Welcome to Defending the Small House, number 5: Christmas Decorating in a Small House. I’m so glad you’ve taken some time to visit during this holiday season. Brenda and I are really looking forward to this special edition linky party!
I am not someone who decorates for Christmas with a ‘theme’ or a different color palette every year. I couldn’t care less about that kind of thing. For me and my husband, Christmas decorating is about using favorite decorations that we cherish. Some of them are mine from my childhood. Most of them we’ve collected together. They each have meaning, even the ones we had to buy at the local drugstore when we first moved out East and realized that all our boxes of ornaments had inadvertently been put in storage!
If you’ve learned anything about me from reading this blog, you’ve learned that decorating and adorning our house is only done with things that have meaning to us, with a history or an interesting story to tell. Likewise with Christmas decorations. Even if it involves me digging frantically through every bin at Big Lots a few years back to find my bottlebrush wreaths – that’s a story I’ll tell for years to come! Tip#1: If you decorate with the things you love and that have meaning to you, you can’t go wrong.
I suspect this happens in most homes – I’m absolutely sure it happens in small homes. Furniture has to be rearranged. In our case, the dollhouse had to move up to the living room because it usually lives in the corner of the den where we put the big Christmas tree. So – up comes the dollhouse, the yellow chair moves near the kitchen, the red chair moves to the other side of the loveseat. I like the chairs in this new arrangement. Tip #2: As you decorate for Christmas and have to move things around, look at it as an opportunity to view your space with fresh eyes – you just might discover something you like.
For instance: I’m rather liking the dollhouse is this new place. As Don says, he sees it more clearly here because there is a lot more light. What do you think?
The Big Lots bottlebrush wreaths. I have 4 of them. The others are hanging in the living room windows. Tip #3: Repetition of an item or shape can tie a room together. The wreaths are hung in the kitchen, above the piano and on the living room windows, connecting both parts of what is essentially a large room.
I just added the reindeer.
The dollhouse has been decorated.
We have a little white tree in the living room. I won a beautiful small tree skirt a couple of years ago in a blog giveaway, so I had to buy a little tree to go with it. It looks prettier with the lights on.
The other day, I chained stitched a garland for the tree. Simple and sort of homespun. No cost, since it was yarn I had on hand. Tip #4: Look at the things you have on hand and incorporate them into your decorating. In this case, I thought about the pink ornaments on the tree and the garland that hangs on the white cabinet (see below) and a little light bulb went on – so I grabbed the same yarn and made the garland.
I always use the branches we’ve trimmed from the bottom of the tree to decorate the house. They work beautifully on top of the white cupboard. Whoops! I have to tuck that light in.
These are on the windowsill above the kitchen sink. I have more in two glass milk bottles on another window sill. Tip #5: Use live greenery wherever you can. It is beautiful in its simplicity. If you live in a very tiny space, some boughs or garlands may be all you need to create your holiday home. Don’t underestimate their power to transform your space.
I just posted about this snow scene yesterday. I used a vintage jar, some kosher salt, a putz house and bottlebrush trees. Tip #6: Make your own snow scene with a jar and some small Christmas ornaments. You can use any size jar, any size ornament or bottlebrush tree. Make a few and group them together.
On to the den. Monty is dressed for the holidays. Tip #7: Sometimes a simple bow works wonders.
I usually crop the television out of my Christmas tree photos, but since this is a series about small houses, I’m going for truth in advertising! There it is, right next to the television. As you can see, I have a lot of vintage ornaments – lots of old Shiny Brites. And I have my big bottlebrush ornaments that I got a few years back from my friend’s shop. I kept buying them every time I went in there. I think I have 9 of them. I. love. them. They add so much to the tree. I don’t know what I’d do without them, so I guard them with my life.
This is an early evening shot. I’ve given up on trying to take photos of the tree in the dark. It never works.
We always have a real tree. We don’t have room to store a large artificial tree; besides, I can’t imagine a Christmas with my husband without a real tree. That’s just our preference. But, I’ve had plenty of Christmases with a small tree, usually artificial, in the various apartments I’ve lived in. You can make anything work and look beautiful. Maybe you could buy a small live tree and plant it at the end of the season.
