Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

Holiday Decorations When You Can’t Bring a Tree in the Dorm

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

The holiday season is here again, and what better way to get excited for winter break than by decking out your dorm room with adorable holiday decorations and crafts. What first comes to my mind when I think of holiday essentials is a big, tall Christmas tree smack dab in the middle of the living room. Sadly, this idea isn’t exactly practical when living in a tiny college dorm room on the top floor of an 18-story building. So for all my fellow students who may find themselves suffering from “tree withdrawal” this year, here are some very merry decorating alternatives!

1. Light it Up

Strings of Christmas lights are already a college-decorating staple all year round, so to add that extra spark of holiday spirit, why not try adding some extra colorful strands along the edges of your desk or hang some pretty icicle shaped lights down your window to really brighten up those dark winter nights?

2. Deck the Halls and Wrap the Walls

One of the best ways to transform your space in only a little time is by covering you door and walls in sheets of fun holiday themed wrapping paper. It’s surprising how much good cheer can come from concealing those boring, white bricks and bringing some color into your life!

3.  Pine-Plug -ins

Not having a six-foot Christmas tree in your room doesn’t mean you have to miss out on that delicious pine scent! Now of course there are tons of great scented candles available this time of year, but for those students whose schools don’t allow open flames, plug in air fresheners are a great alternative!  Leave one plugged in all day to fill your space with that fresh, relaxing scent without ever needing to worry about accidentally catching your room on fire.

4. Stockings Hung by the Mini-Fridge with Care

Add a sense of coziness to your room by stringing up some fuzzy stocking above your heater or go the extra step by embellishing your name on the top of one and using it to replace the bland paper nametag stuck to your door. Who knows, if you’re lucky maybe some generous gift giver will drop a surprise in.

 

5.  Snowflake Extravaganza

Break out the white paper and scissors, grab some friends, and pump up those classic holiday tunes and just like that you’ve got your very own “snowflake making party”. Paper snowflakes are a great choice for dorm room décor because they’re super easy and inexpensive to make! Grab a stack of scrap or printer paper and you can make dozens of designs to tape to the windows and hang all over the ceiling. So get folding and soon you’ll be living in a winter wonderland!

 

Summer is a Boston University graduate ('15) that received a BS in Journalism with a concentration in magazine journalism. Her interests include editorial design and lifestyle, fashion, and beauty content, as she aspires to be a fashion magazine writer and editor. She is currently a fashion and beauty writer for Bustle.com and previously served as a Campus Correspondent for Her Campus Boston University. Summer likes to think of herself as a lipstick enthusiast and smoothie connoisseur, so when she isn't writing for Bustle, you could probably find her sipping on a strawberry-banana smoothie and planning her next purchases at Sephora. Follow Summer on Twitter @SummerArlexis