2012 Christmas Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces

There's no need to downsize your holiday expectations with a small space to decorate. Our space-saving ideas bring the merriment of the season into even the tiniest corners.

Go Small with Displays

Ornaments have tons of pop -- utilize their glitter and glow for a small-space display. Glue an ornament to a small, round plastic or glass disk. Remove the hanger and tuck in mini blooms or sprigs of berries. Group the vase ornaments on a tray for a centerpiece.

Enhance a Chair

Instead of leaving extra chairs empty, place beribboned packages on, under, and around them for a small-scale version of under-the-tree package bonanza.

Use Window Space

Simplicity is key for small-space decorating. White pillar candles, placed on a silver tray, add elegance to a windowsill. Two faux dwarf evergreens, wrapped in burlap, add a bit of color to the wintry scene.

Decorate with Small Wreaths

Large and impactful are typical design credos for wreaths, but small can be equally as mighty. Hang a mini wreath with a velvet or satin ribbon from shelves or drawer pulls.

Fill a Corner 

Nooks, crannies, shelves, bookcases: All are great spots for diminutive seasonal decor. If there's no space for a full tree, put a single dwarf version -- with a few presents -- on a midheight shelf. In place of lights, decorate with small-scale ornaments.

Fabricate a Faux Tree

If you don't have space for -- or just don't want -- a real tree, you can get the same feel with this evergreen idea. Start with a wide branch; hang on a hook from the wall and decorate with treasured ornaments.

Create a Hanging Window Display 

Look out on something pretty -- a basic painted frame strung with ribbon and hung with ornaments jazzes up a window and requires zero rearranging.

Use Space by the Stairs 

A small table by the stairs is a prominent small-space spot to start your Christmas merriment. Add a little, lightly decorated tree and a modest display to the tabletop. To give the evergreen a bit of height, place in a tall silver vase.

Brighten a Hanging Picture

You've already decorated your home with personal pictures -- give them a holiday touch with a sprig of evergreen. No special crafting tools required.

Use Wall Space

That lovely solid-color wall in your living room? The perfect home for a holiday display. Here, miniature grapevine wreaths add texture to a green wall. We chose a variety of accents -- faux birds, small ornaments, sprigs of berries -- and glued them onto the wreaths before hanging the displays from a length of ribbon.

Add a Tree in a Bathroom

Don't overlook bathrooms as places to add some merry touches. Here, a small corner offers a great spot for a potted tree decorated with cream and blue ceramic bells and glass balls.

Christmas Decorating 2012 Ideas for Small Spaces

Add something new to your standby Christmas decor. Alongside your sentimental ornaments and favorite pieces, introduce an updated centerpiece or a fresh take on stairway decor, and you might find a new decorating tradition!

Add Bits of Texture to a Banister 

Texture can play a key role in boosting the visual interest of a small space. Here, a simple swag of evergreen boughs and three stockings in three different materials spruce up a short banister.

Swap Out Curtains

Think outside the box when it comes to your small-space decorating. In place of everyday kitchen curtains, swap in a few spray-starched Christmas aprons and add a cluster of faux trees.

Create a Tiny Village Display

Tiny wrapped boxes provide a base to a few glittering paper houses that take up very little space. To make "trees," wrap squares of scrapbook paper into cones and glue the edges; cut off the bottoms to be level. For extra sparkle, place the grouping on a silver tray.

Accent Your Kitchen Windows 

Open, airy windowpanes dance with color, thanks to these colorful snowflakes. Hang similar ones in a pattern or at random; add the final touch with a simple swag of greenery overhead.

Use a Basic Tree and One Accent Color 

A bare-bones tree is a treat for a small corner, and choosing just one accent color is a good way to cut down on visual distractions. For the base of your tree, wrap a small box with a dish towel and fill the base of the box with stones (disguised with a layer of pearl-white ornaments) to hold in place. Add a few more wrapped boxes in a variety of papers and ribbons.

Make an Impactful Wall Display 

Old photos are great conversation starters, particularly at the holidays, and this display takes up only minimal wall space. Start with baby photographs; cut them in a circle, mount on foam core, and arrange in a tree shape. Little space, big impact. 
Editor's Tip:
For a great together-time activity, have family members guess who is who in each photo.

Decorate a Tabletop Tree

Even if you have more expansive spaces, a small tree can add charm and whimsy to small rooms, such as an entry. Tuck a small tree in a bright container and string garland and ribbon ornaments as well as a few round ornaments. Include accents that are similarly scaled down, such as small presents or containers of candy canes.

Craft a Mini Tree

There's no need to overdo accents in downsized spaces. Go for impact, such as this tiny twinkling tree, made by drilling tiny holes into a stick and inserting lengths of pipe cleaners.

Play Up Your Dining Room

Look to your dining table to display holiday merriment. A tiny wrapped box offers a warm welcome at a place setting. Best yet? It fits inside a teacup.

Small kitchens that still get the job done...

Chris and I don't have a very large kitchen in our new apartment. It has no windows, but a decent sized pantry - which really helps. Counter space is scant - so we purchased a long, narrow baker's cart at ikea - which was worth every penny. I'm about to stencil the kitchen with a sheen effect - high gloss and matte - in a lovely navy indigo to contrast our beige-pink backsplash and white cabinets. I've been searching through a lot of kitchen inspiration lately and thought I'd share some of my favorite finds...

This painted wallpaper looks stunning.  Our kitchen is going to be painted a very dark indigo - so I like finding other dark kitchens.
via Design Sponge

 Our kitchen absolutely wouldn't work with out our baker's cart.  They are essential for small kitchens.
via Apartment Therapy

via BHG

 Lots of shelving make up for a lack of cabinets.
via Country Living

a puppy in a basket - what else does a kitchen need?
via Rue Mag

oh my...the organization junkie in me gets a bit too excited by this armoire of canisters...
 via Pinterest

love, love, love, love a rug like this in the kitchen. beautiful.  It would look great in our navy/indigo kitchen, too.
via Little Green Notebook

Do you have a little kitchen? How do you make the most of your space?