Decorating Your Christmas Campsite

Christmas camping offers a unique opportunity to embrace the minimalist lifestyle among a season of material things. Without distractions and constant interruptions, families have a one-of-a-kind chance to bond over the season. If you’re skipping the holiday chaos this year and going for the closer-to-nature experience, you can still decorate your campsite to bring festive cheer. In fact, decorating your woodland setting may become the best Christmas display you’ve ever made! There are a few tips for helping you to complete a picture-perfect Christmas campsite. 

Photo Credit: Lucas Favre

String Festive Lights Outside

Framing the camper in simple string lights or colorful LED bulbs can be powered by your RV’s outdoor plugs (sometimes located in the outdoor-accessed storage compartments).

If you’re blessed with a tree at your campsite, this can be strung with lights too! Most string lights have connectors at the end to link multiple together, lengthening your lit area. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions about how many strings of lights can be strung together and connected to one outlet for safety. Some campers have placed a Frasier or balsam tree in their campsite yard, glittering with lights for all to see.

String Lights Inside the RV

It’s wonderful to decorate the exterior of your camper, but don’t forget the interior as a special gift to your family. If you run out of outlets for hanging a few string lights inside the camper, there are some excellent battery-powered options on the market today. These are lighter and often offer smaller bulb sizes which should fit perfectly in your RV.

Don’t Skip the Christmas Tree

It’s tempting in cramped spaces to skip the traditional Christmas tree, but this treasured tradition can be continued even at the campsite! There are many artificial trees on the market today that come pre-lit and under four-feet tall. This will enable your family to decorate the tree with your favorite ornaments, which can be extra special when collecting ornaments and keepsakes that come from the different places you’ve visited.

Photo Credit: Any Lane

Let the Kids Participate

If you are traveling with children, the magic of Christmas is enhanced tenfold. Provide them the opportunity to decide how best to decorate for Christmas at the campsite. Some ideas are a Christmas character inflatable, which often come pre-lit and can plug into your outdoor outlet. These can be set to a timer that automatically turns on at dusk for a predetermined amount of time. Creating a nativity scene, helping to decorate a hanging wreath, or choosing a special projecting light can all be unique additions to your family’s holiday scene.

You’ll be the envy of your camping neighbors, and you’ll certainly help spread the Christmas spirit. Happy (Camping) Holidays!