The start of December marks two things: the beginning of the end (also known as finals) and the moment it’s acceptable to dawn holiday apparel and blast Christmas music. With the stress of looming exams blanketing campus with a layer of stress, going home to a holiday haven will do wonders for your mental wellness. While Christmas lights are a classic, here are some other festive ideas sure to brighten up even the worst mood!
1. Christmas Trees
Who doesn’t love a mini Christmas tree? Small enough to put in your dorm room yet big enough to put ornaments on, it’s the perfect decoration. If you want to get really festive, put presents for your roommate under it or make it the center piece of your secret Santa exchange.
2. Stockings
After a hard day of studying, you’ll want a pick-me-up as soon as possible. Putting a stocking outside your door and filing it with festive treats such as candy canes means immediate satisfaction upon entering your home. As an added benefit, your neighbors will love you for the candy and spreading the good holiday spirit means great karma going into your tests.
3. Scented Candles
The scent of peppermint, gingerbread, and pine are quintessential December scents. Luckily, you can get candles that capture each one of those plus many more. Lighting candles is soothing by itself, and the holiday twist is a wonderful added perk.
4. Window Stickers
Even though its 60 degrees and sunny, bring on the classic holiday weather with some snow flake decals. If you’re not from somewhere consistently warm, a holiday season without the presence of cold air and snowfall doesn’t feel much like a holiday season at all, so these decals can serve as your little reminder.
5. Banner Letters
Banners seem to be all the rage these days, so why shouldn’t the trend extend to holidays? While a simple “happy holidays” definitely gets the décor job done, it’s super easy and fast to customize hanging banners online. With minimal amounts of effort, the opportunities are endless.
Honorable mentions include snow globes and gingerbread houses, but with these 5 core decorations you’re guaranteed a solid degree of holiday spirit. Because they clearly aren’t mutually exclusive, happy holidays and happy finals season!