5 Christmas Tree displays for small living: feel festive without cramming your flat
It’s that time of the year again when the summer has ended, the kids are back in school and Christmas is just around the corner.
I adore Christmas, it’s one of my favourite time of the year. I love the decorations, the smell of pine in the house, the lights and drinking hot chocolate (or mulled wine depending on my mood) while reading Harry Potter once again. BUT… living in a big city like London means that I had to compromise on space and get used to small living. I don’t have the luxury of a large hallway or a fireplace where I could display the huge Christmas tree of my childhood dreams.
Every year, I buy a tree that is too big for my living accommodation and I end up regretting after 2 days when I can’t get around my living room without knocking things around.
So this year, I’ve decided to look for a better way to make my home Christmassy without overcrowding it.
I’ve compiled a list of the 5 best Christmas tree displays I could find to save space while still feeling that Christmas warmth.
Image by enjoyourhome.blogspot.com
1- Christmas in a vase
You can create a lovely Christmas tree by arranging branches in a large vase and decorating them the way you would your regular tree.
If you put them in water, the branches won’t dry up and will stay fresh for the whole holiday season, bringing that gentle scent of Christmas into your life.
You can easily move the vase around your home if you need to or use it as a centrepiece on your Christmas table. This makes it particularly good for a small flat where every inch counts.
It’s also harder for you pets to get to the branches if they are on a dresser or a table.
For a more modern look, you can mix in eucalyptus branches, tree branches or rosemary twigs.
A few baubles, some Christmas lights and you are set for a festive Christmas, cosy at home.
Plant stand and side tables from A Softer Edge
2- Make good use of height
Use a plant stand or side table to make use of height and free up some floor space, desperately needed in a small apartment, especially around Christmas.
This range of plant stands and side tables are particularly good because they can fit in small corners and can also be used to display gifts.
The copper frame feels very festive and adds some warmth to the overall feel of your Christmas display. You can choose the tile/tray colour to fit your interior and after Christmas you can easily make use of them with plants, lamps or even to store your home bar.
You can also include your existing plants in your Christmas display, mixing texture and colours for a more whimsical look.
Image by jonesdesigncompany.com
3- Wreath wall hanging
I absolutely adore this idea. So gorgeous !!!
Create or buy Christmas wreaths you can display on the wall, like you would a piece of art.
This is a very pretty option if you don’t mind sacrificing the traditional tree shape. It’s also really easy to display. You can just replace one of your print or painting during the holiday period and put them back in place afterwards.
Alternatively you could keep it on your wall all year long but decorate it with fairy light and small baubles and garlands around Christmas time.
If you are all about DIY, here is a tutorial to teach how to make your own wreaths from aliceandlois.com
I make one each year to put on my front door. It’s really satisfying and a lot easier than you think.
4- Use a corner
This is so clever, I’m really excited about it and I really want to try it in my flat.
Use a wall corner and make your own little tree by attaching branches, fake or real, to the wall, recreating the shape of a Christmas tree.
I’m guessing they’ve used double sided tape or glue dots to attach the the light and fake branches their the wall.
It’s such a good use of dead space and the result is very effective.
You can imagine dressing it up with presents on Christmas morning and never even noticing that it’s not a real tree 😉
Top left: photo by Chris Warnes for Australian Home and Garden magazine ; Top right: grandinroad.com ; Bottom left: luminart.pt ; Bottom right: coxandcox.co.uk
5- Create a 2D tree
There are a few effective ways to your create a 2D tree on one of your walls.
My favourite is by using long Christmas light and attaching it to a wall in the shape of a tree. I find it very elegant and simple but very pretty and warm. All you need is to be near a plug.
You can create a small or large tree depending on the space available to you.
Alternatively you can also use twigs or branches to create a similar effect, effectively turning your 3D tree into a flat pack one.
For the crafty at heart, I found this really cool tutorial on how to make a wall flat Christmas tree from lilyardor.com
What a fun holiday project!!
I hope this little article gave you a few ideas on how to create a warm Christmas display even in the smallest of flats.
For more interior design tip for small living, subscribe to the newsletter or check out the blog