As a college student living in an apartment or dorm, you may find it difficult or costly to decorate for the holidays. When you are unable to raid your families’ collection of holiday decor, DIY projects and dollar store alternatives are the best options to showcase your holiday spirit. For my holiday decorations, I bought my supplies largely from Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels.
I decided to decorate a side table in my dorm room. Firstly to mask the faux wood tabletop, I covered the table with wrapping paper and lined it with tinsel from Dollar Tree. I also wrapped the top of a box to make it reminiscent of a Christmas present; a canvas or picture frame can also be used to create the “present.” Instead of using wrapping paper and a bow, you can simply use an old Christmas gift bag as a cover.
Also, painting pinecones and sticks white will help enhance your winter scene. Using vases and glasses can be used as affordable decorative elements, of which I bought from the dollar store. By filling the vases with tinsel, bells, and miniature bows, you can easily create the holiday feel with your décor. Many people associate Christmas trees and wreaths with the holiday season; if you are without a tree and wish not to buy one, you can paste a magazine clippings or photographs in the outline of a tree. BY using a Styrofoam wreath and hot-gluing ornaments around it, you can create a more unique version of this holiday staple.
Making your own ornaments can also be an easy and inexpensive way to decorate for the holidays. I opted to make cupcake ornaments; to do so, I glued ornaments in mini cupcake liners and painted the tops of the ornaments. I also used items that I already own to construct my own holiday/winter scene, which included Victoria’s Secret heart-shaped mint containers and a Miss Dior mini perfume box. To add a “sweet” touch to your project, lay out treats for Santa (or yourself!).
Since the bed takes up most of the space in the room I thought about dressing it up. A Christmas inspired pillow came to mind. I’d recommend using an old pillow that you don’t mind covering. I ended up buying a basic pillow from Wal-Mart for about 5 bucks along with fabric and iron-on adhesive. Iron-on adhesive strips are perfect for when you don’t feel like sewing. Red is basically the classic color for Christmas, so I decided to go with that along with a white heart. I made it reversible; so that when the season’s over I can still use it. Here is a link to a detailed tutorial: http://www.homeyohmy.com/diy-sew-pillow-covers/
No better way to change up a room than a painted canvas. As you can probably tell, I have a slight obsession with hearts, just slight. Feel free to get as creative as you’d like. I recommend lots of glitter. I think a snowman or reindeer will help bring in the Christmas-feel as well as text such as “Be Merry” and “Joy”. It’s up to you!
When I discovered that the Dollar Tree had these glass jars for just a dollar, my life got better. These glass jar would go nice on top of your desk or even as a centerpiece in your kitchen area! I decided to fill one with red and green peppermints and top it nicely with a bow. I personalized one jar with my initial and filled it with these small random red balls, anything works really well. I covered the inside of one jar with gold glitter. I found a flameless electronic candle from the Dollar Tree, and I put it in the glittered jar. Turn off the lights, and it gives the feel of a burning candle.
Lastly, play Christmas music and enjoy!