Nov 27, 2016 – Whether you’ve just moved into a new apartment or have been living in the same place for several years, fall is a great time to spruce up your surroundings–particularly as the weather gets cooler and you start to spend more time inside.

Even if you rent an apartment instead of owning, there are still find plenty of ways to make it your own. As long as you follow the rules your landlord and property manager set, you can decorate your apartment without losing your security deposit. Just be sure to check with them before making any major changes, such as painting or hanging items on the walls.

And contrary to what you might expect, decorating an apartment doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. There are many simple things you can do to make the most of your space while creating a more pleasant atmosphere, both for yourself and guests.

Decorating Tips For Small Apartments

The video below also has some great ideas for decorating a small apartment without breaking the bank.

Our best advice for apartment decorating? Use Pinterest. Pinterest contains a wealth of decorating tips for every room in your apartment, including ways to make the most of a small space, how to become more organized and cute DIY crafts you can make to decorate your home.

Need more ideas? Check out our top 10 tips for decorating your apartment on a budget:

1. Lay interesting rugs. You can’t change your flooring, but you can make it a lot more interesting with a patterned rug. Rugs can help make your space feel a lot cozier and put together while adding some personality to your space. Check out this article for places to find good-looking, inexpensive space rugs.
2. Check out the dollar store for organizational products. The first step to decorating your apartment is making sure everything is clean and organized. Surprisingly, dollar stores often have cheap bins and baskets you can use to get all of your extra “stuff” put away to make your decorations and decor really shine.
3. Hang long curtains. Long curtains help make your windows look bigger and can make your room appear larger. They can also add brightness and texture to rooms with duller wall colors. You may think they’re unnecessary, but they’ll really change the feel of your apartment (and make it easier to sleep in on the weekends).
4. Add plants. Plants literally add life to your apartment. Whether it’s a window box full of herbs or larger house plants, surrounding yourself with live plants can help prevent the cabin fever-like feeling that comes with colder weather. And studies have even shown they can make you more productive. Learn about easy to grow houseplants on this blog.
5. Install floating shelves (if your landlord allows it). These offer functional storage space while taking up much less space than bookcases, chests and tables. Their openness also helps your apartment appear more airy and modern.
6. Paint your furniture. You may not have control over your wall colors, but you do have control over the things you own. Add some color to your IKEA kitchen chairs, or paint your old wooden dresser a bright color to liven up your space.

7. Hang mirrors. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book for making a space appear larger, and for good reason. Place a mirror opposite a window to help bounce light around the room and make the space feel airier. Framed mirrors can be found at places like Marshalls or garage sales for cheap and are definitely worth the investment.

8. Use walls as displays. Hang up attractive yet functional items, like jewelry and cutting boards, using boards or wall hooks. These double as wall decorations for your bedroom or kitchen while minimizing clutter in small spaces.

9. Frequent garage sales and vintage stores for unique finds. You can score some great items at low prices if you look hard enough. Be on the lookout for funky chairs, coffee tables and dressers to add visual interest–don’t be afraid of mixing and matching colors, textures and patterns.

10. Repurpose materials to make something unique and save money. This TV stand is made from wooden crates, and you can use mason jars to easily put together these wall sconces that serve double-duty for both decoration and organization.

What are your best tips for decorating a small apartment on a budget? Let us know in the comments below.