Christmas In An RV: Decorating Ideas for the Holiday Season

Let’s get into the holiday spirit today and talk about spending Christmas in an RV!

Holidays are just as fun while traveling in your RV as they were prior to living life on the road. Each year somewhere between the end of the camping season and Halloween, I get asked a simple question by my loving family, “Are we going to decorate for the holidays this year?”

I’m usually tempted to try to skip the décor and start some new tradition that doesn’t involve fake trees, string lights, stockings, and garland hung all over the place, but the kids love it and so do I to be honest. My only gripe is that I don’t like buying it all over every year, to just give it away or worse trash it because we can’t store it.

Decorating an RV for the holidays can be hard especially when you have such limited space, but that just means you’ll have to be creative.

In this post, I want to offer a few ideas and tips for full-time RVers who will be spending their first or their next Christmas in an RV!

Let’s do it.

Table of Contents

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• Spending Christmas in an RV
• Getting In The Holiday Spirit
• 8 Tips To Set The Mood For Your RV Christmas
• Decorating Your RV For The Holidays
• 6 Easy Christmas Decorations For Your RV Interior
• Christmas Trees & Garland in Your RV
• 5 RV Christmas Ideas For Your Trees & Garland
• Enjoying Your RV Christmas

Spending Christmas in an RV

So, I’ll admit, I have been known to be somewhat of a scrooge around our home-on-wheels.

Buying decorations we obviously can’t store to reuse next year is just not an option for me. It’s wasteful and to be honest, I’d rather use that money on a fun adventure or tickets to a new museum or city attraction.

We’re supposed to be collecting memories not stuff, but some days this way of thinking is harder to stick to than others. And the day after Thanksgiving, when all the radio stations start playing Christmas music… is one of the hardest.

Overall I’ve made it my goal to find ways for Christmas in an RV to be just as glorious as a sticks-n-bricks Christmas, without too much fuss!

Because while limited room for storage may hinder how much saving and transporting of decorations we can do, it shouldn’t stop us from trying to give it our all and light up the campground with our love for the holiday season!

Getting In The Holiday Spirit

First things first, you’ve got to get in the holiday spirit!

No need to try to decorate if you’re just not feeling it yet! So pop on tunes, and start creating a little holiday cheer inside your RV to set the vibe for the weeks to come!

8 Tips To Set The Mood For Your RV Christmas

1. Play Some Holiday Music: You have to have holiday tunes to get in the spirit! Grab a CD from Amazon or download a few holiday albums on iTunes and play them in your RV, on your outdoor speakers, or on your phone while you walk the dog or do your laundry!
2. Whip Out The Matching Family PJs: Get into the Christmas spirit with a set of matching pajamas! This is a fun and affordable way to capture those adorable holiday photos and create cozy memories snuggled up together.
3. Put Candy Canes On Display: Who can resist these minty delights? Not me! I love peppermint and we always have some lying around in a bowl. During the holidays we switch it up and buy mini candy canes to display and add them to our tree as well as garland.
4. Santa Hats for Everyone: Santa hats are a classic and festive way to add some holiday cheer to your RV Christmas. They’re inexpensive and fun for everyone, from the youngest elf to the grown-up Santas!
5. Build A Gingerbread House: Fun to build and fun to eat! Have a great time creating this tasty masterpiece and display it for as long as it lasts. We always end up nibbling on it for a few days… they just don’t seem to last longer than that, but you can always make another!
6. Holiday Movie Nights: Curl up with some hot cocoa and popcorn (inside or by the campfire) and enjoy classic Christmas movies or your holiday favorites. Many streaming services have special Christmas movie collections, making it easy to find the perfect film for a festive night in.
7. Festive Slippers: Trade in your shoes for some comfy, festive slippers. This will not only keep your feet warm but also add to the cozy Christmas ambiance inside your RV.
8. Sip On Apple Cider: You can’t miss the opportunity to drink warm apple cider this holiday season, especially if you plan to make it yourself! The smell will fill your camper with sweetness and your neighbors will thank you as well.

Decorating Your RV For The Holidays

Even with limited space, you can bring the holiday spirit into your RV!

Here are 6 easy and festive decorating ideas to create a cozy Christmas atmosphere that will have you feeling right at home on the road.

6 Easy Christmas Decorations For Your RV Interior

• Stockings: You do not have to hang them on the fireplace, although if you have one that would be perfect! These traditional holiday decorations can be hung anywhere in the RV, both inside and out! This year we hung a few Christmas stockings on the main slide in the living room and the rest on around the wreath behind the TV
• White lights: I love white string lights and honestly use them all year-round for additional lighting outside our camper! After Thanksgiving, I usually make sure to break out a few extra sets of the mini lights to hang up indoors and give the inside of the camper a pretty glow at night! If you’re planning on being in the same location for a while, I would suggest decorating your site by trimming your outdoor trees, light posts, and even your camper!
• Candles: I think everyone has candles in their RV… But during the holidays buy some with festive scents and colors and actually burn them for reasons beyond the power going out! Use candles to decorate your RV and burn them every once in a while, to fill the air with holiday scents that remind you of good times and cherished memories! ***If candles in an RV aren’t your thing, try the battery-operated ones for decoration only and use a holiday-scented plugin to bring in the seasonal scent!
• Throw Pillows: Try a holiday slipcover for your throw pillows! These are easy to store and a nice addition to the living room decor! Once the holidays are over, simply take them off and store them easily with your decorations or linens until next year!
• Throws: It’s easy to buy a cheap throw that you can cozy up with for a few months and then toss in the donation bag when they start to show signs of wear. These fun holiday-themed blankets are great for campfires, movie nights, or just a bit of extra warmth on a cool night!

Christmas Trees & Garland in Your RV

What’s Christmas without a tree?

Whether full-size, miniature, inside or out, you’ll find that where there is a will, there’s a way to have the perfect Christmas tree while RVing! But you may have to think outside the box.

5 RV Christmas Ideas For Your Trees & Garland

• Keep Your Tree Outside: Gotta have a full-size tree? Keep that baby outside (weather dependent) or just decorate one at your campsite!
• Try a Pencil Tree: Grab a slim, narrow tree for the corner in your RV. These are the perfect fit, and they come in many different styles and heights.
• Enjoy A Table Top Tree: Instead of wasting space on a full-sized tree, try using a table-top version this year and enjoy the extra room to move around. You can find pre-lit versions and those with holiday music for a little extra pizzazz!
• Garland/Wreaths: No holiday home would be complete without a wreath and some holiday garland! I’d stick with the fake stuff indoors and if you love the fresh options, keep them outdoors to avoid a big mess.
• Bunting/Banners: I love a well-themed banner for a holiday! Add one around your slides, hang one on your awning or attach it between a few trees to decorate your site. You can even layer it over your garland to spruce it up a bit!

Enjoying Your RV Christmas

See- it’s easy to decorate your RV for the holiday season.

Options are endless and you don’t have to go overboard, spend a bunch of money, or stress about the finest details. With the scent of Christmas in the air, holiday PJs, planned holiday movies, and holiday treats at the ready, you’ll find enjoying Christmas in your RV, regardless of where you’re parked is pretty easy!

There are so many little ways to bring in the holiday cheer! Small personal touches are all you need. So if you’re planning on spending Christmas in your RV this year, there’s still time to decorate!