If you are spending your Christmas out camping this year then bring some of the season’s magic along with you. You can do this by packing some Christmas campsite decorations. No matter which Christmas break camping destination you choose, you must think about the decorations! The fact is that much like Halloween camping there are so many ways that you can decorate your site. From simple lights to adding inflatables. Finding a campground that provides activities and decoration competitions makes the season even brighter. Especially as you sip hot cocoa and walk around the campground viewing all the festive decorations.
Don’t have time to check out all of our suggestions? Then start with these quick decorating items!
Don’t forget to pack the essentials on your holiday break!
- Festive lights for your area outside of your RV.
- A fake Christmas Tree prelit with lights. You can add ornaments when you get to the campsite
- Festive kitchen wear, such as holiday plates, glasses
- Holiday games and activities
- Christmas Inflatables
- Garland
Christmas Campsite Decoration Ideas
To start you need to ask yourself, do I go all out or do I need something small and easy? If you are tent camping and weight is a concern then focus on our Take it Easy list. However, if you are pulling that travel trailer or driving that RV then take a look at our Go Big list. In either case, we know that bringing Santa to your campsite will give young and old something to smile about this Christmas. While we are providing some of the best ways we have found to decorate for Christmas, this is not an exhaustive list. We would love to hear about the spooktacular ways you have decorated!
Don’t forget to be prepared for your winter camping trip.
Take it Easy
The Christmas Door Mat
You will want to make sure to welcome all of your campsite guests with a wonderful doormat. This is a great way to easily add some Christmas campsite decorations without going too big. There are so many options to choose from when it comes to door mats. So choose one that is right for your group! Place it down early so Santa has a place to wipe his feet!
Christmas Garden Flags
Much like the doormat, a Christmas garden flag is an easy way to spruce up the campsite. You can hang these flags from a designated pole. Better yet get a few and decorate around your RV. I have also hung these off of the picnic table. They are a fun way to bring a little extra flair without taking a bunch of weight with you at the same time.
Christmas Picnic Tablecloths
If you are camping in the winter you likely will be somewhere a bit more temperate. That is unless you like to adventure and challenge yourself! In any case, you will likely have a picnic table. Just like in the summertime, you will want to have a tablecloth to make cleanup easier. Not to mention the tablecloths are a bit more sanitary. So if you are going to have a tablecloth anyway, then why not grab one or two Christmas-themed ones to take with you?
Need to bring some presents along with you? Check out our camping gift guides
Christmas Throw Pillows
From outside the RV to inside. You won’t want to forget to decorate on the inside. So grab a few Christmas-themed throw pillow shams. These will bring that holiday cheer to the couch or bed. Every RV has at least a few extra pillows that could use a good cover on them. Are you tent camping? Then maybe you will want to have a few seasonal camp pillows with you as well. Sometimes taking a small decorative pillow from home is a great sleeping bag pillow. So add that Christmas camping decorations flair to it with a new Christmas sham.
Garland and Wreaths
Whether you are inside or outside garland is one of the most wonderful Christmas camping decorations. This is because you can have garland up on your awning, around tent poles, on hand holds, or on your tow vehicle. No matter where you choose to put it make sure that it is environmentally safe. Natural garland may be better. If you like to reuse though just make sure that you clean up any pieces that break away. Nothing screams Christmas like a little extra greenery!
If garland isn’t really your thing then you could consider a wreath. There are lots of places to hang a wreath when you are camping as well. Be creative! You may even want to consider making your own wreaths with the family. It would be a fun activity and you could share with the campground your family’s creativity.
Need some ideas on what to cook while Christmas camping? Check out all of our recipes.
Go Christmas Big
Christmas Lights
We can’t be like Clark Griswald when it comes to Christmas lights. You certainly do not want to be like him at the campsite either. However, a few tasteful Christmas light strands around your site can add Christmas flair. In fact, these lights can actually play double duty if you set them up correctly. During the early evenings of late fall and early winter, Christmas lights can add to safety by providing much-needed light. just remember to turn them off before you hit the hay, or have too much egg nog!
Don’t forget to layer your clothing while winter camping.
Christmas Inflatables
Another of the best Christmas campsite decorations that you may want to bring are Christmas inflatables. There are so many of these to choose from. Do you want a six-foot Santa? How about a giant snow globe? They both would make great decorations for a campsite. This is because they are easy to inflate and instantly add some Christmas pop! If you are competing in a campground decoration contest then these are sure to give you an edge.
Pre-lit Christmas Trees
I would be completely remiss if I did not include a Christmas tree on this list. Now you won’t need one of those bulky 8-foot trees for inside your RV. However, you may want to have a couple on the outside. Think of how many presents could be left under a few well-placed Christmas trees at your campsite! If you purchase pre-lit ones you don’t even have to worry about stringing the lights up!
For inside your RV, I would recommend bringing along a smaller tree. You can still purchase a pre-lit version but this will give you an opportunity to show off your kitschy camping ornaments. We all have them so put them on display. That way when you invite your camp neighbors in for a warm apple cider you have something fun to discuss.
Hand Out Camping Presents
While not strictly a decoration you could hang a Santa Sack in your campsite. Fill the sack with camping presents for those who ventured out into the cold campground with you. Nothing says Christmas cheer like giving to those around us. You will make some family’s whole camping trip if you have the ability to share some small Christmas gifts right from Santa’s captured magical bag. So while this is not a Christmas campsite decorations idea per se, it will surely help you to ring in the holiday season.
You don’t need to do anything too big. Smaller inexpensive camping and outdoor gifts are really all you need to make it special. If the gear itself seems too big, consider giving things like books, stickers, or ornaments. All of these can be Christmas-themed. If books are your thing consider giving our Tales from a National Park Campground to those you love.
Here are three ways to get some winter gear on a budget.
Decorate Yourself
You can go big by decorating yourself every single day. Wear an ugly sweater around the campground. Get a few so that you can keep bringing those holiday chuckles to the campfire. You are going to need to stay warm so have some Christmas-themed hats, scarves, and mittens. They will be good conversation starters when you gather with a cup of hot apple cider around the fire.
If you are in a more temperate camping area like Florida then you may even be able to pull out a Christmas-themed Hawaiian shirt. Decorating yourself should be fun. It certainly is festive, and if you are like me then it will help you to embarrass your children.
Final Christmas Campsite Decorations Thoughts
Christmas is such a wonderful time to go camping. The cold evenings and the sun setting earlier make the campsite more pleasant. Not to mention the feeling of togetherness that comes during Christmas. So on your next Christmas camping trip take along a few Christmas campsite decorations and really spruce up your site. We promise that it will get everyone in the campground talking!
What Christmas campsite decorations are you using this year? We would like to hear about them in the comments, on our Facebook, or on Reddit!