I try to keep things simple. This is a small house; I have a lot of pottery everywhere, most every available surface has something on it already. We don’t have the luxury of storing those things to make way for the Christmas decorations because we don’t have an attic or a basement. I’m careful about what I use because I want the decorations to stand out, but in a classic, simple way. So I decorate with a light hand and try to enhance what I already have. Tip #8: Sometimes less is indeed more. If there are a lot of things fighting for attention, they make less impact.
Of course, in the end, holiday decorating is all about the things you love and treasure, about your very own holiday traditions. Have fun!
Be sure to visit Brenda to read about her Christmas decorating ideas for a small space.
Grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, sit down in a cozy chair and pay everyone a visit. I know I will be visiting everyone. Let’s spread some holiday cheer! With great thanks and holiday wishes from my little cottage. Blessings to you all.
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Links will remain open for two days, so if you need some extra time to link up, you’ve got it!
To link up to our party:
1. Publish your post and please remember to link back to my blog.
2. Click on the title of your post and copy the post’s URL from the top of your browser.
3. Use the linky tool at the bottom of this post and paste the URL into the appropriate box. The directions are easy to follow.
It looks like a great place for the dollhouse, and its Christmas decorations are pretty.
I can’t comment on Christmas decorating because I don’t do it, did when the kids were small with a big tree and so on, but not any more. That’s largely because I’m not really a ‘holidays’ kind of person but also it seems a little weird to be decorating as if it’s mid winter when we’ll often have very hot weather around Christmas. Just once it might be fun to have a Christmas in the wintertime.
I love your decorations. That is really a good place for the dollshouse.I like your defending a small house project, even in my eyes you don’t have a small house.
I live in a 50 vierkante meter house, that is 538,19552 square feet.
Hugs
Maria
Your house looks so warm and inviting.. very charming christmas decos.. love your use of soft colors…
I think that this year I have set out less Christmas decorations than any other year. I love your pottery and I wouldn’t store it away even if you had the room to do so!
Di
I love what you’ve done, Claudia! I would leave the dollhouse where it is if I were you. Monty is looking so endearing with the red ribbon! Just too cute! Love, love that turquoise chain you crocheted for the tree. Very original! So many things to look at, but beautiful things! I’m always surprised when you call your house a small space because compared to my apartment with the galley kitchen, galley bathroom, and galley entrance, it’s huge! Now that your decorations are all done, you can sit back and enjoy them! Have a nice day!
The older I get, simpler feels better. I try to sort through older holiday almost every year and then pass it off to Goodwill or one of my kids. The next year I start opening totes and there is still too much! Apparently I am still not sorting enough. Your home looks just lovely for the holidays Claudia! Like you, my dollhouse is in the living room this year too. Your dollhouse is darling with it’s little wreathes! My husband really takes an interest in mine too. Off to visit the other’s now! ~hugs, Patti
Simple is usually better and in your case, fabulous! I DO like the dollhouse there… and man oh man I wish i had found those wreaths at big lots!
I just love the colors in here. The little playhouse is just darling. And I cannot believe you got such a deal on those wreaths. Your home is so warm and inviting.
I adore your small house, Claudia. It always looks so neat and uncluttered, which is hard to do in a tiny space.
Your Christmas decorations look fabulous. No clutter…just beauty.
I really like how your house looks larger because of the light hand of decorating.
No matter how much pretty stuff one has, if it is too cluttered, you can’t enjoy it. Love your old fashioned tree and the only crochet thing I can do is a chain stitch…I need more white on my tiny tree, I have white yarn, sooo….I’m gonna make some chains tonight. :)) Thanks for the tip.
Have a very Merry Christmas.
xo bj
Your hand made garland on your small tree looks just right, Claudia. The doll house looks perfect in it’s new spot. And I love the little scene you made in your bottle. Just an FYI, Epson salts are great cheap “snow” and they have a great sparkle.
I feel so cozy when putting myself virtually in that first photo! I am loving the arrangement of the chairs, and I am loving the dollhouse in that spot. Seems the light plays on it better to me. I would love a real tree, but alas, asthma…
Brenda
Claudia,
I love the inviting feeling of both your home and your prose. You draw me into your corner of the world, which looks like a very cozy place!
