How to Decorate For the Holidays (Without Making Holes in Your Walls)

Transforming your living space into a haven of style and comfort doesn't have to involve a drill or a hammer. When you want to add a decorative touch your home or apartment walls without leaving a trace, choose these creative alternatives that will elevate your space.

Embrace Command Strips, Tabs, and Hooks

"We’ve seen the recent tension curtain rod garland hack that’s taking over the internet," shares Gina Nuccitelli, Property Owner and Manager of Doud Apartment Homes in Gates, NY. "But we’re still big fans of Command strips. These removable adhesive strips are stronger than double-sided tape and designed to hold items without damaging walls. They come as adhesive hooks, strips, and more, making them endlessly adaptable." Use invisible adhesive-backed hooks to mount wall art, garlands, wreaths, and even Christmas ornaments around your space.

Try Poster Putty

Putty is a safe alternative when you want to avoid drill holes. Plus, it's flexible and reusable, as it never dries out. Consider it for lightweight items.

Cord Ties and Binder Clips

Organizational supplies from your home or office are also a great way to hang garlands and lights. Cord ties feature a peel-and-stick loop and close feature. You can repurpose these after the holidays to organize all of your chargers and cords in different rooms. Office clips, like binder clips also help in a pinch. Alternatively, zip ties work well at securing heavy items.

Use Brick Clips

Transform a blank brick wall and hang decor with ease. Brick clips allow you to hang accents indoors and out without drilling or damaging the brick, stone, or mortar.

Related: How to Add Decor on Brick Without Drilling or Damaging Your Home

Use Mirrors

Mirrors can be used as a background to create depth in a space. Add garland or wreaths with a stick-on hook. Instead of using a permanent hook to that wreath on the wall, removable hooks on a mirror can transform a space.

Make a Gallery Wall

A gallery wall of framed pictures is a great way to bring a lot of energy into one spot. We recommend framing postcards, magazine cutouts, and prints to cut costs. Don’t be precious about it—the point of wall decor is the visual interest, not the price of the art! Also, as a reminder, the entire wall doesn't have to be framed pieces of art. You can add a frameless collage to your blank wall using temporary washi tape.

Lighting is Everything

Add string lights to existing decor to give it a holiday feel. A strand of lights along the top of your kitchen cabinets or inside a glass jar instantly gives the space a holiday glow.

"Both plug-in lights and battery-operated string lights are a great option," adds Nuccitelli. "I tend to choose battery-operated lights that come with a timer feature. If you change the batteries at the beginning of the season and set the timer function, these will last the whole month of December.

Related: Before You Toss That Strand of Broken Christmas Lights, Troubleshoot With These Easy Tips

Update the Curtains

Swap your everyday curtain panels for designs with seasonal design. Lean into the reds, greens, blues, and panels with shimmery details. (Just a bonus, they're easier to store than assorted holiday pillows.)

Lean Into Plants

Garlands and poinsettias are classic choices for holiday decor. Also consider items you’ll use like citrus, winter squash, and dried branches. Lay pomegranates for a pop of red on top of some greenery on your table to create a centerpiece. Add candles or ornaments to take this a step further or just place them in a bowl for some added holiday color.

When in doubt, visit your local plant shop to learn about local decor and invest in reusable dried options.

If you have pets, be cautious about incorporating toxic potted plants like holly and mistletoe. Poinsettias can cause irritation but have low toxicity to pets.

Related: Answering 11 Important Questions About Holiday Light Safety and Efficiency

Apply Gold Leaf

Try applying gold leaf to a few leaves or branches on your dried bouquet. Or, put gold leaf on the bottom half of thrifted glassware to create elegant candle holders. "We like buying white and clear ornaments, then partially applying gold leaf on the bottoms for a gorgeous speckled effect," shares Nuccitelli.

No Storage? No problem! Use Items You Already Have

Space is key and storage room is limited when living in an apartment. In those cases, decorate with what you have.

• Place a few ornaments in a bowl with a piece of greenery, and add them to your kitchen island.

• Add a candle or battery-operated string lights to a glass jar and illuminate your entryway.

• Wrap existing picture frames with seasonal wrapping paper and ribbon.