17 Holiday Decorating Ideas for a Merry Small Space

Elegant Wreath Tutorial

This elegant wreath tutorial by Freckle and Wulff will add a pop of holiday cheer to your living room wall. To create, you'll need a mix of seasonal foliage. This tutorial features eucalyptus branches and holly leaves intertwined with sprigs of baby's breath and dried cotton stalks.

Clove Studded Oranges

Life stunk so much during the Middle Ages people had to carry a small aromatic container called a pomander to hold up to their noses to avoid offensive smells. Nothing merry about that, right? These days, a pomander usually refers to a clove-studded orange. It is a traditional sweet-scented holiday ornament anyone can make.

Pam from House of Hawthornes says you do not have to stick with oranges. Her tutorial features clementines.

DIY Pom-Pom Garland

A strand of garland adds a stroke of merriment to any vertical surface. For a colorful burst of seasonal fun, just sew pom-poms onto a decorative cord. You can follow our tutorial to make your own fluffy pom-poms. 

This Holiday Tree is Easy to Paint

For years ​IKEA sold Christmas tree fabric panels that featured a life-size image of the real thing. They were perfect for tight spaces that couldn't fit a traditional evergreen. Unfortunately, the Swedish megastore stopped selling them. 

Good thing, Lucy from Craftberry Bush created a wall tree DIY that Bob Ross (yep, The Joy of Painting) would love. You'll need a canvas drop cloth and a few painting supplies to get started.

How to Make a Yarn Pom-Pom Wreath

Nothing says happy holidays like a seasonal pom-pom wreath. Kellie from Nest of Posies added some extra eye-catching texture to her decoration using ball fringe and felt flowers. Her snazzy tutorial explains how to layer using hot glue.

DIY Twig Wreath

Think a wreath has to be round? Not according to DIY blogger, Erika Rax. The craft loving Londoner with a minimalist aesthetic explains how to create this twig and copper wall hanging. Don't have a hunk of scrap copper? Use ribbon or twine instead. ​​

Alternative Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas

While it's tempting to buy a biggish evergreen and then load it up with a ton of ornaments, a smallish option that's minimally-decorated won't cramp your pint-size living room. Caitlin and Manda, the best buds behind one of our favorite décor sites, The Merry Thought share alternative holiday decorating tips for small trees.

Wooden Dowel Christmas Tree

Looking to replace your fresh cut, evergreen tradition with something that's not made of plastic? You can decorate like a Scandinavian this holiday season with this wooden dowel Christmas tree by Vintage Revivals. 

How to Style a Holiday Bar Cart

After you stock your bar cart, boho décor blogger, Kimberly Duran says, don't forget to decorate it with string lights, garland, and of course flashy gold tchotchkes. See how she styled her quirky swan-themed bar cart on her blog, Swoon Worthy.

Don't Let Pulls and Knobs Go Naked

When you unwrap your holiday gifts, don't toss those adorable ribbons. Next year you can use them to create this cute upcycled mini wreath from Jessica and Mandy over at Little Birdie Secrets.

Easiest Wreath DIY Ever

Here's another easy project from the ladies at The Merry Thought. They used pine branches plucked from their yards to make strands of wreath garland. You can follow their lead using any bendy stem or branch you fancy. We're using rosemary.

DIY a Real Evergreen

Cleaning up pine needles is a prickly chore. But what if you can't channel the holiday spirit in your small space without a real evergreen? Kendra from Kit and Forage came up with an aromatic solution. To keep the needle mess to a minimum, she hung several fragrant cedar branches to create a cute Christmas wall tree.

Create a Christmas Pegboard

A pegboard creates a spot to hang stocking when you don't have a mantel. Rachel from The Ordinary Lovely added one to her living room wall. Each month her family pegs a different display.

Upcycle Cardboard Boxes

Turn those Amazon Prime shipping boxes into something wonderful like a Christmas tree doll house. You'll find the tutorial on Mr. Printables. 

Decorate With Christmas Presents

The merrymakers at Beaucoup put presents to work as holiday décor. See how they dressed up this bar cart for an ornament making soiree. We adore their paper light bulb decorations that fold flat for easy storage.

DIY Holiday Baubles

Marij Hessel from My Attic shares how to whip up a custom holiday display for less than $20. To get started, you'll need a set of clear glass ornaments. You can pick up a dozen for around $10 at most craft stores. Afterward, fill each one with something eye-catching. Think sparkly glitter or colorful candies. Marie reached for an assortment of Christmas greenery. Here's her tutorial.

Turn on the Yule Log

Don't have time to decorate? Turn on the Yule Log.

This time of year nothing makes a home feel cozier than a crackling fire. But you don't need a house with a hearth to enjoy watching a couple of logs burn from the comfort of your sofa—That's if you have an internet connection.

For the last few years, sites such as Watch Yule Log and YouTube (more below) have been lighting up homes with Yule Log cheer. 

What started this seemingly random holiday tradition?

More than 50 fifty years ago, WPIX a local television station serving Metro New York debuted the first broadcast of a log burning fireplace so millions of apartment dwellers could enjoy Christmas fireside. Since that time different local stations across the country started doing the same every holiday season.