Your Step-by-Step Guide To Minimalist Christmas Decor

Tell all ya friends and neighbors!

If you’re looking for less this season but don’t know where to start, this guide will help you understand how to go all out without going overboard

There was a year I didn’t decorate for Christmas, and honestly, it felt super freeing. We still had a great Christmas. The kids got what they needed (and lots of stuff they wanted), and nobody even talked about it.

There’s a chance we won’t be in our house for Christmas this year if we have to leave while demo happens for a kitchen (fingers crossed that we don’t have to wait until the beginning of the year).

Which means there may be no Christmas decorations here this year again either, and I’m okay with that. If we do decorate, I’m really loving the idea of having minimalist Christmas decor this year.

How Do Minimalists Decorate for Christmas?

It may seem like to be a minimalist means not decorating at all. But that’s not true. It just means getting less stuff to begin with or being more thoughtful about what you use or bring into your home.

For Christmas minimalists, you’ll have a tree with just a few special ornaments and maybe something meaningful hanging off the branches. You’ll have candles lit for warmth and light. You’ll have a special place for the advent calendar or just hang that on the wall instead of taking up precious tabletop space.

All simple things, but it’s the spirit behind them that makes it meaningful for you and yours.

How Do You Simplify Christmas Decorations?

Like me, you may be wondering, what if you’re not into minimalism in general? What if you just want to have a more intimate Christmas experience? How do you even do a minimal Christmas?

You can still do it. And in some ways, it may be easier.

For example, instead of a giant tree in the living room, why not go with a very small one in your bedroom or even the kids’ playroom? Stick a string of lights on there, and voila.

You could also not even put lights on the tree and simply put it in a basket or use a Christmas tree collar and have twinkly lights inside.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Do what you want and if something doesn’t work for you, do more or less of it next time around!

Minimalist Christmas Tree Decorations/Ornaments

The good news is that minimalist Christmas decor is actually something you can do pretty inexpensively because there’s not a lot of it.

Minimalist Christmas decor on a budget?? SOLD! I love a bargain, ya know what I mean?

When choosing ornaments with minimalist style, there are lots of options. You can opt to go with black ornaments, white ornaments, a mixture of both black and white or glass.

Here are a few of my favorite minimalist style Christmas ornaments from around the net. Click any photo below to check the price:

Minimal Christmas Garland

Believe it or not, finding faux garland that looks real is not easy.

I can tell you this from experience of both trying to find it myself and also trying to round up this list for you fine folks. However, I was able to find a few that I feel are totally worth it because they look and feel as close to real without being real.

You can can click any of the photos below to check the price:

7 Easy Steps To Have Minimalist Christmas Decor This Year

Create an atmosphere

I think it’s good to have some decorations, but you shouldn’t feel pressured into putting up a lot of things. Instead of focusing on making your home look perfect, try to create an environment that feels warm and inviting.

The idea with minimalism isn’t necessarily about doing absolutely nothing for a holiday but instead finding ways to simplify and create a more intimate experience.

Monochrome palettes

Having a monochrome palette doesn’t mean being completely void of color.

Monochrome simply means “one color.” A monochrome color palette is merely having different shades of the same color. For example, you can go with blue Christmas decor and have a mixture of shades ranging from navy all the way to sky blue.

A monochrome palette is excellent for creating elegant and clean decor that you can keep going in any room for a streamlined look.

Some may choose to go with white and black because it’s the simplest and cleanest. But you can easily change that into white, black, and a shade of grey to create more depth.

Branches instead of trees

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good chonky Christmas tree. We usually get a real tree every year and then bring out several of our faux Christmas trees as well.

However, if you’re working with a smaller space or even a larger space that’s usually full of clutter, try branches in a vase instead.

The best part about this is it can be as big or as small as you’d like. You can go with the whole shebang using branches from trees outside your home or just pluck a few off the plant in your front yard to place in a vase.

This would make a great table centerpiece, or you could make a larger one to set on a table in place of a large regular Christmas tree.

Christmas greenery

Take advantage of the outdoors and even the Christmas tree farms. Most Christmas tree farms have tree clippings that have either been pruned or have fallen. You can purchase these clippings at a very low cost and use them to decorate your home. Sometimes you can even get them for free, depending on the farm.

You can use those clippings to make a fresh, green garland or life hack – you can add it to a faux garland to make it look more authentic.

Also great to throw in as decor that still feels minimal are twigs and branches and pinecones.

To jazz it up a bit, you can spray paint the twigs or branches with different festive colors that fit your monochromatic color scheme.

Natural and Wood tones

Natural and wood tones scream minimalist Christmas decor because it has a very sleek and clean look while still keeping the theme of warm and cozy.

Light wood tones are essentially like white paint colors – they blend in but can be the star of the show if you play it right. This will still feel like you can breathe but give your home the coziness of Christmas.

Same wrapping for everyone

Kraft paper, solid white paper, even paper with a minimal print is great for wrapping gifts yet keeping the look cohesive when they’re under the tree.

Adding to that point, maybe even going for more minimal gift giving can also cut down on the “clutter” of presents under your tree and thus clutter that would end up all over every surface – or like in your bathroom sinks in a guest bathroom.

A great rule of thumb to implement for your kids, especially if you have a house full of them, is giving them each 4 things. Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read.

Don’t overdo the mantle

A lot of times when you have a house with a mantle, it’s the first thing to get cluttered with crap.

Don’t get me wrong – we have a mantle too and it was one of the first things that I was stoked about in our house, but if you’re truly aiming to have a minimalist Christmas, you’ll want to leave your mantle fairly bare.

(Get similar white knit stockings here)

Keep it simple

The most important thing about minimalist Christmas decor is that you feel comfortable and happy with it. Simplicity can look different to each of us, and that’s okay.

Do your best to stay organized. If you keep everything neat and tidy, you won’t need to worry about having enough room to display your decor.

Christmas is one of those times of the year when people tend to overdo things in their homes. Maybe it is because we are trying to impress our friends and family members or simply because we feel particularly festive. Still, there are certain types of decorations that just aren’t necessary.

You can keep things classy and simple or go all out, but either way, your home should feel like a holiday not just to yourself but whoever is experiencing the space.

Remember to have fun! Hopefully, this is a joyful time of year, and remember that you’re not just trying to create joy for everyone else, but for yourself too!

Happy (minimalist Christmas) decorating! 🙂