How to Enjoy a Christmas Tree in an RV

RV Christmas Tammy Severn 1 — Photo Credit: Tammy Severn

If you are celebrating Christmas in an RV this year, you might wonder if enjoying a traditional Christmas tree is possible. The short answer, is that YES – you can absolutely make a tree work in your camper! Sure, you might not have as much space as you’d have in a traditional home. That does not mean you can’t get creative. Check out these different ways to enjoy a Christmas tree in your RV with friends and family.

Maximizing Small Spaces

No matter what size your rig is, it will probably offer less square footage than a traditional home. We are always amazed at how incredibly efficient RVers are when it comes to RV organization! You can apply these same organizing techniques towards decorating your camper for the holidays! Maximize all available space, including the ceiling, walls and even the RV’s exterior. Downsize your decor when needed. You might not fit your 8 foot spruce in the camper’s rear living space, but a smaller tree could fit any number of spaces!

RV tree and fireplace — Photo credit: Melissa Stupski

Get a Shorter or Thinner Tree

If you’d like to have a tree for Christmas while celebrating in an RV, it’s not a problem. You can go for a smaller option instead of one of the larger trees, such as the ones that are up to eight-feet tall. It may be possible to fit a tree that is around four-feet tall into the RV. You can set it up in an open space in the living room area of the camper. If you’re trying to save some space, you can push it against the wall so that it doesn’t take up too much room.

Another popular choice is the skinny pencil tree! These trees are incredibly thin and fit nicely between furniture or in corners.

RV Christmas Megan Mathis 1 — Photo credit: Megan Mathis

Use Vertical Spaces like Walls and Furniture

By using the camper walls or furniture to hold your tree decor, you can keep plenty of floor space open for walking.

Use a Table Top Tree

Some people prefer to get a tabletop tree because they have limited floor space inside their RV. If you don’t have a lot of floor space, a tiny tree is an excellent alternative that still allows you to have a beautiful tree inside the RV to decorate and enjoy with the family. You can select the size of the tabletop tree you’d like to buy and set up based on different factors. The great thing about these trees, other than the fact that they’re compact and lightweight, is that they’re easy to find. You can buy them in stores or online on different websites, such as Amazon.com.

Smaller trees also take up less storage space! When Christmas is over and it is time to pack away your tree, you will not need as much storage space (which always comes at a premium in RVs)!

Decorate the Walls with Trees

Instead of buying a real or artificial tree, you can always buy wall decorations in the shape of a tree or make them yourself using felt. If you’re planning to make the tree yourself with felt, just trace the shape of a Christmas tree, cut it out, and then decorate it with homemade felt decorations that you can glue on. It’s a fun and creative way to enjoy Christmas in the RV. If you are RVing with kids, they can help design and cut the felt ornaments!

You can string garland, ribbon and string lights and other easy-to-hang decorations on the walls and up over the cabinets as well.

Put a Small Tree on an Ottoman

If you already have an ottoman in the RV, use it as a base for your Christmas tree to make the tree look like it’s even taller. This is a convenient way to add a tree to the RV without taking up a lot of space in and around the vehicle. The picture below and also the top picture in this blog post show a great example of a small tree on an ottoman.

small tree on ottoman — Photo credit Tammy Severn

Use Your Favorite Decorations

Just because you’re celebrating Christmas in the RV this year doesn’t mean you can’t use your favorite decorations. Make the space feel more welcoming and enjoyable by gathering your favorite decorations and getting your loved ones to help you with adding them to the different parts of the tree.

RV Christmas Decor Tips

We have some easy tips that you might want to keep in mind if you plan to set up an RV Christmas tree this year.

Secure Your Tree Before Driving

If you will be traveling to different campgrounds during the holiday season, you can still enjoy your tree! Simply make sure it is very secure before you hitch up and hit the road. For example, you might want to lay the tree down on its side during travel. Another option might be to bungee cord or ratchet strap the tree to a secure piece of furniture (such as a chair or table dinette that is bolted to the floor).

You might find that securing the tree is not a great option for you. In this case, I suggest waiting to set your tree up until you arrive at your destination that is closest to Christmas Day.

Use Command Strips for Easy Hanging (and Removal)

These Command Hooks by 3M really are a nice option for camper decor. We have use them to hang all sorts of things: from picture frames to wreaths! They are easy to use, don’t leave marks on the wall and are super simple to remove or relocate.

Consider plastic tree ornaments

One thing we have learned the hard way: glass and RVs don’t tend to mix well. From the bouncing and jostling while rolling down the road to smaller indoor space where people sometimes bump into furniture (and each other), unbreakable ornaments will always be the best choice.

These days you can find all kinds of great plastic, wooden, paper and/or fabric ornaments. These would all make wonderful options for tree decor!

Think beyond the tree

Once you decided whether or not to have a tree in your motorhome for the Christmas season, consider other decor pieces that will give even a small space a great holiday feel! You can also add exterior decorations to your campsite. Some of our favorite holiday decoration accents include:

It’s not hard to enjoy a Christmas tree in an RV when you have this many options. Choose the option that works best for you and your travel companions when deciding what to do and how to decorate the camper for the holiday season.

Do you celebrate Christmas from an RV? What tips would you add to our list to give the camper a festive look? Are there any other ideas you might share? Feel free to drop us a comment and tell us about it!

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