10 Office Christmas Decoration Ideas for Small Apartments That Keep Work Working

The home office is the room most people forget to decorate for Christmas, and in a small apartment it is often the same room as the bedroom or the living room. A desk in the corner, a monitor on a stand, a chair that doubles as a dining chair. Christmas decor has to fit around the work, not replace it, or the holiday becomes a distraction instead of a delight.

The rule for office Christmas decor is simple. It should be small, it should be contained, and it should come down fast in January. A mini tree on the desk, a garland on the monitor, and a festive background for video calls are enough. These 10 office Christmas decoration ideas for small apartments keep the workspace working and the holiday visible, and every one of them is renter friendly. For the office itself, see the small apartment home office ideas, and for the desk, the small bedroom desk ideas.

1. The Desk Mini Tree

A desk mini tree is a small Christmas tree on the desk, and it is the best office Christmas decoration there is. Choose a tree 12 to 18 inches tall, set it in a small pot, and decorate it with 10 to 15 mini ornaments. It sits beside the monitor, it looks like a proper Christmas tree, and it takes up about 6 inches of desk.

The mini tree works because it is the tree, not a picture of one. A tree on the desk makes the whole workspace feel like Christmas, and it is visible on video calls too. A tabletop tree costs 10 to 25 dollars, and it stores in its original box under the bed. Keep the ornaments small, under 2 inches, so they do not weigh the branches down, and use battery lights so there is no cord running across the desk. The desk mini tree is the office version of the Christmas tree ideas for small apartments, with the desk instead of the corner.

How to make it work

Put the tree on the side of the desk away from your dominant hand, so you do not knock it over while working. Keep the tree at least 6 inches from the monitor, since the monitor gives off heat. Decorate the tree before you put it on the desk, since it is easier to reach all sides on a counter.

2. The Monitor Garland

A monitor garland is a garland draped along the top of the monitor, and it is the fastest office Christmas decoration you can make. Take a 3-foot garland, real or artificial, and drape it along the top edge of the monitor, letting it hang 2 inches down on each side. The monitor becomes a Christmas display, and the desk stays clear for work.

The garland works because the monitor is the focal point of the desk. A garland on the monitor frames the screen, and it is visible on video calls too. A 3-foot garland costs 8 to 15 dollars, and it stores in a bag under the bed. Use a lightweight garland, not a heavy one, since a heavy garland will slide off the monitor. The monitor garland is the office version of the Christmas mantel garland, with the monitor instead of the mantel.

How to make it work

Use a garland with a wire core, so it holds its shape on the monitor. Keep the garland off the screen, since it will block your view. If the monitor is thin, use removable hooks on the desk to hold the garland ends, not tape on the monitor.

3. The Desk Advent Calendar

A desk advent calendar is a small advent calendar on the desk, and it is the office Christmas decoration that gives you something to look forward to. Choose a calendar 8 to 12 inches tall, with 24 small doors or pockets, and set it beside the monitor. Open one door a day, and the desk becomes a countdown to Christmas.

The advent calendar works because it is interactive. A calendar on the desk is not just a decoration, it is a daily ritual, and it makes the workday feel a little more festive. An advent calendar costs 10 to 25 dollars, and it stores flat after Christmas. Choose a calendar with small treats or notes inside, not just pictures, since the treats make it worth opening. The advent calendar is the office version of the DIY advent calendar ideas, with the desk instead of the wall.

How to make it work

Put the calendar on the side of the desk away from your dominant hand, so you do not knock it over while working. Keep the calendar upright, with the doors facing you, so you can open them without standing up. If the calendar is heavy, put it on a shelf behind the desk instead of on the desk itself.

4. The Office Shelf Display

An office shelf display is a shelf above or beside the desk, decorated with mini ornaments and a small tree. Put three or four mini ornaments, a small bottle-brush tree, and a battery candle on the shelf. The shelf becomes a Christmas display, and the desk stays clear for work.

The shelf works because it is above the work surface, not on it. A shelf display does not take desk space, and it is visible on video calls too. A shelf costs 15 to 30 dollars if you do not own one, and the ornaments cost 5 to 10 dollars for a bag of small ones. The shelf display is the office version of the Christmas shelf decor ideas, with the office instead of the living room.

How to make it work

Keep the shelf display low, under 8 inches tall, so it does not block the light from the window. Put the heaviest items at the back of the shelf, not the front edge, so they cannot fall on the desk. If the shelf is above the monitor, keep the display to one side, so it does not distract you while you work.

5. The Chair Cover

A chair cover is a festive throw draped over the back of the office chair, and it is the easiest office Christmas decoration there is. Drape a red, green, or plaid throw over the chair back, and the chair becomes a Christmas decoration. It takes ten seconds, it costs 15 to 25 dollars, and it comes off in January.

The chair cover works because the chair is the biggest object in the office, after the desk. A throw on the chair changes the color of the whole workspace, and it is visible on video calls too. Choose a throw in a Christmas color, like red, forest green, or plaid, and drape it over the chair back, not the seat, so you do not sit on it. The chair cover is the office version of the Christmas textile swap, with the chair instead of the sofa.

