The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Vic chapter.
December has begun, and the festive season is well and truly upon us. Decorating your university house or dorm room is the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit! While you may not be able to put up a six-foot-tall Christmas tree in your room, that doesn’t mean you can’t make your space festive. I’ve compiled a list of ten different ways (some free, and some budget-friendly) to add some festive sparkle to your house!    Â
Origami DecorationsÂ
- Origami is a fabulous, easy, and free holiday project! I love getting all my roommates together for a cute evening of chatting and crafting. I’ve found mini Christmas trees and snowflakes are the easiest designs to make. There are so many great tutorials online, such as this one by Foldability. These trees look so cute on shelves or side tables, and if you make enough, you’ll have a little Christmas tree farm!Â
- Snowflakes also look great, although they are more complicated to make than trees. You can make mini snowflakes following this tutorial from Craftaholic, to create some small, intricate snowflakes to pin to your wall. If you want a statement piece, my roommates and I followed Bekuh’s Giant Snowflake tutorial These were the size of our heads, 3D, and we added glitter and hung them from the ceiling. They weren’t our most aesthetically pleasing creations, but it was certainly festive!Â
Mini Christmas Trees
- Although a full-size Christmas tree is a little impractical for a dorm room, Walmart, Amazon, and Dollarama have some great mini-sized Christmas trees for under $15. I love the desk-sized ones—they are great for small spaces, and they add a much-needed festive sparkle to your study spot!Â
Window StickersÂ
- I love window stickers! Walmart and Dollarama offer cheap options, and you can create so many fun scenes on your window. They don’t leave marks so there’s no need to worry about your security deposit and they look so fabulous and festive! Last year, my house made a group of dancing Santas across our windows. There are so many designs and it spreads some festive joy to anyone who walks past your window.Â
Fairy Lights
- Fairy lights are not exclusively Christmas decorations, but they add a cozy, festive feel to your space. I love wrapping fairy lights around the bannister. It makes me feel like I’m in a Christmas movie, and it’s so nice to walk downstairs in the morning and have the house lit with a cozy glow! Fairy lights look great anywhere, and as a bonus, you can keep them up all year.
- If you have any empty glass bottles or mason jars, putting fairy lights inside them makes a super cute little light!Â
Paper Chains and TinselÂ
- Paper chains remind me of primary school and are so nostalgic! If you use a variety of coloured paper they look great hung up on the banister, or the ceiling in your hallway.Â
- I love tinsel decorations, but they aren’t to everyone’s taste. Honestly, I think anything sparkly is great, especially at Christmas! It’s really affordable, and wrapped around the bannister or tied onto door knobs, it adds a little bit of Christmas around the house!Â
Wreaths
- Popping a wreath on your door is so Christmassy. You can make one with leaves or pinecones, and ribbons or fabric you thrift or already own. You can often find second-hand wreaths at thrift stores or garage sales! If you want to put it up on your door, I’d recommend using a suction cup to hang it up so that you won’t cause any damage. The suctions are easy to use and keep the wreath secure.Â
Advent Calendars
- As a chocolate lover, I am a big believer that it is not Christmas without an advent calendar! You can grab a chocolate one for about $10 at any supermarket, and they look so Christmassy propped up on your desk or shelves! Not only are they cute, but you get a sweet treat every day—win-win!
Baubles
- Even if you don’t have a tree, don’t let that stop you from buying a few cute Christmas baubles. I love hanging them on doorknobs or my desk drawer handles. Plus, you can take them home with you for the holidays and add them to your family’s tree!Â
Christmas Bedding/Pjs
- Christmas pillows and throw blankets will spice up your room, and are super cozy on cold nights. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a new bedding set—there are nice and affordable options in the seasonal aisles of grocery stores and plenty to be found at local thrift stores too.
- This is not technically a decoration, but I am a big fan of wearing festive pajamas (bonus points if you match with your roommates). It’s the perfect attire for a festive movie night or to make your origami Christmas trees…Â
StockingsÂ
- If you’re good at crocheting or knitting, stockings are a great project to use your skills on! If you can’t make them at home, Amazon, Walmart, and Dollarama have options under $10. It’s so cute to have a stocking for each roommate hung up in the living room. If you do Secret Santa, you can leave each person’s gift in their stocking!Â
Hopefully, you have found inspiration to decorate your dorm or house for the Christmas season. Decorating is a fun activity in itself and having a Christmassy room will help you maintain some festive spirit during exam season!
If you’re interested in finding some more inspiration or you’re just a visual learner, you can check out this article’s mood board, “Ten Budget-Friendly Ways to Decorate Your University House for the Holidays!” on the Her Campus UVic Pinterest, @hercampusuvic. Happy holidays!