Decorating Apartment Balcony For Christmas With No Outdoor Plugs

Much of the information we provide about installing Christmas lights and decorations is focused on homeowners. But that's not really fair! After all, millions of Christmas Enthusiasts aren't homeowners. Instead, they live in apartments, townhomes, and condos.

But there's no reason that these millions of Christmas Enthusiasts can't participate in the Christmas decorating fun. Because even if you don't live in a house, you probably have a place that's perfect for installing some outdoor decorations: your balcony.

Balcony Christmas Lights and Decorations

Preliminary Preparations

The first step in decorating your balcony will be scoping-out your space. You'll want to determine how much room you have to work with. You'll also want to look for an outside electrical outlet. If you don't have an outside outlet, you can run an extension cord to an indoor outlet temporarily. (Just be sure to follow safety guidelines for the use of extension cords.)

Before you move forward with your plans, you should confirm that your property permits outdoor Christmas displays. Some don't (Bah, humbug!). And some properties have devised specific rules for attaching outdoor decorations.

Choose Your Lights

All of the Christmas lights that are popular with homeowners will work fine on balconies, and that includes the large C7 and C9 bulbs. But you might want to give special consideration to wide-angle conical lights . These lights offer lots of visual impact in a small package. They also happen to be the most popular lights for professional Christmas light installers.

Don't worry about being able to attach your lights to your balcony railing or wall, because for every kind of surface there's a suitable attachment method. This guide will show you how to attach your lights to every possible surface.

Complimentary Christmas Décor

You certainly don't have to limit your balcony decorating plans to only lights. There are plenty of other options for Christmas décor that are perfectly suited to balconies.

Christmas wreaths , for example, are quite at home on balcony railings. The same is true of Christmas bows . Both are available in multiple sizes and styles, so you'll have no problem finding one that's just right for your particular balcony.

And there's no reason you can't have a Christmas tree on your balcony. For outdoor use, an artificial tree might be best.

Get Creative

You can really elevate your balcony display by getting creative with your design. There are lots of specialty decorations available that will help you do exactly that.

Animated snowfall tubes and icicle lights can provide a striking, attention-getting look to your balcony. Holispheres can do the same. Garland greenery can add a delightful touch to your balcony entryway.

And as their name implies, patio string lights are perfectly suited for balcony displays.

Want Some Inspiration?

Looking for a little inspiration in designing this year's Christmas decoration for your balcony? The video below will show you how we turned one plain-Jane apartment balcony into a holiday display that truly reflects the joy and excitement of Christmas — just like the best home displays.

Duplicate the video step-by-step in decorating your own balcony, modify it as you see fit, or just use it to get your creative juices flowing.

But whatever you do, don't think that you have to be left out of the outdoor decorating fun just because you don't live in a house. Nothing could be further from the truth!