The easiest Christmas staircase for a small or narrow stair is one slim garland on the handrail, a string of warm white lights tucked inside it and three bows: one at the bottom post, one in the middle and one at the top. Measure the rail, buy about 1.25 times that length in pine garland, tie it on with soft ties instead of nails, and leave the steps empty. Stockings, wreaths up the wall and a lantern on the landing are extras. Below are nine ideas that each work on their own, so pick two or three and stop there.
9 Christmas Staircase Decor Ideas for Small Stairs
How much garland does a staircase need?
Measure the handrail, not the stairs. A standard stair with 7.5 inch risers and 10 inch treads has about 12.5 inches of rail per step, so count your risers and call it a foot each. A stair with 13 risers has roughly 13 feet of handrail, and a short basement stair with 8 risers has about 8.
| What you want | Buy | For a 13 foot rail |
|---|---|---|
| Garland that follows the rail closely | 1.1 to 1.25 times the rail | 14 to 16 feet |
| Soft swags between ties | 1.25 to 1.5 times the rail | 16 to 20 feet |
Garland usually comes in 9 foot strands, so two of them joined end to end cover most staircases. HGTV did exactly that on its colorful staircase: it joined two 9 foot garlands, made two large swags from the 18 feet and let the extra pool loosely at the bottom. One strand is enough for a short stair of 8 steps or fewer.
On a narrow stair, pick a slim railing garland, about 12 inches wide or less, so a hand can still reach the rail. A thick one has to be pushed aside every time someone goes up with the laundry.
How do you hang garland on stairs without damaging the railing?
Tie it on. Nails, staples and tape mark a stained staircase railing, and soft ties come off in a minute. HGTV twists two chenille stems (pipe cleaners) together, loops them around the garland and the rail, and covers the twist with a bow. Lowe’s says to use twine on the railing to prevent scratches. Brocante Majolie suggests soft garland ties, floral wire wrapped carefully, ribbon ties or green pipe cleaners hidden inside the greenery.
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Purpose-made ties are the neatest option. These brown garland ties (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. come 12 to a pack, each about 16 inches long, with flexible wire inside a nylon cover, and the listing calls them reusable. Twelve is plenty for one rail.
- Start at the bottom post. Brocante Majolie says to secure the newel post, the top of the stairs and every place the garland dips first, and to use more ties if the garland is heavy.
- Tie on the outside face of the rail. Keep the garland on the side and underneath, away from the top where your hand goes.
- Space the ties. About every 18 to 24 inches for a close wrap, and at each end of every swag.
- Twist a few branches around the spindles. HGTV does this to keep the garland flush and for extra security.
- Hold the rail and walk up. If anything catches your sleeve or your fingers, move it before it is a problem.
Renting? Ties, ribbon and clear hooks leave nothing behind. Our no-nail Christmas decor guide for renters has the rest of the list.
9 Christmas staircase decor ideas for a small or narrow staircase
Christmas decorating on a stair works best in small doses. Each of these stands alone. Two or three together look planned, and all nine look like a store. Stick to three or four colors, as Lowe’s advises for a banister, and repeat them from the bottom post to the top.
1. A slim pre-lit garland tied to the rail
The outlet is almost never at the foot or the top of the stairs. Dani Taylor of Cox & Cox told Homes & Gardens that pre-lit garlands are the best investment for exactly this reason: they run on batteries, and sockets are a real challenge at either end of a stair. A battery strand also leaves no cord to trip over.
This AMERZEST garland (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is 9 feet long and 12 inches wide with 300 branch tips and 50 warm white LED lights. It takes 3 AA batteries (not included), has a timer that runs 6 hours on and 18 off, and the listing names stair railings as a use. It is a thin strand, so for a 13 foot rail join two end to end. If you have an outlet at the bottom post, the 9 foot plug-in Norwood Fir from National Tree Company (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. is the fuller choice. Tie either one on with the ties above. A faux garland keeps its needles into January and goes back in the box in one piece.
Cost: $ to $$, depending on how many strands your rail takes.
2. Three soft swags with a bow at each dip
The classic stair look is a garland that dips between ties. Drape it loosely so each dip hangs in a soft curve. Brocante Majolie describes the two ways to hang one: swags that sag between attachment points, or a continuous line that follows the rail. On a 13 foot rail, three swags with a tie about every 4 feet looks balanced, and each dip can hang 8 to 10 inches. Put a bow at every tie; red bows on green are the classic, and they hide the ties, as Brocante Majolie points out.
Keep the bows small on a narrow stair. A loop of about 6 inches with short tails will not catch on a coat sleeve, and Journee Mondiale advises shortening any tail that does. This 2.5 inch red velvet wired ribbon (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. comes in a 10 yard roll, which is enough for six or seven bows and the bottom post in idea 5. The wired edge holds a loop.
For a farmhouse look, HGTV’s rustic stair uses a pine garland with pinecones in it and burlap bows instead of velvet.
