12 Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas for a Small Apartment

In this post: There’s no reason your limited space should limit your holiday cheer. Here are 12 easy holiday decorating ideas for a small apartment.⇒

Did you ever look around your space and wonder where on earth could you put a tree?

It’s easy to pull out all the stops with your holiday decor when you have a sprawling home with cavernous rooms, high ceilings and front and back yards.

But what happens when you live in a small apartment or home with no private outdoor space?

If approached creatively, there’s no reason your limited space should limit your holiday cheer. I chose to do this post at my son’s apartment to illustrate that point!

Apartment Holiday Decorating Ideas

The apartment is new and modern, in a high rise building with two walls of windows allowing in plenty of light. The kitchen and living room are connected and that is the area I styled for this post. The space is small, but we were still able to utilize these 12 festive ideas.

Here are 12 easy holiday decorating ideas for a small apartment!

1. Tartan Plaid Pillows

The decor in this apartment is normally very neutral, so the infusion of holiday color is probably the single most impactful thing we could do to spice it up for the holidays. The red tartan pillow below works really well with the neutrals and yet is a bold seasonal cue.

2. Faux Pine Garland

With no mantel or even a sideboard to drape a garland over, we used the window sill to display this beautiful snowy garland. It lights up for evening and when placed on the wrap around sill, it envelopes the room in wintery goodness.

3. Bowl of Orbs and Pine Cones

Perhaps the easiest Christmas decor trick ever, a bowl full of glittered ornaments and natural pine cones can be added to even the tiniest room.

4. Faux Fur Throw

Nothing says ‘cozy winter home’ quite like a faux fur throw. Who wouldn’t want to wrap up in one of these as the temperatures plunge, especially in an apartment without a fireplace?

5. Fresh Wreath

With only a bar counter between the galley kitchen and the living room, my son has a bistro table tucked into the corner of the room.

If you have solid walls in your home, you can easily find a place to hang a wreath, but with wall to wall windows, we used the wreath on the dining table.

A faux one would also work, but with no outdoor space, it’s nice to have the smell of fresh greenery in the apartment.

6. Glittered Cone and Bottle Brush Trees

The only wall that’s not windowed is dominated by a large TV.

Flanking the screen with these jovial trees adds holiday cheer to this side of the room, without blocking the viewing screen.

7. Tabletop Tree with Mini Ornaments

A tiny tabletop tree is a brilliant solution for a small home, or even a small room in a larger home.

These glass ball mini ornaments worked perfectly here, with just enough color and a touch of glimmer. (I kept the glimmer to a minimum as this apartment is shared by two guys.)

8. Small Poinsettia

It’s always nice to have live plants at home, and this sweet little poinsettia on the end table is another opportunity to add a pop of seasonal color.

You don’t need a huge front entry lined with stepped poinsettias, when a tiny plant will make the same statement in your interior space.

9. Buffalo Plaid Blanket

For another shot of seasonal red, a chunky blanket in a buffalo plaid looks great folded on an occasional chair. Toss a few pine cones on top to really drive the point home.

10. Lantern with Ornaments

We used two of these ornament filled lanterns and this one is propped on the marble bar counter. (The other was used on the bistro table centered within the wreath.)

11. Fresh Holiday Greenery

Draped along the counter and stemming from the lantern I placed fresh holiday greens. These could also be used in an arrangement or tucked into any number of spots.

This is one of the easiest and most versatile ways to decorate a small space.

12. Fir Entrance Trees

I saved the best for last!  You can in fact have a tree, albeit a smaller one.  

Or two.

I’m crazy about these fir entrance trees and they can be placed around a room in a number of ways.

I had originally planned to have them flanking the TV, but I’d forgotten about a new chair that was added there. Instead I preferred seeing them in a more dominant position, facing us as we enter the room.

The key in decorating a small apartment is to use things in ways that work for your unique space and to not worry about what they were intended to be used for.

If you don’t have a large entry way, and you can’t fit a full sized tree, go for the entrance tree and place it anywhere your heart desires!

Thank you for joining me on this tour of my son’s apartment dressed for the holidays!

If you’d like to see the rest of the apartment and what it looks like most of the year, you might be interested in this post: Decorating A Young Man’s Bachelor Pad. For more apartment decor, check out Bachelor Pad Decor Ideas.

More Compact Holiday Decor Ideas for a Small Apartment:

• Mini Christmas Tree: Opt for a tabletop tree or a narrow pencil tree to save space.
• String Lights: Hang fairy lights along walls, windows, or shelving for a festive glow.
• Over-the-Door Wreath: Add a wreath to your front door or a bedroom door for instant cheer.
• Holiday Pillows: Swap out regular throw pillows for festive ones to add a seasonal touch without taking up extra room.
• Festive Garland: Drape garland along the back of a sofa, a shelf, or a windowsill.
• Hanging Ornaments: Suspend ornaments from a curtain rod or ceiling hooks for a unique display.
• Slim Stocking Display: Hang stockings on a wall-mounted rack or adhesive hooks.
• Decorative Candles: Use holiday-scented candles or ones with metallic holders as subtle accents.
• Seasonal Wall Art: Replace regular wall decor with festive prints or holiday signs.
• Window Clings: Apply snowflake or holiday-themed decals to your windows for an easy, removable decoration.
• Compact Advent Calendar: Choose a wall-mounted or tabletop advent calendar to countdown to Christmas.
• Festive Tray Decor: Arrange a holiday vignette with candles, ornaments, and greenery on a serving tray.
• Overhead Mistletoe: Hang a small mistletoe bundle from a doorway or ceiling hook.
• Holiday Tea Towels: Add festive hand towels to your kitchen or bathroom for seasonal charm.
• Twinkling Mason Jars: Fill mason jars with fairy lights or mini ornaments for a compact centerpiece.
• Wall-Mounted Tree: Create a tree shape on the wall using string lights or garland for a space-saving alternative.
• Small Potted Plants: Decorate mini potted evergreens or rosemary plants as tiny trees.
• Holiday Books: Stack seasonal books on a side table or shelf for subtle holiday decor.
• Decorative Bowls: Fill small bowls with ornaments, pinecones, or wrapped candies.
• Festive Rug: Swap in a holiday-themed or cozy textured rug for an instant seasonal upgrade.
• Portable Decor: Use movable decorations like a small LED tree or battery-operated lanterns.
• Seasonal Table Settings: Decorate your dining or coffee table with holiday-themed placemats or runners.
• Over-the-Cabinet Accents: Hang small wreaths or bows on cabinet doors in the kitchen.
• Mirrored Ornaments: Hang mirrored or metallic ornaments in small clusters to reflect light and create the illusion of space.