No Room For A Tree? Space-Saving Christmas Decor Ideas For Small Flats

A 6ft tree eats about a square metre of a room that probably doesn't have one to spare, and in a rented flat you often can't fix anything to the walls either.

The fix is to decorate the vertical space instead - ceilings, curtain poles, doors and the wall above furniture - so the eye goes up and the floor stays clear.

Honest note: we make cards, pin badges, prints and party decorations, not trees or paper star lanterns.

Hang it from the ceiling

• A cluster of paper star lanterns at staggered drops in the corner where a tree would have gone.
• Lit from inside with battery LED wire lights, they work as the focal point a tree usually is.
• A bare birch branch suspended horizontally, dressed with baubles and lights.
• An upside-down mini tree hung from a ceiling hook - genuinely a Victorian idea, not a gimmick.
• Hanging a branch properly - Read the guide

Put the tree on the wall

• A triangle of warm white fairy lights taped or pinned into a tree shape.
• A ladder of birch or dowel rods on jute string, widest at the bottom, decorations hung from each rung.
• A washi-tape outline on the wall with baubles hung on small adhesive hooks - completely mark-free.
• Cards pinned in a triangle, which solves where to put the cards too.
• A wall-hung wooden tree that folds flat and stores behind a wardrobe.

Small footprint trees

• A 45cm potted tree on a side table reads as a real tree from across the room.
• A half tree, flat to the wall, gives the full height at half the depth.
• A slim pencil tree: 6ft tall, 40cm wide.
• A potted rosemary or bay, decorated, which then lives on in the kitchen.
• A stack of books in a triangle with lights wound through - free.

Using curtain poles, doors and shelves

• Hang paper stars along a curtain pole for an instant window display.
• Dress the bannister and door frames rather than the floor.
• A garland along the top shelf of a bookcase, cards propped between the books.
• A wreath on the inside of every internal door.
• Over-door hooks carry a surprising amount and leave no marks.

Landlord-safe fixings

• Removable adhesive hooks: press 30 seconds, wait an hour, pull the tab straight down to remove.
• Tension rods across an alcove or a window recess with no fixings at all.
• Over-door hooks and existing picture hooks before you make a new hole.
• Never drawing pins in woodchip or freshly painted walls - they take a chunk out.
• Marking-free hanging - Read the guide

Shop party decorations

How to write it so it lands

• Decorate the vertical space.
• Adhesive hooks and tension rods, no drilling.
• One glowing focal point does the job of a tree.

Where to shop next

• All our Christmas guides
• Party supplies
• Bunting and banners
• Christmas cards
• Wall art and prints
• Funny pin badges
• Paper Christmas decorations
• Scandinavian Christmas decorations
• Over-table Christmas decorations
• Eco friendly Christmas decorations
• Christmas bedroom ideas
• Christmas mantelpiece ideas
• Christmas bay window ideas
• Hanging garland around a door frame
• How to hang prints without damage
• Christmas gift ideas
• Christmas card messages
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Christmas Card Messages
• Christmas Cards UK: The Complete Guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What can you use instead of a Christmas tree in a small flat?

A cluster of hanging paper stars, a suspended birch branch, a fairy-light tree shape on the wall, a wall-hung wooden tree, or a 45cm potted tree on a side table.

How do you decorate a flat for Christmas without making holes?

Removable adhesive hooks, tension rods across alcoves, over-door hooks and existing picture hooks. Press adhesive hooks for 30 seconds and leave them an hour before hanging anything.

How do you make a small room feel festive?

Decorate upward - ceiling, curtain poles, doors and the wall above furniture - and keep the floor clear. Warm low lighting makes a small room feel larger after dark, not smaller.

Do hanging paper stars work as a tree replacement?

Yes. Three to five at staggered drops in the corner where a tree would stand, lit with battery LED wire lights, gives you the same glowing focal point with no floor space used.

Where do you put presents without a tree?

In a basket or crate under the hanging decoration, on a low shelf, or stacked on a chair. A lidded basket also keeps them out of sight until the day.

Do you sell paper star lanterns?

No. We design and print greetings cards, enamel pin badges, prints and party decorations in the UK. Paper stars and lights are recommendations from elsewhere - the only things linked to our own shop are ours.