28 Festive Small Apartment Christmas Decor Ideas for 2023
Looking for cute ways to decorate your small space for the holidays? Here are 28 festive small apartment Christmas decor ideas to get you in the holiday spirit.
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Christmas decorating is one of my favorite things ever. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, I’m pulling out my boxes of Christmas decor items.
Living in a small apartment, Christmas decor can be somewhat of a challenge. You can’t exactly fit a giant tree in a 10×10 living room but you still want your space to be festive.
Just because you have a small space doesn’t mean you can’t get in the Christmas spirit! There are so many ways to add little touches of Christmas around your small apartment.
Here are 28 of the cutest ways to decorate your small apartment for Christmas this year, broken up by room.
P.S. Looking for more Christmas Decor ideas? Here are our top posts for holiday decorating:
Small Apartment Christmas Decor For Your Living Room
1. Decorate Your Coffee Table
Coffee table decor is an affordable way to transform your entire space.
Your living room will look so much more put together with a few decorative pieces on your coffee table.
I love this subtle Christmas spread with a tray, some candles, a mini tree, and a few cute Christmas trinkets.
Recreate this small apartment Christmas decor idea:
2. Hang Curtain Lights
If you live in a small space, every single detail matters.
Why have boring regular curtains when you can hang curtain lights? These add such a pretty effect to your living room and are perfect for Christmas.
Imagine sitting in your living room in the early evening sipping cocoa with your curtain lights twinkling. So magical!
3. Create A Decor Tray
One way to fit a lot of decorations in a small space is to condense them together on a small tray.
I used a mix of wooden beads, mini Christmas trees, candles, and coasters to achieve this look. But you could also use other decor items like books, ceramic trinkets, vase filler, etc.
Here are some of the items I used on my Christmas decor tray:
4. Utilize Every Corner
In a small apartment, it’s important to utilize every nook and cranny. This is especially important when decorating for the holiday season.
Add a skinny Christmas tree and a wreath to that unused corner of your living room. The whole room will feel like it got a major festive upgrade.
Recreate this Christmas decor idea for small spaces:
5. Get A Small Christmas Tree
A big Christmas tree can totally overpower a small space. Get a smaller tree and focus on other ways you can make the room more festive!
Plus, a small tree is way easier (and cheaper) to decorate!
I recommend sticking to a tree that is 5-6 feet tall. It will still feel like a full-size Christmas tree without taking over your whole room. You should also pick a skinnier variety so that it fits well in your space.
Recreate this small Christmas tree look:
6. DIY a Space-Saving Christmas Tree
If you really don’t have the space for a real Christmas tree you can do this fun DIY project!
Just hang garland and lights on your wall using command hooks in the shape of a triangle.
And voila! You have a space-saving Christmas tree that’s apartment-friendly.
Recreate this space-saving Christmas tree for small apartments:
7. Hang Snowflakes in the Hallway
Do you have a boring hallway that you don’t know what to do with? I love the idea of hanging snowflakes from the ceiling.
This holiday decor idea is perfect for small spaces because it doesn’t take up any room!
8. Stick to a Color Scheme
In a small space, it’s easy to feel cluttered when you start adding in a bunch of colorful decorations. Keep things cohesive by sticking to a color scheme.
This white and silver color scheme is absolutely gorgeous and minimalistic. It’s perfect for a small space where you don’t have much room to play with different colors.
Throw a chunky blanket around the base of your Christmas tree for a makeshift tree skirt. Such a unique but gorgeous look!
Recreate this themed Christmas tree look:
9. Add Texture To Your Tree
Although you may not be able to fit a huge tree into your living room, you can still make a big impact!
Add textural elements like pinecones, wood bead garland, and dried plants to your tree in addition to your ornaments. This will make your Christmas tree so much more visually interesting, without taking up any more space.
Here’s what I used on my Christmas tree:
10. Hang Stockings on Command Hooks
No mantle? No problem. You can easily hang your stockings on the wall with command hooks or push pins. A great rental-friendly option!
Also how cute is this festive bar cart? It definitely gets me in the holiday spirit(s). You can get this same look by adding some string lights and Christmas trinkets to your bar cart.
Recreate this festive stocking wall:
11. Christmas Letter Board
One of my favorite ways to decorate for the holidays is using a letter board. There are SO many really cute Christmas-y sayings that you can put on a letter board.
Here’s what you’ll need:
12. Entryway Christmas Decor
Even if you have a tiny entryway (like I do), you can still add some Christmas decorations!
