick and inexpensive lighted Christmas tree. This is the perfect outdoor decoration for those of you with small personal outdoor spaces or if you can’t staple lights to the outside trim. These would also be a great addition to your front porch decorations.
I used tomato cages and some inexpensive white lights from Fred Meyer (I used white, but I think green would look nice and could be displayed past Christmas).
Start by flipping the cage over and pulling the unattached poles together to make a tree shape. I bound them together with the twist tie from my package of Christmas lights. I used my daughter’s ponytail holder for the other cage.
Start winding a strand of lights around the outside of the cage.
I didn’t attach the lights in any way — just wind it somewhat tight and they will stay.
When you get to the bottom, attach the string of lights to the cage so it doesn’t unravel on you. I used a bread bag tie-thingy.
If you’re moving to another cage to make multiple trees, just feed the strand through the middle of the cage and start wrapping again.
The best part of this decoration is that the mechanics of the tree lights will be unseen at night so you don’t have to fuss too much with the tree’s construction. I couldn’t manage to take a picture that does the final product justice. I wish I could invite you all over to see how cool the trees look, especially from the street.
Need some more holiday inspiration? Check out these two posts:
Or more simple decorating ideas?
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I have collected many ornaments over the years and when you don’t see them very often, I get as excited now as when I either bought it or was given it.
The best and 1st part of our family decorating is the Christmas tree. It is sooooo pretty, and love to bring out all the ornaments bought and cute ones hand made from daughters at school. They think it is so neato to talk about how they made each one over and over again. Then, I just go crazy on lighting up our place and looking for awesome Christmas deals.
I love pulling out all the old ornaments that have been passed down to me. I remember making them when I was little and being in awe of the other ones hanging on the tree.
We like to pack up a bunch of the toys and then put up the tree. Listening to Christmas music is a great way to set the mood, too!
Anything Red and LED is the best! Way cheaper, I can run them all the time with little expense. RED everywhere, poinsettias too.
This year we did my favorite by far–I took my daycare kids to my in-laws’ house and rummaged through “Grandpa’s” wood scraps and he helped us build a stable. We’ll add my wooden nativity pieces so the kids can reenact the Christmas story. It makes it so much more meaningful!
I love bringing the outdoors in: wood, greenery, pinecones. I love lights, they create a special feeling!
I like using my childrens artwork and crafts to decorate, you can string them on a piece of festive ribbon and hang them with clothespins.
Outdoor lights are always my top priority because then everyone gets to enjoy them.
My favorite part is the nativity scene and talking about it with my 2 year old!
My favorite way of decorating for Christmas is our tree. When I was a child my mom started having Santa put an ornament in our stockings along with the candy and other stuff. When I grew up and moved out she gave me the ornaments that had been in my stocking over the years. It was a great “starter” for my own Christmas decorations and they are the ornaments that I hold the dearest, along with some very old birds that were passed down to me from my grandmother. When I place these precious ornaments on my tree each year I smile at the happy memories that are attached to each one.
The front of our house doesn’t have an electrical outlet. So we line the front windows with colored lights (using packing tape.) We get some lights after all!
I love to get out Christmas mugs, have the coffee and cocoa ready and make a stack of all of our favorite Christmas books…this year I wrapped the books ahead of time and each day we open a Christmas book and read it as a family.
We love to go all crazy on our mantel. We use lighted garland, poinsettias, a santa figurine, and stockings to really be festive!
2 words: WHITE LIGHTS!
We don’t have a lot of space to decorate, but I have one counter top between my kitchen and dining area where I display a few Santas that I’ve collected over the year. I added some greens that I wrapped in lights and it is lovely when all of the lights are out.
Putting ornaments on the tree is my favorite. Listening to Christmas music and drinking hot cocoa with my son and husband.
I love to let my daughter decorate her own miniature Christmas tree, in addition to the big tree.
I love a simple greenery wreath on the door and some scented pine ones in the entryway. It gets you in a festive mood as soon as you walk in!
