October, the best month of the year, is upon us, and that means Halloween is just around the corner. Even though we can’t go trick or treating anymore (insert tears here),there is still plenty you can do to enjoy Halloween as a college student. If you love fall as much as we do, you’re probably in a hurry to get in the spirit. Here are two HC PHU member’s tips on how to get spooky in your dorm rooms with both decorations you can buy and decorations you can make.
Ashby:
I probably won’t be able to accurately put into words how much I love Halloween. When this time of year comes around, all I want to do is watch Hocus Pocus on an endless loop and eat candy corn. I have Halloween socks for every day of the week, and I only buy the Oreos with the orange filling even though they taste exactly the same. Since I have an apartment this year, I was very excited about the opportunity to decorate my space, so I went all out. I was able to find almost all of my decorations at the Dollar Tree, so it was very cost effective. Out of my entire decor, the vampire doorknocker and window clings are definitely my favorites. My roommate and I spent an entire Friday afternoon decorating and listening to the “Monster Mash” and the soundtrack to the Nightmare Before Christmas. It was a great way to bond over something we both love so much. So many people think that Halloween stops being fun once you grow up, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Dress up and go to a party, there are always plenty on Halloween weekend. And if you’re not a partier, have a scary movie night-in and eat loads of candy. It’s the one day of the year that we have an excuse. Happy Halloween!
Abbey:
As the cooler weather is slowly creeping up on us, I find myself bundling up probably a little bit more than I should be but who can blame me? I mean c’mon, fall is here and I’m loving it. Now anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love decorating no matter what season it is and fall is no exception. Although we haven’t decorated yet, my roommates and I have already started a Pinterest board dedicated to different decor ideas that we want to create this fall and Halloween in our apartment. Here are some of my personal favorite DIY decoration ideas that are perfect for vamping up a dorm room, apartment, or simply a wall that needs a little fall or Halloween spirit.
Fall is all about leaves, right? So, here are two adorable ways to spice up a door or wall. Either cut leaves out of paper or buy fabric leaves in a pack (my roommate and I found a 35 pack of fabric leaves at Rite Aid last year for under $5). Knot the end of the leaves with rope or twine to make a cute hanging garland. My roommate and I did this last year and we cut letters from a magazine to spell out “Happy Fall” across our door. Or, find a circular frame and grab a glue gun to create a fall wreath that is perfect to hang on a door from September to November.
Fall is also about flannel, so I love this next idea. Have an old flannel lying around that you know you won’t be wearing this year? Repurpose it into a coaster by simply cutting out a square section with some scissors and hot glue the underside to a square piece of corkboard. Another option would be, if you know how to sew, simply sew two square sections of flannel together. This idea is perfect for fall and even warms up a table or desk in the winter.
Finally, cozy up your dorm with a few fall pillows. Re-purpose some oversized sweaters by sewing them into pillows. If you’re not a great sewer, you could create a cute mummy pillow by buying a white pillow, a black fabric marker, and a roll of gauze. Simply draw eyes on the white pillow and then mummify your pillow by wrapping gauze around it. It’s a cute and simple idea that is perfect for Halloween!
We hope you found these fall decorating tips helpful, as we are both very passionate about the season. Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year and Halloween itself is one of our favorite weekends ascollege students. So, whether you love a good Halloween scare or a cozy night in, embrace the fall spirit this October. Happy Halloween!