You don’t need a big house, a mantel or a full-size tree to make a small apartment feel like Christmas. In a small space, a few well-placed touches go a long way.
These nine ideas come from real apartments, condos and small homes decorated by bloggers. Each one shows what they did, why it works in a tight space, and how to try it yourself. Candle advice follows the NFPA candle safety tip sheet, and pet notes follow the ASPCA holiday safety tips.
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1. Start With a Mini Tree on a Stool
Anna Saxton writes that for years she didn’t have the budget or space for a full-size tree. In her first apartments she bought a miniature live tree from Trader Joe’s and trimmed it with fairy lights and mini ornaments from Target’s deals section. At the end of the season the decorations fit in a small zip-top bag.
Why it works: A tiny tree raised on a stool or side table gets the height of a bigger tree without taking up floor space.
Try it: Battery-operated fairy lights such as this 6-pack with a timer wrap easily around a small tree with no cord to run to an outlet.
2. Choose a Slim Pencil Tree
In 2020 Anna and her husband bought a fake pencil tree, which she notes is skinnier and less expensive than the average artificial tree. They decorated it with a multipack of gold ornaments from IKEA, gold pinecones from Target and inexpensive lights, and later took the same tree from their DC apartment to their Chicago condo.
Why it works: A pencil tree fits into a corner without blocking walkways, and it can move with you from home to home.
Try it: Add to it a little each year. Anna later added candle lights she found on sale after the holidays, then a few shaped ornaments and floral picks.
3. Decorate the Spot Everyone Sees
Anna suggests decorating your room’s focal points: where your eye first goes when you walk in, and what’s most visible from where you spend the most time. In her DC apartment, a sliding door was visible from everywhere in the living area, and even a too-short garland made the whole room feel festive.
Why it works: In a very small apartment you might only have one or two of these spots. As she puts it, you won’t need a ton of stuff to have a high impact.
Try it: Removable adhesive clips like Command decorating clips can hold a garland over a door or window frame in a rental. Check the package for weight limits and suitable surfaces.
4. Switch Up Your Picture Ledges
Natalia of nataliastyle restyled the picture ledges by her condo entrance for the holidays. She made a DIY “Ho Ho Ho” print with scrap white paper and a marker, framed a holiday card, and set a wooden winterland scene on the lower shelf with a mirrored mid-century tree star nearby.
Why it works: Ledges and floating shelves you already have become a holiday display without adding furniture.
Try it: Swap the art in your existing frames for holiday cards or simple handmade prints, then switch them back in January.
5. Make a Side Table Vignette
Natalia styled her condo with vintage bottle brush trees and a pine-scented candle on a marble side table by the window.
Why it works: A small cluster on one table gives a corner a festive focal point without cluttering every surface.
Try it: Three trees in different heights look balanced. A set like these 9 mini bottle brush trees lets you make more than one grouping. If you light a real candle, the NFPA says to keep it at least 1 foot from anything that can burn and blow it out when you leave the room.
6. Set a Small Tree on a Side Table
In another corner of her condo, a small flocked tree sits on a rattan side table.
Why it works: Raising a small tree on a table keeps it in proportion with the furniture around it and frees up floor space.
Pet note: Her cat appears in the photos. If you share your home with pets, the ASPCA recommends securing your tree so it can’t tip over and skipping tinsel, which pets may be tempted to eat.
7. Tuck a Tabletop Tree Onto a Cabinet
From the Bay to the Beach points out that in an apartment, condo or coastal cottage where space is at a premium, a tabletop tree gives you the festive feeling without the floor space. She put a small tree on a built-in corner cabinet in her primary bedroom and gave it a travel theme with photos and souvenir ornaments.
Why it works: Small trees can each have their own theme, which tells a story without overwhelming the space.
Try it: A console, counter or nightstand works too. She suggests secondary spaces like guest rooms and offices, since tabletop trees are easy to set up, take down and store.
8. Keep Ornaments and Containers in Scale
Her tree came from HomeGoods already set in a small white ceramic pot. She recommends using smaller ornaments, delicate garlands and lightweight lights, since oversized decorations can overpower a small tree. Mini glass baubles filled in the branches, and she added a few larger souvenir ornaments, careful not to overwhelm the tree or tip it over.
Why it works: A pretty container, like a ceramic pot, woven basket or galvanized bucket, gives a small tree a finished look.
Try it: Wrap the base with linen, a chunky knit scarf or burlap, or use a mini tree skirt, then add small houses and bottle brush trees around it.
9. Pick a Tree Sized for the Room
My Wee Abode’s So Cal loft apartment has about 100 square feet of living space, and the living area doubles as office and library. Her flocked tree was the right size for a tiny home. She tries to avoid trees larger than 36 inches in diameter.
Why it works: Choosing a tree by its width rather than its height keeps it from taking over a small room.
Try it: She paired mint green, white and silver ornaments with the flocked branches. A soft, limited palette keeps a full tree from feeling busy in a small room.
Tips for Decorating a Small Space for Christmas
- Decorate your focal points first: the spot you see when you walk in and from where you sit.
- Choose a slim, mini or tabletop tree, and check the width before you buy.
- Use what you already have, like ledges, shelves, side tables and existing frames.
- Pick one small color palette so the space feels calm, not cluttered.
- Use battery lights and removable clips where outlets and nails are limited.
- Keep candles at least 1 foot from anything that can burn, or choose flameless ones, as the NFPA recommends.
- If you have pets, secure the tree and skip tinsel, as the ASPCA advises.
A small home can feel just as festive as a big one. Start with one tree and one focal point, and add a little each year.
