As Halloween draws closer and closer, it’s a little hard not to get into the spirit of being spooky. And what better way to spread this haunting holiday cheer than by decorating your dorm? There are so many simple ways to decorate for the season, even for those that aren’t DIY savvy or just really don’t have the time. This blog is a combination of products you can buy at your local craft store already made, and (still easy) projects for the crafty die-hard Halloweeners. Either way, by October 31st your room will be oozing in Halloween spirit!
1. Clothespin Bats: Want to wing-it this Halloween and have some DIY decorations floating around the room? With this easy project, it’ll be like you have your very own dorm pet(s)! Grab some clothespins and black construction paper. Color the clothes pins with a black sharpie and cut out bat shapes from the construction paper (Google images of bats may be required). Glue the bats to the back of the clothes pins and hook them in all kinds of nooks and crannies around your room! If you want, you could even take string and hang them in a line across your ceiling!
2. Desk Trinkets: Usually around two weeks before Halloween, craft stores have all of their decorations up to 50% off. This is a perfect opportunity to snag some little things that are already pre made to place around your room/desk to remind you to stay “Halloween af” at all times. (Since candles are sadly out of regulation for dorms, you can buy fake candles with a turn on switch! And because there is no real wax to melt, you can add fun Halloween themed ribbon/stickers, which is also 50% off at craft stores.)
3. Window Jellies: A scarily cheap and fun way to wake up every morning is with window jellies! They stick on mostly any surface, from windows to bathroom mirrors to doors, and peel off easily with no residue. If you live on the first floor of your building, you can put them backwards so students can be reminded that one of the best holidays of the year is approaching. (This is an actual picture of my window and what I wake up to every morning, which if you ask me, is a pretty great way to start the day.)
4. Halloween Banners: If you’re feeling crafty, you can grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte, put on Hocus Pocus and whip up a cute banner! Because you will be making the banner, the possibilities of what kind of spooky phrases you want to showcase in your dorm are endless! Using fabric, construction paper or Halloween themed scrapbook paper, cut out a number of banner tiles that represent each letter of the phrase you desire to spell. On each tile, hot glue pre made sticker letters (you can buy these at those craft stores we were talking about earlier) onto the center. Flip over your letters—make sure they are in order!!—and string a line across the tops of the backs, hot gluing the string to the back of each banner tile. After the glue has dried, flip over the tiles and you should have a wonderfully cute and festive banner to hang anywhere on your walls!
5. Flowers: For any season, flowers are always a pleasant addition. To bring a little Halloween cheer into your dorm, buy a bouquet from the local Kroger with a mixture of oranges, yellows, and maroons. You can even add cute Halloween accent ornaments to let people know you are still in the spirit of scaring!
6. Door Decorations: Grab some stickers, construction paper, or whatever you want and get to crafting! Your door is the one thing everyone who passes by sees, so this is a great chance to express who (and how spooky) you are! If you don’t want to put in much time to the door, a simple set of door stickers will still spice up your room! This Martha Stewart DIY Wreath (instructions included in the package) paired with a fun bat border will stand out on your floor, and everyone will have to enter at their own risk!
7. Pillows: A subtle way to decorate your room is with petrifyingly festive pillows! These are decorations that don’t take up any wall space and keep clutter to a minimum because you will be sleeping on them (or if you have a couch, that also works). Etsy has a lot of fun and creative pillows for cheap that you can mix and match, and hopefully you will have ghoulishly great dreams of the best Halloween ever.
8. Candy Corn Mason Jars: A colorful and festive way to hold pens/pencils, Halloween candy, or flowers is with mason jars that look like everyone’s favorite Halloween snack! This DIY will require spray paint, so it is probably best that you do it outdoors and on a disposable surface. Start out by spray painting the entire jar white. Once that dries, spray the middle portion of the jar orange. Finally, spray the bottom of the jar yellow and you’re good to go! Place the jars in your room, or even give them to your friends with little gifts inside to spread the Halloween spirit across campus!
There you have it! Hopefully these decorations brighten up your dorm as well as your day. And as a final reminder, Go Frogs and Happy Halloween!
Photo Credit:
1. Author and Photographer: Kate Piscopio
2. Photographer: Carolina V Gentry and Lauren Gregurek
3. Photographer: Lauren Gregurek
4. Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson
5. Photographer: Lauren Gregurek
6. Photographer: Lauren Gregurek
7. Seller: BubbleGumDish