I’m happy to admit that I was one of those Black Friday shoppers who only bought winter decorations (and some 70% off socks), because if I’m going to spend two weeks in this place studying for finals, I might as well feel cozy and festive! I bought all of my decorations at Target for some pretty low prices, and of course the dollar section never disappoints. If you’re stuck without transportation though, Amazon has some great deals too that you can just ship to your door! I would suggest picking out a theme before you head shopping, like the classic red and green or a fun combo of brighter colors. I personally went with the classics, but Target has a really cute line of bright blues, oranges, and pinks going! I’m still working on finishing up my own room, but here are some decorations I bought along with some other ideas for decorating your apartment or dorm!
1. the obvious: string lights – I have these up pretty much year-round, but during the holidays they’re a necessity! I’m using two 100-count strings from Target (similar), and they’re basically serving as my nightlight. You can get really creative with how you string them, especially if you don’t have a fan in the middle of your room, but I just have them dangling on small nails across my walls.
2. banners – it’s hard to tell in my pictures, but I have a paper banner above my windows that just says “Merry Christmas”. It was probably $5 at Target and decorates a good portion of my wall! I know the Target dollar section has some cheap DIY ones, or you could get something less holiday-specific like these gold stars or tassels.
3. wreaths – these can get kind of expensive, so go for a small undecorated one and use leftover or dollar section decorations to dress it up! You can add some battery-powered string lights or mini ornaments, or just leave it plain.
4. throw pillows – another not so cheap decoration, but I let myself splurge a bit on this one (similar) because it’s the main decoration of my room! The red is so bright that all eyes go directly to it, and it’s something I can bring out every year and eventually put in my house. You don’t really need more than one either, and if you can find a pillow that has one decorated side and one non-decorated, you’ve got yourself a year-round throw pillow!
5. candles – they’re like a two-in-one decoration, because they look and smell festive! I grabbed my cedar & juniper candle at Target in a BOGO sale, and just having it burn for an hour leaves my room smelling festive all day. Candles are always going on sale so don’t spend the full price on one!
6. knick knacks – I love finding little decorations to put on my desk, like a mini Christmas tree or DIY projects. Target has tons of random Christmas decorations like this, and I got the tree in my pictures for only $5.
7. stockings – if you can find a reasonably priced one, these are super easy wall decorations. They come in every color imaginable, so you can grab one in your school colors or just match your room theme!
8. diy decorations – if you’re tight on money, DIY is the way to go. Pinterest is full of ideas from pom-pom ornaments to popsicle stick snowflakes, and I’m planning to do a few projects as soon as finals are over!
What are some of your favorite holiday decorations or DIY projects? I’m always looking for more ideas!!
p.s. – did you notice some festive changes to the blog? ?