The fastest way to a vintage Christmas in a small home is one bowl of colored ornaments, one tabletop tree and one red velvet bow, all in the same two colors. A 15 inch ceramic tree, a 2.5 inch ribbon and a paper chain take less room than a floor lamp. You do not need antiques for it: Apartment Notes points out that thrift stores, estate sales and your own attic supply most of what makes the look, and vintage-style pieces fill the gaps.
Vintage Christmas Decor: 9 Ideas for a Small Home
Last updated:
Styling idea: a shallow bowl of pink, red, turquoise and silver ornaments. Not the linked products.
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them, Etheric Echoes earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.
If you are decorating the whole home and not only one corner, our small-space Christmas decor guide shows what fits where. This page is about the old-fashioned look.
Choose a starting point from what you own
| Already in your cupboard | Try this display | Listed size of a piece you could buy |
|---|---|---|
| A few colorful ornaments | A shallow ornament bowl | 2.36 inch balls, sets of 34 |
| Paper scraps and ribbon | A paper chain at one doorway | Strips 1 by 7.08 inches |
| A Christmas card you love | A small card stand | 3 inch stand holds items up to 9 inches tall |
| A patterned cushion or quilt | One seasonal textile swap | 50 by 60 inch throw |
| Brass candleholders | A tray with flameless tapers | Tapers 9.6 inches tall, 0.78 inch wide |
| One tabletop tree | A ceramic or bottle-brush tree | 15 inch ceramic tree; bottle-brush trees 2.3 to 5.2 inches |
These ideas are vintage-inspired. The ornaments, cards and candleholders do not need to be antiques.
What makes Christmas decor look vintage?
Shiny colored glass, bottle-brush trees, tinsel and a few handmade things, in warm colors that are a little faded. Cottage on Bunker Hill describes three looks: a Victorian Christmas with lace, ribbons and gold; a retro Christmas with pink, turquoise and red, tinsel, Shiny Brite ornaments and bottle-brush trees; and a rustic farmhouse Christmas with wood, burlap and pinecones. In a small home, choose one of the three and stay inside it.
Veranda adds two specifics. Hobbyist ceramics, the white molds people once painted into Christmas trees and Santas, were popular from the 1960s to the 1980s, and many are still easy to find at thrift stores and flea markets. Putz villages go back to paper houses from the 1940s. Homes and Gardens says vintage glass ornaments are the most collectible of all, and that the colorful hand-blown ones from Lauscha, Germany, have been made since the mid-19th century.
Where can you find vintage Christmas decorations?
Thrift stores, flea markets, estate sales and auctions, according to Veranda and Homes and Gardens, and online on Etsy, 1stDibs and Chairish. Glass ornaments sell for more every year, so if you only want the look, a vintage-style set costs a fraction as much. Buy used for the pieces you will handle least, like a brass candleholder or a card stand, and buy new for anything you will plug in.
How do you decorate for a vintage Christmas on a budget?
Start with what is in the house, then add paper and fabric. Country Living turns old quilts into tree skirts and stockings, and a crock, an ice bucket, a picnic basket or a plaid thermos into a base for a tabletop tree. Paper chains, dried orange slices and a popcorn and cranberry strand cost almost nothing. Nine ideas follow, each sized for a dresser, a doorway or one chair.
1. Put colorful ornaments in a shallow bowl
Pink, red, turquoise and silver ornaments look cheerful against dark wood or a cream bowl. Set the largest ones in first, then fill the gaps, and turn the patterned faces toward your usual chair. Veranda’s designer likes a pile of glass ornaments in a silver punch bowl.
This 34-piece set of hot pink balls (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. and this teal set (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. are each 2.36 inches across and shatterproof, so they suit a table a child can reach. If you want real glass, this 25-piece distressed glass set (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is listed at 1 to 1.5 inches, which is small, so it fills a dish and not a punch bowl. Mix both.
2. Give a tabletop tree a simple ornament collection
A ceramic tree is the light-up tree many people remember from a relative’s side table. The 15 inch pre-lit ceramic tree (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is 8.5 inches across, so it fits on a console with room for a lamp. For a softer, snowier Christmas tree, group a set of bottle-brush trees (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.: 30 trees in five sizes from 2.3 to 5.2 inches, enough for a shelf and a windowsill.
