Make Your Rental a Home for the Holidays

Moving around is rarely easy for military families, but it seems like it’s especially tough around the end of the year, when you want to feel at home with your family in the midst of the hectic holiday season. Whether you have just moved or are about to, what can you do to make your rental property more inviting and festive during the holidays? How can you turn your temporary home into a comforting, welcoming place where you’ll still be able to make treasured memories?

Here are six tips for easy, cost-effective ways to turn your rental into a true home for the holidays:

1. Find simple ways to decorate.

Buy a Christmas tree, make homemade ornaments together as a family, and cut out paper snowflakes and tape them to the windows or hang them from the ceiling. Place a wreath on your front door, put stockings by the fireplace, and hang some garland on the staircase or along the ceiling in your living room. Most of these decorations won’t be expensive, but they’ll create a warmer, more festive environment where you and your family can get in the holiday mood.

2. Use music and movies.

There’s nothing quite like holiday music playing to get people in the holiday spirit, so put on some classic tunes and pipe them through the house while your kids do homework or you make dinner. Likewise, plan family movie nights to watch holiday classics like It’s a Wonderful Life or White Christmas. These traditions can be continued no matter where you live in the coming years, so they can give you a sense of stability even in different cities and homes.

3. Bake cookies.

What are the holidays without festive baked goods? Make special treats to celebrate this time of year, and you’ll fill your home with the smells and memories of holidays past—as well as memories to remember in holidays future! You could even host or participate in a cookie exchange to try to get to know the other military families in the area better.

4. Fill your home with cinnamon scents.

Whether it’s through a bag of scented pinecones or a pot of potpourri boiling on the stove, holiday smells are a great way to bring out the feel of Christmas.

5. Make the most of the outdoors.

Whether or not you’re in a warmer climate, finding ways to enjoy the outdoors is a great way to make family memories around the holidays. Look for festive, cost-effective ways to spruce up your outdoor space with tables, benches, and lights. Put up Christmas lights even though you won’t be in this home forever, and share magically star-strewn nights and crisp mornings with hot cocoa together as a family outside.

6. Plan special activities.

Sometimes making your home feel more festive during the holidays includes taking time to get away from it and take part in festivities nearby. Find out about local events and attractions that you and your family can check out this holiday season, whether they’re plays, festivals, or holiday shopping events with free apple cider downtown. When you come back to your rental with rosy cheeks and new memories, it might be easier to feel a bit of holiday cheer in your heart.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to enjoy the holidays or make special memories with your family. Wherever you find yourself this season, use a little creativity and a nod to Christmas past, and you can find yourself and your loved ones enjoying the season wherever you are.

About the author:

Jessica Kyriakos is Brand Manager of Webcoat Inc. in McAlester, Oklahoma. She has worked in the site furnishing industry for 15 years. The company provides durable, economical, and comfortable amenities to enhance your outdoor area.