Decorating a small living room can be tricky, but we've got some great ideas. From Christmas wreaths, garlands and festive lights to the tree itself, these tips will help you make your living space feel like a winter wonderland.

This article contains featured products: Many thanks to Very for providing us with one of their beautiful Christmas trees and gorgeous festive decorations this year to decorate our living room.

10 simple tips on how to decorate a small living room for Christmas

If you have a small living room, but still want to create a magical Christmas experience, you may be wondering where to begin.  You want to create a festive scene, but you don’t want the small space to feel any more cluttered than it already does!  How can you bring festive decorations into a small space without overwhelming the space?  Read on for a list of ten simple solutions when it comes to decorating your small living room this Christmas.  These can easily be implemented to give you the Christmas living room of your dreams without sacrificing your precious space.

Read on as we explore these 10 Christmas decoration ideas in more detail:

1. Fit in the tree of your dreams with a half-Christmas tree

2. Choose a skinny Christmas tree with maximalist decorations

3. Create a focal festive point

4. Decorate the living room door with garlands and a wreath

5. Hang Christmas lights in the windows

6. Change your usual rugs for cosy faux fur versions

7. Add Christmas cushions to your sofas

8. Consider a wall-hanging Christmas tree if space is tight

9. Think walls and doors instead of floors!

10. Make a magnificent magical mantelpiece

Traditional nutcracker Christmas tree decorations from Very

1. Fit in the tree of your dreams with a half-Christmas tree

If you’d love a bushy Christmas tree in your living room, but you’d be squeezing past it each day then check out these Very half Christmas trees which are the perfect solution!  These genius trees are quite literally half a Christmas tree!  They look like a regular Christmas tree which has been sliced down the middle, meaning you can place the flat side perfectly up against a wall saving oodles of space!  You will still get the full effect of a full Christmas tree, but it will take up only half the space!  Not only will this amazing space-saving Christmas tree maximize the space you have left in your living room, but it will take up half the space when it comes to storing it for the rest of the year! 

Frosted cone swag garland from Very

2. Choose a skinny Christmas tree with maximalist decorations

Another amazing Christmas tree option for those with small living spaces is the skinny Christmas tree!  These super-slim Christmas trees, also known as pencil Christmas trees, are another ideal space-saving solution, not only for those with limited room but also for those who prefer a more minimalistic tree and decor.  The prelit skinny Christmas trees look amazing on their own, even without any Christmas tree decorations at all, but we like to juxtapose our minimalist-sized tree with maximalist decorations in one colour theme.  We opt for white to create a snowy winter wonderland-themed Christmas tree.

Glass Santa Christmas tree decoration from Very

3. Create a festive focal point

If the space would feel too cluttered with decorations all around, choose a festive focal point instead.  This could be one corner of the living room, the fireplace, one wall or even a door.  Create a scene in one area of the room that draws the eye, while leaving the rest of the room as normal.

Hessian star floor lights from Very

4. Decorate the living room door with garlands and a wreath

Christmas wreaths aren’t just for the front door, you can also create a beautiful festive feel in your living room by decorating your internal door.  To prevent damaging the door, use an over-door hanging wreath hook.  A garland around the entire door or the top part of the door will help to frame the door and create a focal point.  Wreaths and garlands can be purchased prelit helping to combine Christmas decor and lights into one.

Christmas wreath, garland and door hanger from Very

5. Hang Christmas lights in the windows

Christmas fairy lights will instantly make any room feel festive!  It doesn’t matter how small your space is, you can always add some lights to add sparkle and Christmas cheer to your windows, no matter their size too!  From Christmas net lights to dangling twinkling stars, there are lots of different ways to decorate your windows this Christmas with lighting.