Thank you for inviting all of us, who wish to, to participate in the fifth “Defending the Small House” post.
-Karen
Hello Claudia
Thank you for hosting the Christmas Decoration post. Your house (and the doll house) looks beautiful as always.
I hope you are feeling better.
Have a nice evening
Regula
Hi Claudia! Love this linky party and I am crazy about your bottle brush wreaths. Thanks for hosting ~ it’s just the perfect party for us little cottage dwellers!!
Big Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Your house is darling. And those bottle brush wreaths were a great find. I hope you don’t mind I crocheted the snowflakes for Brenda. After you posted I got out my crochet needle and started practicing after about 40 yrs and I did it! I love the simple crochet garland, very sweet.
Okay, Claudia. I have to be honest here, and I don’t mean to gush, but I always like everything you do.
You have a style and eye for creating charm, and your style deserves to be named “Claudia”.
We like many of the same things, and I always identify with your designs.
Like you, most of our Christmas decorations have history and a story. They are treasures to me.
Hi, Claudia-
I just love your blog! My adult children tell me it’s polite to leave a comment, and Mom always said, “Be polite!” I really like the dollhouse next to the piano, too.
Using your pattern, I am going to try to crochet some snowflakes. I haven’t done much crocheting in years, but I’m hopeful it will all come back to me.
Blessings,
Kim
How adorable that you have a doll house to decorate for Christmas, the little wreath looks so sweet on the railings.
I find it so sweet that the doll house is decorated for Christmas. I like it in that spot too.
Hi! Great post. I always enjoy visiting your blog. I made a garland of the little flowers (snowflakes?) that you have on your white cabinet, based on your older post with a link to the pattern. I made mine in white and they turned out great! Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Claudia,
I visited your posting on the linky party….love, love, love your warm and welcoming home! I enjoyed all the photos. The little wreaths look so cute on the dollhouse. I love the touch of the greenery in the jars, too. Your home is such a warm and cozy place. No wonder you love being there with your sweet hubby and the dogs. Wishing you a very, very, very happy and safe holiday season. Merry Christmas!!!! (((((((hugs))))))) xoxo Kim
oh, i adore your home and style, claudia.
you know when you visit a friend and it’s been too long since you last visited? that’s how i’m feeling reading this post. i remember when you got the wreaths at big lots, when you won the tree skirt (from lizzie, right?). i am also chuckling because i totally had to rearrange my furniture to accommodate our tree and it’s still a tight maze in the living room!
not sure if i’ll be able to link up to the party but i hope to visit more little houses like ours soon.
xo
elyse
Hi Claudia, I’m a new follower! I found you through Brenda’s Cozy Little House blog! Your home is beautiful and cozy! I love your style of decor. I also have a small home so I appreciate your good advice on home decor! I can’t wait to see what else you have to show us.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Leslie
Hi Claudia – thanks so much for the comment. I’m really enjoying the blogs by you and Brenda!
Hi Claudia,
This is my first time linking up to a link party. I got an error message and inadvertently linked up twice. Could you please delete me on #13?
Thanks so much for having this series and giving us all the opportunity to visit other small spaces!
~Sandy
Hey Claudia ~ what a great idea to have a linky party amongst your followers; they’re a nice group of ladies with really cute and cozy homes. Just like you and yours. xo
I love your home decorated for Christmas. My favorite is that pretty garland hanging on the white cupboard. You have such a way of putting what you love together and creating a cozy atmosphere. Treasures gathered over time are the best treasures.
Claudia, I like how you have moved things around to make room for holiday items. I too must do that, I even have the tree in a spot we’ve never put it before. I’m waiting for my daughter’s graduation on Friday so we can decorate the tree together so I will not be able to link up this time. I love how you turned the jar on it’s side to make your holiday scene. Ann
We make every inch count here too, in 1190 s.f.! Sorry to be late to the party, I enjoyed seeing your sweet cottage!
Cheers, Andrea
Your living room looks so cozy and inviting! And the doll house totally works there!
Your home is just beautiful! And I love that the doll house has a place of honor there in the living room.