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Cheap Ways To Decorate Your Dorm for Christmas

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Carleton chapter.

Although living in residence has its perks, like getting up ten minutes before your class, and not having to make your own food, it can be a struggle to make your room feel like home.  Especially as the holiday season approaches, the days start dragging on when the only thing you can think of is getting out of there.

But if you’re looking for an excuse to take a study break and are down to spread some holiday cheer then I highly recommend decorating your dorm room. Here are some easy and budget-friendly ways to get your Ho-Ho on while living in residence.

Door Decorating

When I lived in residence, I decorated my door for every major holiday, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day.  Not only is it fun for you to look at when you come home, it’s a great way to make your floormates smile. All you need is a book of construction paper, scissors, tape, markers and a little creativity (or Pinterest).  If you don’t think you have time to create your own design, wrap your door in some fun printed wrapping paper!

String lights

You may be surprised to hear it, but you can actually buy tree lights at the dollar store. They’re not the kind of quality you’re going to want to keep up all year round but can help set the Christmas tone. Buy a couple of packs, and line your window with them or drape them over the top of your desk.

Ornaments

Pick up a pack of tree ornaments from Walmart, some fishing line and a roll of strong tape. String the fishing line through where the hook would usually go, then attach the string to the ceiling using the tape. Stagger the hanging height of the ornaments to make it look more interesting! Ornaments can also look really cute in a tall vase with small string lights to fill in the gaps. Check out a tutorial here on Youtube.

Window Stickers

Since you can’t hang anything on the walls, window stickers are a fun and damage-free way of livening up the space. They come in themed packs and can be picked up in any seasonal section at your local dollar store or Walmart.

DIY Snowflakes

They didn’t teach you how to do this in elementary school for nothing! You know the drill, some plain white paper folded into a cone shape and cut your very own design. If you feel like you’re ready to level up, then here’s a tutorial of how to make some more interesting shapes. Finishing touch if you’re feeling extra, add a little silver glitter to your creations.

Now with all of these ideas, I hope you can go out and spread some Christmas cheer with the decorations in your dorm room. Happy Holidays!

Kennedy is originally from Halifax, N.S. but moved to Canada's capital to pursue her love of Journalism at Carleton. She is in her fifth and final (fingers crossed) year and is proud to call Ottawa her second home. A former executive team member of Her Campus Carleton, Kennedy is passionate about participating with the chapter and continuing to watch our girl gang grow. In her free time Kennedy enjoys playing guitar, singing and seeking out a cozy chair to study in at one of Ottawa's amazing coffee shops. A self proclaimed caffeine addict, more often than not you'll find her with a coffee in hand.