40 Space-Saving Christmas Decorating Ideas for Small Apartments

No mantel, no problem! We love what M. Lavender Interiors did in this Serena & Lily Holiday House, adding a faux mantel that’s color matched to the wall’s peacock blue. Whether your living room could fit 30 people or three, this slim fixture is sure to add architectural interest without sacrificing square footage.

When it comes to cozy nooks, the smaller the better. If your space has but one unused corner, you’ve got plenty to work with. This Arhaus corner moment features a glowing tree, billowing botanicals, and a grand mirror that creates the illusion of more space. Whether you’ve brought in a voluminous Tannenbaum or a micro tree, it will surely be the prime spot to prop your feet up with a good book in hand.

We have great news: A sad, sparse, Charlie Brown Christmas tree isn’t the only way to make a small space feel festive. In fact, it’s not even the best way. “In small spaces people have a tendency to downsize their decor in order to not overwhelm it,” Odom explains. “However, this has the opposite effect in a smaller space. By having an oversize wreath that takes up an entire wall, for example, it makes the entire space feel more grand, and definitely more festive.” The right holiday fixture, like this voluminous Christmas tree that Odom brought into this modest modern living room, also draws the eye around the room with statement pieces that make the space feel more expansive.

This crackling fireside moment doesn’t require a colossal wreath to make an impact. The secret to some unique displays is variety. “Abundance can really be the highlight of the season,” Odom adds. “Instead of thinking in the rule of threes, throw that out the window and go over the top. Why not have 20 brass candleholders on your mantel?” Here, Odom festooned this mantel with a generous arrangement of billowing greens, including eucalyptus, pine, berry sprays, hypericum flowers, and tree branches—basically, anything you can get your hands on that’s green.

Wondering what to do with your lack of wall space? Odom gave an otherwise year-round couch a holiday embellishment that feels so very fitting. “Rather than clutter the space with additional pieces of decor, I like to decorate on top of what already exists,” he explains. Here, [a wreath] really popped against the paint and is great if you have limited wall space.”

Dana Dore, the tastemaker behind Adored House, knows how to make the best use of needed floor space with a clever stool turned tree stand. “Using a decorative stool or table is a great way to add some height without getting a tall tree,” says Dore, who used a decorative stool and basket to add some feet to her fir. And here, where size might be lacking, ornamentation compensates, with copious amounts of glitzy tinsel that is as lovely as it is practical. “The tinsel almost does the same thing that a mirror does for a space by reflecting the light and making it appear larger,” she adds. The tinsel also fills the tree, requiring fewer ornaments—which means less to store after Christmas (we see you, Home Edit-ers).

For a simple yet festive tabletop surface, blogger Jenna LeBlanc draped a Norfolk pine garland with burgundy berry stems. “A vignette was created with large brass bells and a scented winter candle atop coffee table books,” she explains. “Spiral taper candles add a fun detail to a set of tall candlesticks.” Santa might not be able to take the easy route down the chimney, but the hike to the front door will be worth the end view.

There’s enough room for everyone’s stocking on this table, another hack for a fireplace-less dwelling. Here, designer Caitlin Wilson cleverly made use of her living room console table to create a stunning holiday vignette. Stockings receive a pop of cheer with whimsical red ribbons, overseen by a verdant holiday wreath that is a classic nod to tradition that draws the eye upward.

A relatively untouched corner of Miss Mustard Seed’s Marian Parsons’s 1948 home, that she passes multiple times a day, needed a festive touch. “A Christmas pillow, a few homemade gingerbread houses, and some natural greenery took just a few minutes to arrange and made the corner look festive,” Parsons explains, adding that little sprigs of greenery, live or faux, are a great way to decorate small spaces for the season. “They are easy, classic, and can be left up beyond Christmas, if desired.”

An intricate design and sophisticated color palette combine in designer Caitlin Wilson’s sumptuous tree that knows how to make use of vertical space. For added visual interest, a window wreath with an elongated bow always makes an impression. Look at all that present-unwrapping space!

Sure, the tree is its own moment, but what about the rest of your house? A chic, fuss-free idea? Group complementary baubles in a decorative bowl, like Shea McGee’s effortless cabinet-top moment, which features contrasting ornaments in a scalloped marble bowl, alongside the cutest mini Christmas wreath that ever was!

Leave it to designer Shea McGee—who describes herself as an advocate of the classic modern rustic look—to take it back to the basics. We’re loving this chic indoor wreath that is accompanied by a pair of bleached wood nutcrackers and a bunch of burnished bells. “Just like in art, randomness is often the hardest to achieve,” she explains.

You might not have a yard or even a bedroom (we see you, studio dwellers)—but everybody has a doorway. Jess Morris’s Scandinavian-inspired doorway, a dramatic enveloping of handmade garlands, offers all the holiday magic we need. “Less is more in creating a beautiful space in small quarters,” says Morris. “I like to use one main feature piece or material and add a few accents in.” We can almost smell the fresh pine needles from here.

This might go against everything you’ve been told, but hear us out on this: While small trees leave more room for walking around, tiny trees lack the bravado of a large tree. So rather than placing a pokey little Charlie Brown inspiration in your four-person sitting room, go ahead and opt for a midsize tree that still offers that dramatic moment that will have you vocalizing “How lovely are thy branches!”

Missing a mantle? While Santa has perfected the fire escape entrance into your apartment (fear not, city kids), he’s also an expert stocking detector—so be inventive with your stocking placement.

Consider this simple improvisation by Havenly vice president of creative and design Shelby Girard. With minimalist stockings, a stunning garland, and a simple string of lights, this corner is all decked out for old Saint Nick. Cookies and milk considered.

Your kitchen island doesn’t have to be an eight-seater to make an impact. Take a cue from My NYC Apartment’s Carly Fuller, whose minimal garland arrangement is just the statement piece for this festive 450-square-foot apartment in New York City. We’ll still be rocking this season, whether or not it’s around a tree!