White Christmas nutcracker tree decoration from Very

6. Change your usual rugs for cosy faux fur versions

To add a cosy winter feel to your living space, why not switch out your usual rugs with cosy faux fur rugs instead?  This won’t take up any extra space and will bring a warm Scandinavian log cabin vibe into your living room, especially if you have wooden or wood-style floors or a wood burner.  You can also add smaller faux fur sheepskin rugs to sofas and seats to continue with a Scandi decorations vibe throughout the room.

Snowball effect string lights from Very

7. Add Christmas cushions to your sofas

Another space-saving idea that also won’t take up any extra space is to swap your normal sofa cushions with festive versions and prints for the winter season.  You don’t even have to buy completely new cushions, as you can simply buy cushion covers to go over your existing ones!

Christmas wreath snowflake hangers from Very

8. Consider a wall-hanging Christmas tree if space is tight

If there simply isn’t anywhere to put a Christmas tree, then think outside the box and opt for a wall-hanging version if a tree of some sort is a must!  There are twig Christmas tree wall hangings which can be bought prelit or you can add fairy lights yourself.  You can still hang decorations off these trees and add presents under them on the floor underneath.  They can act as a tree, Christmas light and decor all in one.

Selection of Christmas tree decorations ready to hang from Very

9. Think walls and doors instead of floors!

There are lots of beautiful festive Christmas figurines such as large polar bears, swans and deer that stand on the floor to create magical wintery scenes, but this might not be possible if floor space is at a minimum.  Instead, when you have a small living space, you need to think of walls and doors instead of floors!  Instead of decorating around the bottom of the Christmas tree or on the floor around the fireplace, think about what you can add to the walls or doors instead to keep the floor free.  Christmas light decor can work well here, such as these Ho Ho Ho lights or this reindeer head wall light.

Mantelpiece garland from Very

10. Make a magnificent magical mantelpiece

If you have a fireplace in your living room with a mantelpiece then this is easily the best place to create a magical Christmas-themed display.  Remove your usual decor and replace it with Christmas ornaments instead, from themed tealight holders to Nordic Santa Claus Gonk ceramic figures or flocked standing deer.  Loop a Christmas garland from one end of the mantelpiece to the other. If greenery is more your thing then drape an oversized Christmas garland filled with pine cones and berries on top of the mantelpiece.  You can add LED fairy lights with a hidden battery pack for sparkle.

Faux fur poinsettia Christmas tree clips from Very

More ways to decorate a small living room for Christmas

There are many ways to bring a Christmas theme into a small living room.  We’ve covered some of our favourite ways above, but there are even more ways to decorate that won’t impact the limited space. These include:

• Adding candles to the room for a warm wintery glow.

• Hanging mistletoe branches from doorways.

• Draping thick faux rabbit fur throws over sofas and chairs.

• Pinning a stocking to the fireplace.

• Decorate your radiator cover (don’t have a fireplace, but have a radiator with a cover?  Add a garland or Christmas decor to this instead!)

• Add a Christmas scene to your windows by utilising the windowsill or even adding transfers or a snow spray and stencils.

• Got a staircase in your living room?  Add Christmas snowball lights for a fun look, or an oversized garland for a more dramatic or luxurious Christmas look.

• Stick to one or two colours to avoid a small space feeling cluttered and chaotic.

• Think vertical instead of horizontal when it comes to the decorations and also the shape of the tree.

• Consider moving a piece of furniture out of the living room for the season to make room for a tree if it’s important to you.

• Choose a mini Christmas tree instead. You can usually pick these up in a decorative pot at the supermarket and pop them on a windowsill or even on your coffee table!

The final word on how to decorate a small living room for Christmas

Small living rooms can be tricky to decorate when space is already at a push, but they don’t have to be. With the above tips, we've got your living room covered from mantelpiece decor to choosing the right Christmas tree without sacrificing floor space. Whether you opt for a wall-hung tree, a skinny tree or even a half-Christmas tree, or perhaps no tree at all, there are many ways you can bring Christmas into a small space while also utilising the walls, doors and windows to make your space feel festive and cosy in no time!