Christmas Staircase Decor Ideas: 14 Ways to Dress a Banister Without Damage

The calmest version: a soft cedar-style garland draped along the rail, tied on at three or four points with strips of cream linen or wide ribbon, with the last half meter left to hang down the bottom post. No baubles, no lights. It suits a modern staircase with black metal spindles as well as a traditional one, and it is the quickest to put up and take down.

For a traditional hall, tie a large red velvet bow at every tie point and hang two or three gold baubles on ribbon below each one. The bows hide the ties. Space them evenly, about every fourth or fifth spindle, and make the bow on the bottom post the largest.

Mix eucalyptus stems into a pine garland and wire in dried orange slices, a few brass bells and burgundy ribbon. The colors are warm without being red and green. Dried orange slices are made in a low oven over a few hours, and a single orange gives eight to ten of them. This garland looks good on a curved stair, where the swags follow the bend.

On a pale staircase with pale walls, a loose garland of olive or bay-style leaves with gold ribbon bows at each tie point is enough. The long tails of the bows do the decorating. It reads as elegant because there is only one color added to the green.

On a stained wood staircase, a thin pine garland with dried orange slices, small wooden stars and bows of undyed ribbon keeps to the same warm palette as the wood. Finish the bottom post with a hanging lantern holding an LED candle, and stack a few brown-paper parcels tied with twine at the foot, against the wall and out of the walking line.

Where the stair turns past a window, a garland with warm micro lights is seen from outside as well. Battery strands with a timer are the easy choice: no cord down the stairs and no reaching for a switch. Hide the battery pack behind the garland at a post, where you can still get to it.

Two lengths of wide green or burgundy satin ribbon, run in loose swags along the outside of the spindles and gathered with a bow at the post, decorate a whole staircase for the price of a roll of ribbon. Add a single ornament at the bottom post. This is the best idea for a narrow stair, because it adds no depth at all.

Tie baubles on ribbon or twine at different lengths from the handrail, so they hang in the gaps between spindles. Clear glass, smoke grey and champagne look modern; red and green look traditional. Use shatterproof baubles if there are children or pets, and keep them on the outer side of the spindles so they hang over the hall, not over the treads.

Hang one small boxwood wreath on red ribbon from the rail at every third or fourth spindle, as in the photo at the top of the page. All the same size, all the same ribbon. It takes ten minutes and comes down without leaving a needle on the floor.

If the staircase is narrow or busy, leave the rail alone. Tie a full bow with long tails to the bottom post, or wire a short swag of greenery and a cluster of baubles to it. A basket with a small tree on the floor beside it finishes the picture. Our small Christmas tree ideas cover trees that fit a hall corner.

No fireplace? The banister is the next best place for stockings. Tie each one to a spindle with ribbon, over a thin garland, and space them a step or two apart. Hang them empty and fill them on the day, so the weight does not pull on the ties for a month.

Large folded paper stars in white, kraft and rust, hung from the rail on the open side of the staircase, fill the tall triangle of space below it. A lit garland above ties them together. Mix three sizes. They weigh almost nothing, so thread is enough to hold them, and they fold flat for next year.

Hang baubles on ribbon from the garland itself, at different lengths, in red, green and gold, with a strand of lights behind them along the spindles. This is the fullest look on the list and it suits a wide stair in a large hall. On a narrow stair it will get knocked.

On a staircase closed in by walls on both sides, with no open banister, use the wall. Hang three plain wreaths that step up with the stairs, each on a removable hook, or swap the prints in an existing gallery wall for winter ones. Keep anything on the wall flat enough that shoulders and laundry baskets pass it.