Oops, pine cones.
I love setting up our nativity scene!
Last year I started putting garland and plastic Christmas bulbs in my flower pots on the front porch. I just fill them up around the plants that are still hanging on and then drape some lights around it. I love coming home to the decorated pots.
I love the smell of the tree, garland and wreaths!
I just like it plain and simple with decorations on the tree.
even as simple as a holiday candle burning in our home, puts me in the Christmas mood!
It’s all about a real Christmas tree:-)
My favorite way to decorate for Christmas is with homemade garlands and wreaths! They’re great inside and out! I also enjoy getting out all of the handmade ornaments that I made as a kid, and hang them on the tree with the ornaments that the kids have made. There’s just something so special about hanging my 2nd grade class project with my 3rd and 1st graders’ projects, too…
I love letting my son decorate the tree,all the ornaments may be near the bottom but he us so proud of it.
Christmas has always been at my parent’s house and Mom decorates the tree with ornaments collected over the years. With a 2 year old, we’ll soon be starting our own traditions – can’t wait! 🙂
My favorite way to decorate is let the kids go for it. They range from 3 – 22 so it can be fun and unique.
My girls (12 &14) love to decorate their own gingerbread houses. I love how each girl has their own idea of how you are suppose to decorate them.
I like using candles. It’s even better when I have beautiful scented candles.
I always use seasonal fruit, vegetables, nuts, & whole spices all of which can go into recipes after they’re done serving their decorating purpose…
This year we are decorating with stockings. We had our first child in July and we never did stockings before but now that he is here I hand made our stockings so those will be hung. We also decorated our tree. We don’t normally do outdoor lights. I also like making my own snow globes to put on the fireplace.
We love to cut white paper to fit the window glass. We then fold the paper and make snow flakes. I love the simple and elegant look of snow flake “curtains”. I usually them up until after Valentine’s day, the white reflects light and brightens our grey Winters.
We always decorate the front door with a locally made wreath!
My daughters and I love making our own ornaments 🙂
A poinsettia plant on the doorstep and a wreath hung over the garage.
When we moved into a rental with an upstairs two years ago, the wall seemed so bare at Christmas. I picked up some flat glittery snowflake tree ornaments and with the smallest removable command strips, hang them randomly on the wall all up the stairs. It looks like it’s snowing in the house!
Love this! I have been enjoying letting my children decorate. Let them take some window crayons and draw pics in the window. Paper snowflakes and stars.
I love snowmen!!!! Snowmen everywhere all around the house.
The more, the better!!! :o)
This year, it was putting up the tree with my daughter. This was really the first year she was really into it and she got SO excited to see all of her ornaments so far!
I love anything “vintage-y”! Somehow Christmas seems like the perfect time for memories.
I love taking those cinnamon scented pinecones and hanging them inside of the tree or using them for decorations. They keep there smell forever! Ive had a few bags for years and they still smell great
I love to do snow decor… snow flakes, snowmen, etc. Then i don’t have to take them down right after Christmas. Plus, it may be the only “snow” I see…
My favorite decorations are the cheesy adorable crafts my son makes at day care but when I want to be extra festive I love garland, ornament ball accents and Pinterest has become my new bff for ideas.
I just like to decorate the tree. 🙂
I like to hang stockings and put a few things out that my Mom had given me from years back.
My favorite way to decorate for Christmas is letting my kids decorate the tree. They each get a ornament from their Grammy every year. I so enjoy watching them open their boxes and ‘remembering’ things about each of the ornaments.
I always have lights on the house. I could live without the christmas tree, but driving in at night and seeing the house lit up makes it special.
We let each child pick a new ornament every year, and we mark the ornament boxes with their names and the date. As they put up the ornaments, it’s a great chance to discuss what they liked when they picked the ornaments. By the time they’re ready to pack up and leave home (sniff!), they’ll have a set of ornaments that means a lot to them.