I personally know so many people and families that get stressed around the holidays. Christmas brings me joy but I think part of that is because I keep everything minimal. The gifts, the decor, the money spent! Check out some of my minimalist Christmas ideas that will hopefully inspire you and keep you happy over the holidays.
Minimalist Christmas Ideas
1. Minimize Your Decor
Keep your decor to a minimum. You don’t need to fill every single part of your place with decorations. You can choose a room, or choose a theme. Even better, make your own decor, check out these DIY 10 neutral Christmas decor ideas. This festive garland is made from oranges, a DIY tutorial is coming soon.
2. Spend time with your Family and Friends
Figure out what works best for you and your family. If you always host Christmas dinner consider taking turns with family, or do a pot luck where everyone brings a dish. Spending time together and making memories is always the best part of Christmas for me. You can have cookie exchanges with friends, cook with your family or just go sledding and drink hot chocolate afterwards. For all my introverts out there, say no to parties if you want to relax. Do what feels right and don’t feel like you have to visit people or family if you don’t want to.
3. Gift Ideas- Buy Less!
You can make your own gifts! There are many DIY gift ideas on Pinterest or if you’ve got a skill use it as your gift. If you’re a baker, photographer or artist, people will always appreciate receiving a homemade gift. Our families only give gifts to the children or we draw names and have a spending limit. This way you’re buying only 1 quality and thoughtful gift instead of multiple gifts. Don’t end up with credit card debt buying things you can’t afford and most likely don’t need anyways. Also consider gifting an experience, such as movie passes, zoo passes, subscriptions or concert tickets.
4. Make Your Own Christmas Traditions
Every year for Saint Nicholas Day the kids clean their boots and leave them out near a window overnight so that Saint Nicholas can fill it with candies and treats. This is a European tradition that I have done since I was a kid and have continued with our family. Because we do this we don’t fill stockings at Christmas (those are usually filled with a lot of knick knacks and plastic anyways). We decorate the tree together and the kids each have their own mini trees in their bedroom, and then we write our letters to Santa. You can get your own free Santa letter printable here. Looking forward to doing these traditions each year always bring us joy!
5. Donate or Volunteer
One reason I love minimalism is because it makes you appreciate what you have. I try to be intentional with what we buy and always show gratitude for what we have. Every year we participate in programs that allow us to buy food and gifts for children and families in need. From stuffing a bus with food, donating to food hampers, or the angel tree program that lets you buy a toy for kids, there are lots of ways to help. In Canada, the Salvation Army offers Christmas assistance to families by offering food, toys and clothing for families to put under the tree. Family and Children services usually has a family adoption program that allows you to adopt a family and gift each member something from their wish list. If you’re not able to donate with items you can always help by donating your time.
Every persons ideas of a minimalism Christmas is different. You don’t have to take away everything. Just reduce as much stuff as you can, appreciate what you have, and focus on creating memories for your kids, family and friends. Merry Christmas!
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