Cost: $ if you already own a garland.
3. Warm white lights on the rail, and nothing else
If you do not want greenery, lights do the job alone. Ordinary Christmas lights work too, as long as the bulbs are small. Balsam Hill’s own advice for a stair without garland is to wrap string lights around the banister. On a short stair it is the quietest, cheapest Christmas look there is.
Use thin copper wire lights so the wire disappears and only the glow shows. This 6 pack of fairy lights (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. has six 10 foot strands, runs on a 2 AA battery box and has a 6 on, 18 off timer. Wind two strands loosely in a spiral along the rail, tuck each battery box behind the bottom post or the first spindle, and switch them on at dusk once and the timer brings them back at the same time every evening.
Cost: $.
4. A small bow on every third spindle
This is the no-garland idea for a very narrow stair, and for a rail you do not want to touch at all. Tie a small velvet bow just under the handrail on every third spindle, not every one. Every spindle looks fussy and costs three times the ribbon. The same wired velvet from idea 2 works here, cut into pieces about 30 inches long.
Between the bows, hang a strand of dried orange slices from the rail. Good Housekeeping hangs dried citrus from a hand railing, and Homes & Gardens ties dried oranges and limes into staircase greenery. It adds a bit of smell and color without a single plug. Our dried orange garland guide shows how to make one that lasts the season.
Cost: $.
5. A big bow and a short drop of greenery on the bottom post
The newel post is the first thing people see, so it can take more than the rest of the rail. Brocante Majolie calls it the place for a large velvet bow, a cluster of bells or fuller greenery, and the focal point of the whole stair, and says to let the garland fall a little so the post looks richer. That is the one spot on a small stair where you can go bigger.
Tie a bow with long tails at the top of the post and wire it from behind so it does not slide. Add a ribbon of three small brass bells under it. Keep everything on the post within a few inches of it, so nothing sticks out into the walkway. A couple of unbreakable red Christmas ornaments and a few pine cones wired into the garland where it meets the post finish it.
Cost: $.
6. Stockings on the handrail
No fireplace? The stair rail is a good place for stockings. HGTV hangs them below the garland with zip ties and puts a bauble on each one to tell whose is whose. Brocante Majolie uses ribbon instead of heavy hooks for stockings that are mostly decoration.
Hang them from ribbon loops on the outside of the rail, about 12 inches apart, and keep the bottoms well above the steps. Good Housekeeping’s advice is to make sure they do not hang down to the floor. For more ways to hang them, see our list of places to hang stockings without a fireplace.
Cost: $ if you own the stockings.
7. Three wreaths climbing the wall
On a narrow stair the wall is often the wider surface. Lowe’s suggests a wreath with a wired bow on the stair wall, and Homes & Gardens lines up several simple wreaths to mark each stage of the climb. Three small matching ones, 12 inches across, are enough for a 13 step stair.
Hang each one so its center is about 5 feet above the step nearest it, which makes the line rise with the rail. Command medium clear hooks (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. work on painted walls without a hole, and each one holds up to 2 pounds. If your wreath weighs more, pick a lighter one. The listing says to wait seven days after painting and not to use them on wallpaper. For more ideas like this, our Christmas wall decor guide covers paper stars, cards and felt trees.
Cost: $ to $$.
8. A lantern with flameless candles on the landing
If your stair has a landing, treat it as a small scene. Brocante Majolie keeps the landing display close to the rail decor, and Lowe’s shows copper lanterns and LED candles on the stair landings. Flameless candles are the practical choice: Homes & Gardens says they are safe around children and pets.
Set the lantern in a corner or on the windowsill, away from the opening where people turn. This 11 inch lantern (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. comes with three flameless candles of different heights and a timer for 6 hours on and 18 off. It takes 3 AAA batteries, which are not included. A small wreath on the wall above it makes the corner look finished.
Cost: $ to $$.
9. A basket of wrapped boxes and a small tree at the foot of the stairs
The floor at the bottom of the stairs is where the bulky decorations belong, the ones that would be in the way on the steps. Brocante Majolie lists lanterns, wrapped gifts, a basket of greenery and a small tree for this spot, and HGTV stacks wrapped empty boxes at the base with a fuzzy blanket underneath.
Fill a woven basket with four empty boxes wrapped in kraft paper and red ribbon, and set a 2 foot tabletop Christmas tree in a galvanized bucket beside it. Keep both to one side so the path to the first step stays clear. A silver ornament or two on the tree picks up the metal of the bucket.
Cost: $ to $$.
What are the best Christmas decorations for a stair railing?
Greenery, lights and ribbon, in that order. A slim garland gives the rail a shape, lights give it a glow and bows give it a finish. After those, stockings, ornaments tied on with ribbon, small wreaths hung from the rail, a strand of dried oranges or a string of pinecones all work. Interior design advice for this is simple: pick a few materials and repeat them. If the ribbon on the rail is red velvet, use the same velvet on the front door wreath and the tree.
