It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Multiple versions of "Silver Bells" blare from the radio throughout the days and, regardless of how many times you've already heard it, you can’t help but have a huge smile on your face by the first chorus. "Elf" is guaranteed to be on television every night from December first until Christmas Eve. The mailman brings Christmas cards constantly, always giving you entertainment through awkward family photos attached to unnecessary rhyming poems. It’s a month filled with love, joy and unity.
Your first holiday season away from home is tough and, to be honest, it doesn’t get better the next year. The entire feeling of the season is missing and by the time you get home, you have some serious catching up to do in just a week. Rushing to get last minute presents and making as many Christmas cookies as you can before the 25th just takes away from the holiday experience.
As terrible of a problem as this is, it comes with a fairly simple solution. To ignore the fact that you aren't able to see the Christmas decorations dressing up your town square, it's essential to recreate it in your room and here are ten ways how:
1. Red Bows
I'm not sure why red bows are such a popular decoration, but hanging some up on your walls or bulletin boards will certainly put your decor on the right track. To get even craftier, put bows on your closet doors and they will look like giant presents with clothes inside.
2. Stockings
This element is not one to take lightly. Adding stockings to your room will give you the warm feelings that hanging them over the fireplace at home brings. To add to the fun, (if you like your roommate) put candy in their stocking every once in a while for a nice surprise while you're both stressed studying for finals.
3. Paper Snowflakes
Throwback to when your mom tried to keep you busy during snow days as a child, we're bringing out the scissors and computer paper! If this winter is anything like last year's, snow will be at an all-time low. Turn the room into a winter wonderland by taping snowflakes to the windows, so it always looks like it's snowing outside. Hang snowflakes from the ceiling with string if you're really looking to have a white Christmas!
4. Christmas Tree
The most obvious symbol of Christmas, yet the hardest to create. There is barely enough room to breathe in a dorm, let alone have a tree. There are a few substitutes for a tree: make one out of paper, buy a small fake one at Walmart (highly suggest this route), or print a picture of one out and tape it up.
5. Lights
If you do nothing else, please please PLEASE get Christmas lights. I BEG YOU. They will transform your living space and you will not be sorry. When it's pitch black outside by 5 p.m., your room will glimmer in a soft white glow.
6. Snowman
This works best with a white refrigerator (see photo above). If your fridge isn't white... I'm sorry. Improvise.
7. (Personalized) Ornaments
Obviously, ornaments work best when you hang them from a tree. But if you don't have a tree to work with, string ribbon (from the wall, ceiling, window, anything you can think of!) and ornaments can be hung from there. Conventional balls are a nice touch, but printing and mounting pictures on colored paper really add to the homey feeling.
8. Advent Calendar
If you partake in a tradition like this at home, why not bring it to school? It can make you feel connected to old family traditions you're missing out on and a good excuse to have chocolate every day for a month.
9. Wreath
Walking up to a door with a wreath is ten times more welcoming than walking up to a door without one. It's an immediate reminder of the Christmas season, you can almost hear Jingle Bells playing in the distance.
10. Candles
I've seen various rules where candles can pose as an issue in dorms, so if you're in one, hide it when the RA walks by. Christmas brings so many lovely smells into a home. First, it's the smell of pine coming from the tree in the middle of the living room. The smells from the kitchen come next. If cookies are being made, it's sugar cookies and gingerbread. Or it could be the smell of meatballs and pasta circulating the house. Whatever it is, it's not how your room at school smells. Luckily, Yankee Candle has a candle for every scent your nose desires to smell. From Candy Cane Lane to Cozy by the Fire, they have you covered.
Before you know it, you'll be setting out the cookies for Santa and spending time by the fire with your family. It's the best time of the year, we need to soak up every minute we can get.
