How to Decorate for Christmas in a Small Home

I find things get a little crazy around Christmas season, where bigger seems best and everyone is rushing around buying anything and everything as fast as they can.  This is a season where at times, I do get a pang of envy when I see big living rooms with large trees by bay windows but I know that right now this small space is right for us, even if it doesn't allow for a 7ft tree. We are still able to have a small tree full of loved ornaments, Christmas music playing on the stereo and a room full of love (gosh that sounds cheesy but really isn't Christmas the best kind of cheesy anyway?).  If you are in a small space too and feeling that you can't get as festive as you want to, see below for a few ways I have found that work for adding Christmas cheer to small homes:

Decorate what you have - Hang lights on your walls or ceilings. Put a garland on a mirror. I usually draw something festive on the chalkboard wall and put a Christmas message on the letter board. Because small spaces become easily cluttered focus on adding a bit of Christmas charm to what you already own rather than trying to find the room for many and larger decorations. 

Choose a small skinny tree - I've found an alpine fir to be a good option for a somewhat tall and skinny tree.  We only have one spot in our home that can accommodate a tree, just to the right of our sideboard in the living room.  I try to get as tall a tree as possible without exceeding about 2' in diameter, this year it is about 5' tall.

Have an alternative tree - Before Theo became a toddler and enamoured with Christmas trees I always made an alternative tree, a branch, greenery on the wall or table top tree. It's a great way to have Christmas spirit without the actual space a tree takes up.

Bring the outdoors inside - a real tree, fresh garland, greenery in a vase or a fresh wreath are all ways to decorate that smell great and fill up a small space in the best way.  I'm loving juniper and cedar berries this year.

Use your vertical space - don't forget to hang lights high or put decorations up in unexpected places away from busy hands.

A little goes a long way - I always have to remind myself that in a small space a little decoration does go a long way, as you can usually see it from most parts of the home.  Pick a couple of spots to make festive and leave the rest.