25 Easy Ideas for Decorating a Tabletop Christmas Tree

Tabletop Christmas trees are one of the easiest ways to spread holiday cheer throughout every room in your house or create a destination for Santa in small spaces like apartments or condos. Tabletop trees range between 18 inches and 4-1/2-feet tall and their stature calls for creative decorating. From smaller-than-standard ornaments, makeshift garlands and upcycled accessories — we’re sharing 25 unique decorating ideas and DIY projects to spruce up your tabletop tree this Christmas.

Take cues from this pastel holiday entryway and nestle your tabletop Christmas tree into a woven basket. An airy, sun-bleached basket makes a seamless base for a snow-flocked tree and looks lovely paired with bohemian, contemporary, eclectic, farmhouse or cozy coastal Christmas decor alike.

Pint-sized pines don’t have the real estate to accommodate traditional Christmas tree garlands. Our solution? Just add ribbon! Pull your spare spools from your gift-wrapping arsenal and use your remnants to add movement and dimension to your tabletop tree. Use a raw silk ribbon like the gold number pictured here for a laidback look, or go glamorous with a satin or velvet ribbon instead.

No basket? No problem. Dress your tabletop tree in a cozy crochet skirt instead. This snowy tree skirt looks lovely day or night thanks to the hidden rope light tucked underneath that gives off a golden glow after hours. Continue the warm-and-fuzzy texture of the crochet skirt onto your tree branches with charming yarn ornaments.

Struggling to settle on a theme for your tabletop tree decor? When in doubt, stick with the classics. Deck out your desktop Christmas tree with a collection of iconic holiday characters. Shop this set of timeless miniature ornaments that includes a snowman, reindeer, gingerbread cookie, candy cane, snowglobe, stars and — the man of the hour — Santa Claus.

Skip the shimmery gold star and give your small Christmas tree an unexpected, rustic appeal with our DIY leather tree topper. Pair the tonal leather topper with woodsy ornaments, pinecones, warm white twinkle lights and a burlap base to round out the tabletop tree display.

Warm up your snowy tabletop tree with a slew of metallic earth-tone ornaments and accessories. This bohemian beauty features chocolate satin ribbons, miniature pinecones, champagne tinsel garland and a mix of copper and green baubles. A Southwestern-style blanket wraps around the tree base for an added layer of coziness.

What better way to decorate a fuschia tabletop tree than with iconic Barbie ornaments? This bar cart beauty earns our vote for best dressed with a mix of twinkle lights, metallic silver baubles and fashionable gown-donning dolls.

Give your rustic tabletop tree a glamorous touch for the holiday festivities with a few gilt berry bundles. This miniature Christmas tree is dressed to the nines with metallic gold berry sprays, mini pinecones and vintage brass bells tied with black velvet ribbons.

Fact: Vintage baubles will never go out of style. Dust off your grandmother’s glittering glass ornaments and trim your tabletop tree with retro flair. No hand-me-down balls or spindles to spare? Treat yourself to this decorated mini tree to enjoy the same classic look without spending years tracking down ornaments.

Give your tabletop tree farmhouse flair by tucking the base into a vintage metal bucket. This mint enamel vessel boosts this countertop tree and adds a sweet, storied charm to the kitchen decor. Recreate the look with a weathered wash bucket from your shed or source one from your favorite thrift shop.

Roll up your sweater sleeves, make a cup of cocoa and spend your Saturday afternoon crafting our sweet cardstock ornaments for your tabletop tree. You’ll love them because they’re simple to make and easily customized to fit the color scheme you have in mind. Pair your lot with hand-tied bows for a classic Christmas appeal.

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Start bringing your vision to fruition with your tabletop tree. Wrap its base in a fluffy faux-fur blanket and dangle a mix of white and silver mini baubles on its branches. Add a sparkling snowflake on top for a frosty and festive finishing touch.

Skip the tinsel and spindles and go au naturale with your tabletop Christmas tree decorations. Pack the needled branches with mini pinecones and wrap the base in burlap for an understated and versatile tree that you can leave out beyond December 25th. Want to up the ante? Weave a few juniper berry bundles into the mix for added dimension and a splash of (subtle!) color.

If you have a more-is-more holiday mentality — this one's for you. Style a sparkly silver tinsel tree in a funky planter and add loads of color through vintage rainbow ornaments. This eclectic tabletop tree tucks into a raised chocolate-and-white chinoiserie planter and sports retro glittering ornaments in every color imaginable. Hot pink fringe wraps along the tree base and cascades over the planter edge for added flair to the already eye-catching, color-packed display.

Forgo the traditional star or angel for an oversized bow tree topper. Bows are a fail-proof option because they’re lightweight, inexpensive and easily customized to match your Christmas decorations. This white satin bow makes a bold statement atop this pint-sized Christmas tree and coordinates seamlessly with the crisp-white garland.

Punchy holiday patterns are one of our favorite ways to make a big statement on small tabletop Christmas trees. This ruby plaid bow works overtime, serving as a topple-proof tree topper that cascades along the branches below as a makeshift garland. Recreate the same look on your desktop tree with a plaid wire-edge ribbon from your go-to fabric store or Amazon.

Traditional tree lights may be too long for your tabletop tree, but that doesn’t mean you should skip out on the holiday glow. Make this French country foyer your muse and employ clip-on flameless candles to bring unmatched ambiance to your tabletop tree.

Between baking batches of homemade sugar cookies and gingerbread men, put your silhouette cutters to work crafting custom ornaments for your tabletop tree. They’re just as easy to decorate with your little ones as actual cookies and the results are even sweeter because they’ll last forever. Click the link below for the materials list and our easy step-by-step tutorial to make these beauties at home.

Dial up the glamour and drape your pre-lit tabletop tree with lustrous gold beads. The metallic beading reflects the Christmas lights to yield maximum sparkle after hours. Use the inexpensive beading with white-and-gold baubles for a chic monochrome design or pair with a classic red-and-green color palette for nostalgic charm.

Christmas decorating rule #132: Red and white will always delight. Give your tabletop tree a fresh look with candy cane-inspired accessories. Dangle ruby and snow-white baubles from the mini tree’s branches, then tuck a few holly berry picks into the mix for added texture and dimension.

Decorate your kitchen countertop tree with traditional dried orange slice ornaments. Our sweet but simple DIY is easy to make in a couple of hours and adds brilliant color and old-fashioned flair to any small Christmas tree. Keep it simple using orange slices solo or pair them with stringed cranberries and cinnamon sticks for a festive, fruitful design.

Adorn your tabletop tree with baubles, berries and jingle bells for a whimsical and timeless design. This eye-catching tree gets a lift with a wine crate base and is enlivened with a mix of pearly ornaments, holly berries and bronze bells. An embroidered burlap ribbon and oversized lights wrap the branches, while a silver orb serves as a statement-making topper.

Not a farmhouse enthusiast? Nestle your desktop Christmas tree in a vintage top hat instead. This charming spruce tucks into a dusty (but dapper!) top hat wrapped in tartan ribbon and fresh greenery sprigs. Ruby ribbon bows and miniature snowflakes fill the branches while a snowy star topper rounds out the display.

Tiny trees call for tiny ornaments. One of our go-to ways to deck out tabletop trees starts by digging through our kids’ toy buckets. Decorate your little one’s tabletop tree with the help of a few of their favorite small toys, trinkets and figurines. All you need are a few wire ornament hangers or string to transform items you already own into charming ornaments for the tree. And, the best part? These DIY toy ornaments are almost free.