For a very small room, set the tree on furniture you already own. Our small-space Christmas tree guide covers floor trees.
3. Tie broad ribbon bows onto dining-chair backs
A deep red velvet bow gives ordinary chairs a holiday detail without using table space. This red velvet wired ribbon (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is 2.5 inches wide and 10 yards (360 inches) long, enough for several full bows with tails. The wired edge holds the loops. Tie it high on a slat with the knot at the back and cut the tails above the seat.
In a small dining corner, decorate only the two chairs seen from the doorway. Save leftover ribbon for gift wrap.
4. Display one winter card in a small stand
A snowy cottage or robin card can be enough decoration for a dresser. A 3 inch metal stand (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is listed for items up to 9 inches tall, so it holds a postcard or a standard card. Choose a card you own, a family photo, or a reproduction you are allowed to print, and keep an original that is fragile in a drawer. Our Christmas card display guide has more ways to show a stack of them.
5. Make one paper chain the main decoration
Red and cream loops across a doorway read as a familiar Christmas right away. Cut strips 1 inch wide and 6 inches long, loop and glue each one through the last, and use kraft paper, red and green gingham or sheet music; Apartment Notes says glossy cardstock reads modern. This kit (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. lists 600 strips and about 102 feet of chain, roughly 2 inches of chain per strip, so a 6 foot doorway span takes about 36 strips. Make a short test chain and measure before you cut the rest.
One doorway gives the chain a clear start and finish. Adding chains to every opening can make a studio feel crowded.
6. Set brass candleholders on a plain tray
Brass-colored holders and red flameless tapers give a cabinet a soft evening glow. This set of six holders (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. comes in three heights, 5.9, 7.3 and 9.3 inches, with a 2.68 inch base, so the different heights make the arrangement for you. These red flameless tapers (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. are 9.6 inches tall and 0.78 inch across, run on 2 AA batteries, and come with a remote that has a 2, 4, 6 or 8 hour timer.
Check the taper fit before planning around it: a holder made for a thin wax candle may not take a thicker battery one.
7. Swap in an embroidered cushion or a small quilt
A quilt, patchwork cover or red checked throw makes a familiar chair feel seasonal. Look through what you own first. If you buy, a red and white buffalo check throw (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is 50 by 60 inches, 100 percent cotton, with 2.5 inch fringe, and washes in cold water. Fold it over the chair back so the pattern shows. Replace a cushion rather than adding one to a small sofa.
8. Hang a small group of paper honeycomb bells
Cream and red honeycomb bells look fuller than a paper chain, so they work as one compact hanging display. Open each completely, fasten it as the maker directs and check that the folds sit evenly. Hang three sizes together beside a picture rail, with the longest string shortened. They fold flat, which suits a home with little storage; keep their clips in one envelope.
9. Use brown-paper parcels as part of the display
Gifts wrapped in brown paper, checked ribbon or reused fabric carry the same colors to the lower part of the room. A 17.5 inch by 100 foot kraft paper roll (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. wraps a lot of parcels, and 300 feet of jute twine with 100 kraft tags (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. finishes them. Repeat one red or green across the parcels and write the name straight on a plain tag.
Place the gifts under the tree or on a bench where they leave the walking route clear.
How do you make vintage garlands and paper decorations?
Use paper, fruit and twine. For dried orange slices, cut oranges 1/8 inch thick, blot them, and dry them on a parchment-lined sheet at 175 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping every 30 minutes for several hours. Thread them on jute twine 3 to 4 inches apart, with cinnamon sticks or bay leaves between. Fresh cranberries shrivel, so make a popcorn and cranberry strand close to the day you display it. Paper chains use the 1 by 6 inch strips above. Our Christmas garland guide shows how much garland you need for a mantel or a window.
Keep the nostalgic look and keep it small
Begin with one contained display and one textile or paper detail, and repeat its color once. A wreath on the door, a few candles on the sideboard and one card on the dresser are enough festive holiday decor for the Christmas and holiday season in a small home, and a bowl of vintage ornaments does the rest. If you already own little houses, the small-space Christmas village guide plans a display with room around it, and the Christmas bookshelf guide shows how to keep the books reachable.
