Despite my best efforts, MG insisted that we hold off on any Christmas decor, movies or candles until the beginning of December. Last weekend was our first weekend around post-Thanksgiving and we had set aside Saturday to go seek out all things festive and Christmas-y.

Last year we got a small tree for the corner of our apartment since we were still settling in with furniture and such, but this year we decided we would upgrade a bit. While we might’ve gone slightly overboard on the size it really makes the entire room feel so special all month long. I also have a long history of having tiny apartments and until recently had never had a live tree before. It’s such a treat to be able to have one in our apartment and is something that makes us happy every time we come home.

This year I really wanted to put up other decorations on the walls – partially because there’s a lot of white space still on our walls (we can’t seem to find art and now it has been de-prioritized) and partially because I love garland.

Here’s what we did and some tips on how to make them last all month long!

WREATH + ADVENT CALENDAR

We had tons of space above our couch and after our first trip to the store for garland and decor weren’t sure what to do. After playing with a few ideas we landed on hanging our advent calendar (a gift from MG’s mom!) above the couch with a wreath over it.

Tips – We hung the wreath on a picture hanger for about 15-20 lbs. It hooked into the wiring very easily and we added a bow to make it even more festive. Definitely pat it dry before hanging (we noticed some water dripping after a few hours) and get a spray bottle to keep it fresh.

Hanging Garland

I’ve seen a lot of posts on Instagram featuring garland this year and I love it! Garland has always been one of my favorite, easy holiday decor options especially if you don’t have room for a tree. We used 3 small nails and actually didn’t even use chicken wire or string to attach the garland – we found natural breaks in it to where it would hang naturally. We also added a bow to it as well!

Tip – The best way to keep your garland alive for the whole month is to purchase a spray bottle and spritz the branches every few days. Similar to your tree it needs water to stay alive!

Our Tree

Last, but certainly not least is the tree. We don’t have any storage space, so we’re light on ornaments and don’t have a tree skirt but I really don’t mind. It’s the smell and the atmosphere it creates that make the room feel special.

Tip – We trimmed ours once we brought it up because it was extra wide at the bottom and I’ll be using those extra pieces for some extra touches in my gift wrapping this year. It’s an easy way to make your presents look more festive!

What types of holiday decorations do you guys put up?