How to decorate for the holidays in an apartment

Besides spending quality time with friends and family, lots of us have big plans for decorating the inside and outside of our homes. From aromatic potpourri to charger plates and twinkling lights on trees, there are hundreds of ways to spruce up your living space for a more festive look.

But when your apartment rental square footage is limited and property management rules apply, you may be asking yourself, “How can I decorate for the holidays in my apartment?”

At Redwood apartment rental home neighborhoods, for over thirty years our residents have been showing off their interior design skills with some amazing holiday decor. So, if you’re ready to join your neighbors and friends in the festive tradition, here are some of our best ideas on how to decorate your apartment during the holidays.

Start with a Google Search

Before each holiday, many local and national decor retailers such as Big Lots, Walmart, Michaels, Amazon, and Joanne Fabrics will have excellent specials and promotions on all things holiday decor. With a few searches online, you’ll have access to the best deals and prices on things such as:

• Lights
• Baskets
• Garland
• Trees
• Scented Candles
• Centerpieces
• Silk Flowers
• Wreaths

Get Inspired

While traditional holiday décor never goes out of style, home design trends are always changing. So, if your style is more modern, you’re on a budget, or you don’t know where to get started, it may be time to turn to Pinterest for some inspiration.

There are lots of small decorative holiday items to choose from:

• Bottlebrush trees
• Planter stakes
• Paper art
• Festive greenery such as Poinsettia or Christmas Cactus
• Custom place cards

Don’t forget. This is a great opportunity to dream up some of your own unique décor creations. During the holiday season, be sure to stop by your local craft store such as Michaels for their free decorating class schedule!

Plan out your apartment holiday decorations

It doesn’t matter if your apartment home is 500 or 5,000 square feet, when you can plan out your overall holiday decor strategy, you’ll always end up with a great result.

1. Start by creating a list of each room in your apartment
2. Check with your property management or landlord on what’s allowed
3. Select one or two larger decor items for each room
4. Pick three or four additional smaller items to compliment the space

Planning each holiday also helps apartment renters understand how much storage space they will need for their seasonal items. For example, Redwood apartment homes come equipped with attached garages so you can store all kinds of holiday decorations away from your day-to-day living space. Learn more about the Redwood Advantage here.

Here are some decorating ideas for an apartment living room for Thanksgiving:

Large holiday decor items

1. Fall color silk flower arrangement on your coffee table
2. Fall color throw blanket on the sofa

Small holiday decor items

1. Fall color drink coasters
2. Two scented flameless candles on the TV stand
3. Basket of cinnamon scented pinecones
4. Heirloom holiday artwork from friends and family
5. Turkey potholders

Reuse items and try not to over-shop

One of the biggest mistakes apartment renters make when decorating their apartment for the holidays is over-buying with limited space for storage. As an alternative to buying all new décor for each holiday, as you go through your holiday décor plans, be on the lookout for items you can use and re-use including:

1. Serving bowls
2. Serving spoons
3. Dinnerware
4. Flatware
5. Cloth napkins
6. Pillow covers vs. pillows

Touch all the senses

Don’t forget! Holiday décor doesn’t have to be something you simply “look at”. Be sure to include soft background music, candies, sweets, and other decor to your home so when you come home, you know it’s “that time of year”.

Popular holiday specific decorating ideas for your apartment rental home

Thanksgiving

1. Autumn colored placemats and napkins
2. Corn husk door wreath
3. Floral pumpkins
4. Woven throw blanket for sofa
5. Gratitude calligraphy signs
6. Pear and fall leaf dining table centerpiece
7. Basket of granny smith apples, acorns, or pine cones
8. Cinnamon scented candles

Chanukah

1. Basket of dreidels or gold coins
2. Fresh challah bread
3. Blue and white door wreath
4. HanukkahChan dish towels
5. Star of David candelabra
6. Blue and white stoneware
7. Kosher macaroons
8. Low light plant or tree lighting
9. Vanilla scented candles

Christmas

1. Candy canes
2. Homemade ornaments
3. Themes throw blankets for living room and bedroom
4. Throw pillows for sofas and sectionals
5. Artificial Christmas Tree
6. Tree lights
7. Garland for the front porch or patio

Kwanzaa

1. Kinara candle holder
2. Kente cloth wreath
3. Seven principles calligraphy signage
4. Mkeka mat
5. Wood chalice
6. Kwanzaa flags
7. Coconut cake pops

Easter

1. Mini basket with artificial eggs
2. Bunny figurines
3. Honeycomb Easter eggs
4. Candy holder glass baskets
5. Floral tablecloth and dinnerware
6. Bunny napkin holder

Decorating your apartment for the holidays can be simple

While we may not have the time or budget to decorate for every occasion, there are great ways to capture a holiday vibe inside every sized apartment. And if you feel like it’s time to spread out with an apartment that feels like a single story home, discover why thousands of residents choose Redwood.

Get started by finding a Redwood neighborhood near you.