How do you decorate a staircase without garland?
Use lights, ribbon or wreaths on their own. Balsam Hill lists string lights, ribbon, small wreaths, hanging ornaments, lanterns with LED candles and miniature trees as ways to dress a stair with no garland. These are the ones that work best on a narrow stair:
- Lights only, as in idea 3.
- Bows on every third spindle, as in idea 4.
- Wreaths climbing the wall, as in idea 7.
- A few single sprigs of pine, eucalyptus or berries at the bottom post, the top and the landing instead of along the whole rail.
- Paper or felt snowflakes hung up the wall. Homes & Gardens likes paper decorations because they are cheap and easy to replace.
Can you make your own staircase garland?
Yes, and a paper one is the easiest. Homes & Gardens shows a staircase hung with layered paper chains made from strips of patterned paper, and kids can make most of it. A strand of dried orange slices on twine is the other homemade option, and it needs only an oven. Both are light enough to hang on soft ties.
How do you light a staircase for Christmas?
Use battery lights if you can. They give you no cord across the stair and no hunting for an outlet. Hide each battery box behind a bow, the bottom post or the landing, and set the timer so the lights come on without you. The innotree listing above says the batteries last about a month on the timer and two weeks left on all the time.
Pick one color temperature and repeat it. Journee Mondiale advises choosing one light temperature and using it at every turn, and warm white looks cozier than cool white in a hallway. Weave the lights under the greenery, not across the top, so the glow shows through the branches. If you use a plug-in strand, run the cord along the baseboard from the bottom post and keep it off the steps.
What can you put on the steps themselves?
Not much on a small stair. Homes & Gardens advises keeping anything off the steps, because it becomes a trip hazard, and putting your decor on the rail and the wall instead. That is easy to follow on a narrow stair, and it is why ideas 8 and 9 sit on the landing and at the foot.
On a wide stair, small lanterns on every other step against the wall can work. Shelterness shows mini candle lanterns on each step with a fir garland on the rail. For a narrow staircase, skip it.
How do you decorate a tall staircase or an open stairwell?
Use the height you have. Brocante Majolie hangs stars, snowflakes or oversized ornaments in a tall stairwell and varies the heights so they do not form a straight line. Thread them on clear fishing line and hang them from the ceiling with clear hooks, or tie them to ribbon and hang them from the spindles. Homes & Gardens notes that a pendant light over a stair is already a feature, so keep the rest of the decor quiet around it.
A tall stair also has a longer rail. Count the risers and allow a foot of garland for each one, plus the 1.25 times from the table above. Sixteen risers means about 16 feet of rail and 20 feet of garland, which is two 9 foot strands and a bit more.
How do you decorate the entrance and the bottom of the stairs?
If the stairs start in the entryway, treat the two as one space. Lowe’s recommends keeping the theme running through an open space, so the ribbon and the greenery match from the front door to the first step. A console table, a mat and the wreath on the door can all repeat one color from the rail. Our narrow entry Christmas guide shows how to fit it all in a small hallway.
What to buy
Some of these are Amazon affiliate links. The details come from the product listings.
- Battery garland, 9 feet, 50 lights, 12 inches wide: AMERZEST pre-lit garland (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. for idea 1.
- Plug-in garland, 9 feet: National Tree Company Norwood Fir (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure., if your outlet is at the bottom post.
- Garland ties, 12 pack, brown: DIYASY ties (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. to attach any garland.
- Wired velvet ribbon, 2.5 inches, 10 yards: Ribbli red velvet ribbon (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. for ideas 2, 4 and 5.
- Battery fairy lights, six 10 foot strands, timer: innotree lights (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. for idea 3.
- Clear adhesive hooks, hold 2 pounds each: Command medium clear hooks (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. for idea 7.
- Lantern, 11 inches, three flameless candles, timer: decorative candle lantern (opens Amazon in a new tab)As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure. for idea 8.
What are the common mistakes on a Christmas staircase?
- Garland too thick. On a narrow stair, it crowds the rail. Use a slim strand and double it only where you need to.
- Hooks or tape on a stained rail. Use ties.
- Long bow tails. They catch coats and shoulders. Cut them short.
- Too many colors. Keep to three or four and repeat them.
- A battery box on a step. Hide it behind a bow or the bottom post.
- Things on the steps. Move them to the landing or the foot of the stairs.
How much does it cost to decorate a staircase?
Less than you would guess if you start with the holiday decor you already own. A mantel garland doubles as a stair garland, and our guide to how much Christmas garland you need explains how to stretch one strand. For lights on a battery strand, see how many lights a pre-lit garland needs.
- $: lights only, or spindle bows with ribbon you already own.
- $$: a battery garland, ties and bows for one rail.
- $$$: two garlands, wreaths up the wall, a lantern on the landing and a tree at the bottom.
Start with the garland and the ties. Add the bows. Stop when it looks finished and you can still hold the rail.
