Step 1: Clean up to "expose" the space
The most effective Tet decoration starts from... cleaning the room. Spend 1-2 hours sorting things: the least used stuff into a box, gathering electric wires, wiping away hidden corners, cleaning the kitchen and restroom.
A small rented room just needs to be airy to have a clear "mood change". After cleaning, you will have a few valuable spaces to set Tet accents without creating a feeling of crampedness.
Step 2: Choose a "Tet corner" instead of the whole room
A common mistake is buying a lot of decorations, hanging and pasting them everywhere, making the space messy. The easiest way to do it is to choose a fixed position as a "Tet corner": window edge, headboard shelf, desk corner or an empty wall. Here, you can display a tray of mini cakes and jams, a few lucky money envelopes, a desk calendar, or a small vase of flowers. Just one corner is enough to create a feeling of spring.
Step 3: Compact Tet flowers - the most "expensive" choice
If only one item can be chosen, many people prioritize flowers because of their high visual effectiveness. The rented room can use small peach/apricot branches, a mini kumquat pot, or chrysanthemums, gladiolus, dahlias... depending on the region. If you don't have the conditions to buy fresh flowers, silk flowers and dried flowers are also okay: durable, light, and easy to store. Small tips: choose a low vase and place it close to the wall or window to avoid obstructing the walkway.
Step 4: Color just enough not to be "overwhelmed
Tet is often associated with red and yellow, but a small room that is covered in these two colors too much will easily become glaring and stuffy. You can follow the "70-20-10" principle: 70% neutral background (white, beige, gray), 20% warm color (light yellow, wood brown), 10% red to create accents. Just a red tablecloth, a lucky money string or a few small decorations are enough to "get through Tet".
Step 5: Take advantage of available items and make your own to save money
Tet decoration does not necessarily have to be new. A box of paper wrapped in colored paper into a "gift box", a few sheets of cardboard cut with the words "Happy New Year", strings hanging from old lucky money envelopes, or recycled glass vases for flower arrangement also create a unique style. If you live together, you can make decorations together: both fun, economical, and a feeling of reunion.
Step 6: Flashlight - beautiful but must be safe
Flash lights make the rented room shimmer instantly, but LEDs should be prioritized, with sturdy wires and less heat dissipation. Do not plug too many devices in one socket; avoid pulling wires over blankets, curtains, flammable objects; turn off the lights when going to bed or going out. For rented rooms, safety is always more important than effect.
Step 7: Create Tet atmosphere with scents and sounds
If the room is too small for decoration, you can still "bring Tet home" with scents: orange/pinkfruit essential oil, lemongrass, or light scented candles (use carefully, do not leave overnight). Adding a spring music playlist when cleaning the room, cooking a simple meal, making a hot teapot... is enough to make Tet in a faraway place more pleasant.
Finally, Tet in the rented room is not about decorating more or less, but about the feeling of being cared for and returning to a clean, warm space after a working day. A neat small corner, a few highlights in the right place and a little safety and thrift - that's enough for the rented room to still have its own spring.