We use a plant stand from Ikea as an entryway table because we needed something super thin. Then I added some textured Christmas tree figurines, a holiday candle, and a vase with some faux branches.
Add a cute mirror if you don’t already have one!
Here’s what I used in my entryway:
Small Apartment Christmas Decor For Your Bedroom
13. Hang Garland
Hang some Christmas garland over your headboard for an instant festive upgrade! You also could add in some string lights or wooden bead garland for an extra magical look.
Top it off with Christmas throw pillows and a cozy blanket and your whole room will be filled with holiday cheer.
14. Add a Festive Blanket
Nothing says winter like the thought of curling up in a giant blanket. This red chunky blanket would look so festive and cozy draped over your bed.
Decorating with blankets is so perfect for small apartments because they barely take up any room! Plus, they’re something that you’ll actually use.
15. Get Christmas Throw Pillows
One of the easiest ways to make your small space more festive is to change out some of your throw pillow covers for Christmas-y ones!
I also LOVE how they added mini Christmas trees to their bedside tables. So fun and festive.
Recreate this small apartment Christmas decor idea:
16. Add a Tree to the Bedroom Too
If you have the space for it, a small tree in your bedroom can instantly make the room so much merrier.
You don’t have to go all out decorating this one, but I love the idea of stringing some fun garland around it!
17. Add Little Touches To Your Walls
Who says Christmas decorations have to be big and tacky? This minimalist apartment Christmas decor idea is so cute and budget friendly. It’s such an easy DIY too!
Just hang some mini wreaths from a piece of driftwood. Use a command hook to hang the driftwood up on the wall.
Recreate this small apartment Christmas decorating idea:
18. Utilize the Dresser Space
Get creative with all of the surfaces in your small apartment!
The top of your dresser is often so under-utilized when it comes to decor. You can put some tiny trees, bowls of ornaments, or even some garland on top of your dresser.
Recreate this cute decor idea for a small apartment:
Apartment Christmas Decor For Your Bathroom
19. Add a Festive Bath Mat
This holiday decor idea is so easy and affordable. Pick out a festive bath mat and your bathroom decorating is pretty much done!
If you want to go the extra mile, add in a few Christmas towels and some holiday scented candles.
Recreate this small apartment bathroom Christmas decor:
20. Hang Ornaments On Your Shower
If you really want to go all out, hang ornaments from the shower curtain hooks in the bathroom. You can get ornaments very cheap from the dollar store or Amazon.
This decor idea would look so cute in a college apartment!
[RELATED: 18 Perfect Christmas Ornaments For College Students]
21. Add Little Details
Sometimes it’s the little touches that make a big difference.
Add a mini Christmas tree, holiday figurines, or some festive soaps to your bathroom for some subtle Christmas cheer.
Recreate this bathroom Christmas decor idea:
22. Put A Tree In The Bathroom Too
Okay maybe this is going a little bit overboard but how cute do these mini Christmas trees look in this bathroom? I may need to copy this idea this year.
Small Apartment Christmas Decor For The Kitchen
23. Decorate Your Cabinets
Your boring white cabinets will get a major Christmas upgrade when you add little wreaths to each one.
You can hang them by sticking a command hook inside of each cabinet and attaching with ribbon or string.
24. Dress Up Your Countertops
Adding a little Christmas decor area on your countertop or island will make the whole room instantly feel more festive.
I like taking a wood slice and adding a candle, some mini bottlebrush Christmas trees, and a vase with filler.
Here’s what you’ll need:
25. Leave Out Holiday Candy
If you like having guests over, leave out some Christmas themed candy for them to enjoy.
Such a beautiful and delicious small apartment Christmas decor idea.
26. Deck Out Your Coffee Bar
Pull out your favorite Christmas mug, add some Christmas candies, and hang a wreath over your coffee bar area if you have one in your apartment.
Maybe even steal a few holiday paper cups from Starbucks like these people did. We won’t tell ;).
27. Decorate Your Fridge
Looking to make your boring fridge more festive? Hang some colorful ornaments from the front for a fun Christmas-y feel.
28. Hang Mini Wreaths On Your Barstools
How cute is this idea? If you have barstools with backs, hang a mini wreath over each chair.
You can sometimes find mini wreaths at the dollar store or in the Target dollar section so this could be super budget-friendly.
This post was all about the best small apartment Christmas Decor Ideas.
