It's the end of November, which means the Christmas season starts now! Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, especially with all the decorations. Christmas decor is not something my family (OK, my mom and I) takes lightly. Back in the boxes go all the fall decorations; every orange pumpkin and brown candlestick is replaced with poinsettias and small wooden signs that read "Let it Snow" and "Christ is Born!" Just last year, my mother decided the house would look even more festive if we had pencil trees in the living and dining rooms. She loved the idea while my dad thought it was ridiculous. So of course, like any happily married couple, they compromised, and now we have pencil trees in the living and dining rooms. Christmas decorating is no joke in my house, which makes me uniquely qualified in devising the ultimate shopping list for decorating a college dorm for Christmas.
Twinkly lights
At this point, if you don't have twinkly lights strung up in your room it's like you missed a college rite of passage. You can find cheap and colorful ones at Walmart and hang them up with Command strips for a cozy look!
A mini Christmas tree
Since college dorms can't fit a full-sized tree, try a mini one instead. I have a silver one with lights, and it looks darling on a shelf or desk.
No room? Try some tinsel.
If your room is way too small for any kind of tree, do not fret! Buy some tinsel and sticky tack and make yourself a tree. All you have to do is take the tinsel and stick it on a wall in a zigzag shape and you've got yourself a Christmas tree, friends. (You can do this with lights too!)
Speaking of walls, more wall art
A super easy way to Christmas-ify your room is just to put things up on the walls. You can get super cute wall prints online or try stores like Target or T.J.Maxx.
Stockings!
Last year, I bought matching stockings for me and my roommate and put her Christmas gift inside. We hung our stockings from our bedposts, but hanging them off a window sill to resemble a fireplace would look so cute!
A plaid throw
The pile of laundry sitting on your chair doesn't exactly scream Christmas, does it? No problem, just throw a cozy plaid blanket on top, and bam! That's not a laundry chair anymore, that is a Christmas chair.
Decorate your door!
Whether it's just by hanging a wreath or putting up a detailed nativity scene, decorating your door is a fun way to get into the holiday spirit!
Decorate your fridge!
Cute window clings or magnets work wonders for turning a sad mini fridge into a winter wonderland-worthy decoration.
Diffuse essential oils
OK, not so much a visual decoration, but a pine fresh Christmas scent really completes the vibe. If oils aren't your vibe, try a wax melt or a plug-in air freshener so your room can smell like Christmas all day long.
When in doubt, add a pillow.
This is an actual Christmas proverb, folks. Just trading your regular throw pillows for some Christmas ones will immediately make your room feel more festive. Look for them in the dollar spot at Target (or for those of us in little old Oxford with no Target in sight, try T.J.Maxx).
It's time to get festive folks. And even though break begins well before the holidays begin, that doesn't mean we can't start decorating. So decorate to your heart's content. And remember, whether you're living in a single or with a roommate, nobody has the power to tell you not to put your pencil trees wherever you want them.