When it comes to Christmas decor, there are two types of Millennials. The ones who don’t bother decorating since they spend 12/25 not home, and the ones who want to create that Holiday Homey Vibe for all of December; despite having limited time and limited money. I spent under an hour styling my two-story apartment for the holidays and between smart shopping and a little DIY, under $40 as well. I think the Heat Miser and the Snow Miser could both agree, this place looks both candycane cool and holiday hot - at the same time! Put one thumb in front of the other and scroll into my humble ho, ho, home!
Make Regular Photos Festive: When you live in an apartment, there is often minimal storage space for seasonal decor. Rather than buying a cliche, “Santa Stop Here” sign, I like to leave out my everyday favorite photos and paintings but jazz them up to feel festive! If you have any maps, photos or paintings of places, I recommend lining up a little forest of bottle brush trees in front. Ralph’s Italian and John’s Water Ice will be in a winter wonderland until further notice. (I like to leave my little pine trees out through the end of January when I decide I am ready to skip to Summer. This full pack was $5 in the Target Dollar Spot section.)
The Trendy Charlie Brown: No premiere pine tree that stands at 6 feet tall? No problem! Needleless Christmas trees are on the up trend so much so that retailers have coined them the Contemporary Christmas Tree. Needleless trees are cheaper, have no cleanup, and dive into that boho, whimsical Christmas look, that I like to call Anthropologie. Needless to say, I had to try out this needleless look! I went with some mini bulbs and shaped ornaments in shiny and glittery pink and gold. Go mini but many, on the ornaments on a needleless tree to avoid that droopy, sad, Charlie Brown tree look.
Mantel Displays: A mantel or fireplace-style display can really be done on any piece of furniture with a flat surface! I even decorate the top of my dresser with a less in your face black and white theme! For my main mantel display, I like to take a bunch of little Dollar Tree and Five Below decorations and put them together for max impact! To make get the vibes right, just like when creating outfits, I stick to one color palette. I’ve got to stay true to myself and go pink and gold glitter! Find something for your center piece that is a little bigger than the other decorations. And frame with matching end pieces. I love these golden nutcrackers that are very on trend and slightly different from one another. Light with ease with battery operated bendable light strings that can be woven through your full display!
Non Corny Classics: This could also be called the “not hot take” section. Or the “accept this if your parents offer it up from their basement” section.
Stockings: There’s something about hanging an oversized sock over the fireplace (hung with care) that just signifies hey, it's almost the best day! Stockings vary in price and I negotiated the cost (As I do for my job.) at a permanent warehouse sale in the Philadelphia Mills Mall to snag these mixed but matchable duo for $5 each. Adding a name to a stocking can be such an upcharge when ordering online. I recommend either just doing first initials or paying a separate vendor for embroidery after purchase such as a dry cleaner.
Poinsettias for Christmas? Yes and yes! As someone who lived alone during the global shutdown, I created this rule for myself: I will not be the only living thing in my space. I love having fresh flowers that go with the season as a centerpiece on my kitchen table. Poinsettias make for an easy gift for a coworker or a distant relative you may not know as well to just show you’ve been thinking about them. I’ve had mine since Black Friday and it has required minimal light and love.
Old Wreaths Turned New Wreaths: My wreaths aren't hand-me-downs and are actually from the Dollar Tree. But either way, spruce up the wreath by hot gluing ornaments, mini cocktails glasses, or baby trees. Most people accumulate extra ornaments that don’t fit on their tree so gluing them onto a wreath or tossing them in a bucket is a great way to still display!
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