I’m still far from being the home buyer type.  I love moving and getting crafty with new spaces, and I could talk all day about the perks of calling our landlord, rather than dealing with plumbers, electricians, or exterminators.  But during the holidays, I do miss hanging decorations in and outside our home without the worry of having to plaster over every hole on a relatively near date.

In case you’re like Ray and I, and are looking for ways to tastefully decorate your home without an angry call from the landlord, then below are some of my favorite decorations that we have on display this year.

Doilies & Twine

The great thing about doilies is that they can take up a lot of space, but are essentially weightless.  If you toss a couple of knots on the twine, the doilies easily stay in place.  Place a crazy amount of tape on either end to hold in place – when you feel like it’s too much Scotch tape, it’s almost enough.  For the small doilies under our breakfast bar, we also tossed on some small, matching ornaments.  Watch the weight of anything you might add, but the twine and tape can hold more than the doilies alone.

We’ve used these similar decorations for several holidays, primarily because it’s such a simple, affordable, cute way to creatively take up space. Pro tip: For doilies that you want to sit flat, as we did with the larger doilies, be comfortable tossing a small piece of double stick tape on opposite sides of the circle horizontally.  Don’t get too picky with these decorations, because the imperfection is part of their allure.

 

 

Go Crazy with Tinsel

The sparkle of tinsel makes every space feel festive, so I went a bit crazy with it right when you walk in our entryway.  Draping it across mirrors and in abstract spots, such as our bear clock, make our home instantly less fussy and more cozy.

 

Festive Door Hangers

While we’ll hold on hanging most decorations up on the wall, festive door hangers are the perfect way to bring a small piece of holiday spirit into every room.  I love using the bells pictured on our front door to add a little holiday spirit immediately upon entering our home.  (Luckily for Ray, they’re not obnoxious bells and stop ringing in a second or two.)

 

Don’t Worry About Being Too Professional

While I typically love buying fresh flowers for our home, when I saw this crazy tree randomly in King Soopers, and it was filled with glitter, I knew we had to have it!  No, we won’t have this magical tree with us forever (I don’t think), but it’s a perfect way to bring a little fun into our home.

 

Tiny Tree, Meaningful Ornaments

While I dream of one day having a real tree filled with sentimental ornaments, it just doesn’t make sense for us to fuss with a messy tree at this point.  Ray had this small, 3-foot tree when we started dating, while I had a 6-foot monster.  We decided to keep the small tree, although we do put it away before March, unlike Ray’s ongoing tradition. (Boys are silly sometimes)

Even though our tree is small, we are sure to fill it with ornaments that mean a lot to us.  Miami university ornaments and pieces from our travels fill our tree with happy memories.  Trimming our tiny tree is always my favorite part of decorating.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What are your favorite ways to decorate for the holidays?

If you’re in a rental apartment, how do you decorate differently than if you owned your home?

Create a great life!