This year is the first year I’ll be full on decorating my house for Christmas. In University, I always went home for several weeks for Christmas, so I never really decorated the apartment. Last year, I had a creative living situation that required me to move out of my apartment and in with relatives for the month of December, so no decorating at that time either.
This year though, my fiancé and I are finally celebrating Christmas in our own home, with our own presents, and our own traditions (that have yet to be developed). Words cannot express how excited I am to have my own Christmas this year, it’s definitely making me look forward to the holidays all the more.
So, since we’re going to actually be around our place this Christmas, I get to decorate! I’ve never really done that before, so we’ll be starting from scratch. The problem is, our place is tiny, so in order to fit a tree into the mix, I’m going to have to get creative with my decorating. I don’t want my place to be gaudy and look like Christmas puked on it, I want it to be tasteful, and in keeping with my current minimalist tendencies. Here’s my plan to decorate for Christmas minimally, but festively, while staying on a budget.
Decorating for Christmas Minimally – Inside
This free 8×10 printable looks great – even from a home printer.
As I mentioned, I really don’t want to just layer a bunch of Christmas themed crap over my current minimalist decor. I don’t think that would look good, and I don’t want to fill up my tiny space any more than I need to. So here’s what I’m going to do:
Swap Out Pictures
I have a bunch of 8 x 10″ frames with various things in them, pictures of my old city, sayings, prints, etc. Instead of putting up Christmas stuff over them, I looked up free Christmas printables and printed out several 8 x 10′” Christmas prints. I swapped the existing pictures out for the Christmas garb, and my walls are instantly, and cheaply more festive, without being cluttered.
Make Use of Vertical Space
Garlands and banners are very pretty, and hanging them on the wall or over windows is a great way to decorate for Christmas without sacrificing counter or floor space. They’re
also easy to store, when laid flat they barely take up any space at all.
Available on Etsy for $28
Get a Small Tree
As small as my house is, it has a vaulted ceiling which makes it tempting to get a good sized tree. Instead, my fiancé and I are going to resist temptation and just get a baby tree this year. It’ll be cheaper, easier to maintain, and take up less space – all good things!
Minimalist Outdoor Christmas Decorations
This year I’m also faced with the unusual (to us) task of decorating the outside of our home as well.
Wreaths
Can you believe I made that wreath myself? My fiancé’s step mother taught me how and it’s really not that hard. There’s a metal hoop, and the evergreen boughs are secured to the hoop with wire. Add a bow and a few lights and boom, a wreath! The whole project cost about $10 in materials. The best part is that when it’s time to toss it, the boughs can be removed and composted, and all that’s left to store is the hoop and lights – taking up very little space and making future wreaths practically free.
Lights
Easy to put up and store, Christmas lights are my favourite way to decorate outside. Do yourself a favour
and spend some time organizing them when
you take them down, resist the temptation to toss them
into a bin all willy nilly.
Use What You Have
Filling existing planters with some evergreens, pine cones, and a couple of Christmas balls or lights, is a great way to dress up the outside of your home, without adding bulk to storage or spending much money.
Christmas Can Be Minimalist and Beautiful
As much as I appreciate houses that are decorated to the gills, extreme Christmas decorating just isn’t my style. That doesn’t mean I can’t get into the Christmas spirit though. By decorating sparingly and minimally, I’ll be able to enjoy the Christmas season without sacrificing space or my budget.
What are your favourite minimalist Christmas decorations? I want to know!