How to make it work

Drape the throw over the chair back, with the ends hanging evenly on each side. Keep the throw off the seat, since a throw on the seat slides around and distracts you. If the chair has wheels, tuck the throw ends under the chair back, so they do not catch in the wheels.

6. The Desk Candle

A desk candle is a battery candle on the desk, and it is the office Christmas decoration that makes the workspace feel warm. Put a battery pillar candle 4 to 6 inches tall on the desk, beside the monitor, and switch it on. The candle glows, the desk feels cozy, and the whole workspace feels like Christmas.

The candle works because it is light, not decoration. A candle on the desk makes the workspace feel warm, and it is visible on video calls too. A battery candle costs 5 to 10 dollars, and it lasts for weeks on one set of batteries. Use a battery candle, not a real candle, on the desk, since a real candle near papers and a monitor is a fire risk. The desk candle is the office version of the Christmas candle cluster, with one candle instead of three.

How to make it work

Put the candle on a small plate or a coaster, so it does not mark the desk. Keep the candle at least 6 inches from the monitor, since the monitor gives off heat. Use a timer battery candle if you can find one, since it switches off after six hours and saves the batteries.

7. The Wall Pinboard

A wall pinboard is a pinboard above the desk, displaying Christmas cards and photos, and it is the office Christmas decoration that makes the workspace feel personal. Pin five or six Christmas cards, a few photos, and a small garland to the pinboard. The pinboard becomes a Christmas display, and the desk stays clear for work.

The pinboard works because it is a display that is also functional. A pinboard above the desk holds notes, reminders, and Christmas cards, and it is visible on video calls too. A pinboard costs 15 to 30 dollars, and Christmas cards cost 1 to 2 dollars each. The pinboard is the office version of the Christmas card display ideas, with the office instead of the living room.

How to make it work

Keep the pinboard to one side of the desk, not directly above the monitor, so it does not distract you while you work. Pin the cards with pushpins, not tape, since tape peels paint. If the pinboard is heavy, hang it with a proper picture hook rated for its weight, not a removable hook.

8. The Festive Keyboard Wrist Rest

A festive keyboard wrist rest is a small touch that makes the desk feel like Christmas. Swap the plain wrist rest for a red, green, or plaid one, and the desk changes color. It takes ten seconds, it costs 10 to 15 dollars, and it comes off in January.

The wrist rest works because it is the one thing on the desk you touch all day. A festive wrist rest is a small, constant reminder that it is Christmas, and it is visible on video calls too. Choose a wrist rest in a Christmas color, like red or forest green, and make sure it is the same size as your keyboard, so it fits. The wrist rest is the smallest office Christmas decoration in this post, and it is also the easiest. The same small-touch logic drives the Dollar Tree Christmas crafts, with store-bought supplies instead of a wrist rest.

How to make it work

Measure your keyboard before you buy a wrist rest, since a wrist rest that is too short or too long looks wrong. Keep the wrist rest flat on the desk, not propped up, since a propped wrist rest slides around. If the wrist rest is fabric, wash it before December, so it smells fresh.

9. The Video-Call Background

The video-call background is the Christmas decor behind the desk, visible on video calls, and it is the office Christmas decoration that matters most in a work-from-home apartment. Put a small tree, a garland, and a few ornaments on a shelf behind the desk, so the background of every video call looks like Christmas.

The background works because it is what your colleagues see. A Christmas background on video calls makes you look festive, and it is the one office decoration that other people actually notice. Put the background on a shelf behind the desk, not on the desk itself, so it does not take desk space. Keep the background simple, with three or four items, since a cluttered background looks messy on a small video screen. The video-call background is the office version of the Christmas living room ideas, with the camera frame instead of the room.

How to make it work

Test the background on a video call before December, so you can see what the camera actually captures. Keep the background 3 to 4 feet behind the desk, so it is in focus and not blurry. If the background is too bright, close the curtains, since a bright window behind you makes your face dark on camera.

10. The Pack-Away Office

The last office idea is the pack-away office, and it is the one that makes all the others possible in a small apartment. Before December, decide where every office Christmas decoration goes in January. The mini tree goes back in its box, the garland goes in a bag, the ornaments go in a shoebox, and the desk goes back to normal. If a decoration does not have a storage home, it becomes clutter by February.

The pack-away works because the office is also a workspace, and a workspace that stays decorated after Christmas is a workspace that does not work. Pack the decorations away the first week of January, while the motivation is still there. Label one small box “Office Christmas” and keep it with the rest of the holiday decor, so next December you open one box instead of shopping again. The same storage rule drives the Christmas decor storage ideas after the holiday.

How to make it work

Set a 15-minute timer after the last video call of the year, and pack the office decorations away the same day. Take a phone photo of the desk before you take it down, so next year you remember what worked. Keep the box to one shoebox size. If it does not fit, something in it is not earning its space.