12 Christmas Decorating Ideas That Don’t Involve a Tree

For some, it just doesn’t feel like Christmas until the tree is trimmed. For others, decorating with a full-size tree is not an option. And that’s okay. So whether you lack the space, the time or the energy this year for full-scale decorating, there are plenty of equally festive (and easier) ways to add merriment to your rooms without a tree. And if you do have a tree, but you’d love ideas for decorating in other rooms, read on.

1. Make Mini-Arrangements with Greenery

Infuse your home with winter’s bounty. Nestle simple sprigs of greenery and magnolia leaves in pretty vases to create a quick and easy arrangement that can go anywhere, from the family room coffee table to the buffet in the dining room. Here, we put them on our Jacque Brackets for instant wall decor.

2. Embellish a Chandelier

Weave greenery through a chandelier or dangle a few ornaments from the arms for an unexpected festive touch. And by going vertical with your decorating, you’re freeing up valuable serving space in your kitchen or dining room.

3. Decorate Your Windows

Decorating your windows is a perfect small-space solution for bringing holiday cheer to your home. Display Christmas cards, hang wreaths or suspend ornaments with festive ribbon over your windows, as we did here.

4. Transform A Message Board

Get into the spirit in your home office or kitchen by clearing your message board to display Christmas cards, mini wreaths or other holiday decor. We think it’s the perfect place to hang our Angel Wings Wall Plaque.

5. Scale Down with a Small Tree

Whether you don’t want the hassle or you don’t have the room for a full tree, there is another option: go smaller. Look for an unused corner or use the space under the stairs to place a miniature tree. Or, put a tabletop version on your dining room table, kitchen island or coffee table.

6. Deck Out Your Doorways

Hang swags of artificial greenery over your door frames for an instant fresh feel that will last through the holidays. Leave them unadorned for simplicity or dress them up with ornaments and Christmas cards.

7. Go Glam with Ornaments

Whether you have a tree or not, think outside the box and find different ways to display your ornaments for extra sparkle. We dreamed up this spectacular one-dimensional tree using our collection of ornaments — and made clever use of wall space.

8. Decorate Your Dining Room Chairs

Here’s another space-saving way to add a festive touch to your room. Think beyond the centerpiece and invite your chairs to the party. We hung simple green wreaths using burlap ribbon for an understated touch.

9. Make a Festive Place Setting

If you’re going to be playing hostess, the dining room table is always a great place to add holiday color. Simple and stunning, this place setting features our Ilex Branches wrapped around a linen napkin for just a touch of traditional red. Add more branches to a vase for a quick and easy centerpiece.

10. Create a Statement Making Mantel

Deconstruct the Christmas tree and reinterpret it into a green, red and silver mantelscape. We nestled ornaments in our greenery, punctuated with Potted Amaryllis. The Lit Mercury Glass Trees give off light, and our portrait of St. Nick tops the arrangement.

11. Bring Out the Garland

Garland adds instant color and texture wherever you put it. Drape it around a banister to create a dramatic focal point near your entry. We anchored ours with Potted Amaryllis in white lining the stair landing.

12. Hang Greenery in an Unexpected Place

It’s easy to go overboard when decorating for Christmas, but you can never go wrong with the simplicity of a swag of greenery. We love to add a little in an unexpected place, such as over a plaque, in a kitchen or over a bookcase.

For more design inspiration, visit our Pinterest Boards, or find more gorgeous rooms in our Photo Gallery.