13 Affordable Ways to Decorate Your Tiny Home for the Holidays Minimally

by Beth Rush

The holidays are here, and that means it’s time to deck the halls. Please don’t bow out of the fun just because you live in a tiny home. There are ways you can decorate sustainably and get into the spirit of the season while adhering to your minimalist principles.

What can you do to prepare your sustainable little pad? Here are 13 affordable ideas for decorating your tiny home for the holidays minimally.

Do Minimalists Decorate for the Holidays?

Of course, minimalists decorate for the holidays! Many have no religious objections. However, they might protest the commercialization of the holiday — as you probably do, too, if you switched to the lifestyle for sustainability.

The difference lies in how you decorate for Christmas in your tiny house. You can stay true to minimalist principles by:

• Adding only those decorations that spark joy — there’s no need to go full Clark Griswold.
• Using natural, sustainable materials that either come from the earth or readily compost or biodegrade.
• Finding the beauty in simplicity, like a wreath made from one material only, perhaps highlighted with a scrap of repurposed ribbon.

With a little creativity minimalists can decorate for Christmas in their tiny houses in style. Doing so promotes happiness and gratitude for what you already have, including your home. All you need are ideas to spark your imagination.

13 Ways to Decorate for Christmas in a Tiny House

Are you ready to transform your abode into an Insta-worthy winter wonderland? Here are 13 ways to decorate for Christmas in a tiny house.

1. Pine Cone Wreaths

The only thing you’ll need to buy for this craft is a simple, plant-based polyurethane wreath. Before you recoil in horror at the idea of styrofoam, know that today’s formulations come from natural materials like castor oil grown from a bean plant. They don’t pose the environmental or human health risks of petroleum-based products.

Then, go into the wilds and gather pine cones. Want a touch of color? Add a few berry-laden branches. Finish with a ribbon you fashion from repurposed fabric, and your front door is ready for the holiday.

2. Pine and Holly Centerpieces and Mantel Garlands

Plastic garlands don’t last and can pose a hazard to household pets, who may find chewing on the stuff irresistible. Fortunately, it’s a snap to make natural versions out of pine and holly branches. All you need is a bit of hemp twine to “stitch” them together into a rope you can dangle above the fireplace. Give them a few spritzes of a mild dish soap solution as an eco-friendly way to slide off lingering insect pests without harming the environment. 

3. Twinkling Solar LEDs

Some minimalists avoid holiday lights because of the plastic used in their designs. That’s a valid concern. However, keep in mind that they now make solar-powered models, and you can reuse them in other ways. For example, you can create a simple centerpiece by later wrapping a strand around a vase or flower pot that you let sit in a sunny window during the day and grace your dining table with at night.

4. Living Trees

Who said you had to cut down a tree if you wanted to celebrate Christmas? There’s no need to destroy these carbon-cutters for holiday cheer. Instead, invest in a living tree that you can later plant on your property, helping to keep the planet green while preserving a memory of your festivities that will last for generations and provide countless critter habitats.

5. Feed the Birds

Charities report that a quarter of their annual donations roll in during the holiday season, but humans need not be the only recipients. Deck the trees around your home with all-natural popcorn strings, and do your avian friends a solid by providing them with a winter repast. However, keep in mind that the chemical stuff that’s bad for you is thousands of times worse in a tiny body, so stick to organic, air-popped goodness, not microwaved chemicals.

6. Ornament Bowls

Do you have a small collection of treasured ornaments but have decided to pass on the tree to save room while decorating your tiny house for Christmas? Here’s another way to display them — add them to a decorative bowl and use them as a centerpiece. You can also place smaller bowls of one or two ornaments on shelves to complete the look.

7. Scented Candles

You can still experience the scent of pine, even if you skip the tree to save space. How? Invest in natural soy-based candles. These versions may not contain the toxic chemicals that paraffin can contaminate your indoor air with and often last longer, too.

8. Repurposed Sheet Music

How do minimalists decorate for the holidays? They repurpose what they already have, making it beautiful. One idea is to use sheet music, best of all from your favorite holiday tunes. Add it to a decorative frame, and add some pine cones and bows to the edges to highlight your design.

9. Tabletop Trees

One simple way to save space with your tree is to make it your centerpiece. You can find a small living tree that decorates your Christmas tiny house table with room to spare.

10. Twigs and Glue

Here’s yet another fun idea. You can recreate the famous “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree by building one out of broken bows and glue. Spend the morning with your little one gathering the branches, then assemble your craft in the afternoon.

11. Flour and Cookie Cutters

You don’t have to buy holiday ornaments — bake them. Here’s what you need to make salt dough:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup table salt
• 1.5 cups water

Mix all ingredients, adjusting the water until you get a dough that is soft and pliable, not stiff or sticky. Roll the kneaded dough onto parchment paper and cut it out, baking the cookies for 90 minutes to two hours in a 250° oven.

12. Add a Sweater

Do you have some yarn left over from your last knitting project? Use it to knit tiny holiday sweaters to adorn your wine bottles, kitchen faucet — any surface that could get chilly and use a festive coat.

13. Throw It On

Finally, t’is the season to snuggle. Invest in holiday-themed blankets or throws you can add to your storage couch or stash under your tiny house stairs when the festivities end.

Minimalist Decorations for Your Tiny Home Holiday

You don’t have to splurge to decorate your tiny house for Christmas. Minimalists do decorate for the holidays, but they do so sustainably, using natural and repurposed materials to minimize their environmental impact. Tread lightly on the planet this festive season with these minimalist decorations for your tiny home holiday.