If you are anything like me, appropriately decorating your room for the season is a must–especially in the autumn and winter months. I know, I know. Poor college students don’t necessarily have the budgets to perform a complete room makeover every four months. But here are a few cheap tricks to give your dorm a cozy, seasonal vibe.
If you really love the autumn décor, Fresh Market is selling bundles of three small pumpkins/gourds for $5 a bag. This is a super inexpensive item to add a little more festivity to your room. And since you don’t carve these pumpkins, they will last through the rest of autumn.
Another way to dress up your room is to buy a flannel fleece blanket. Academy Sports sells fleece blankets for under $3. I picked up a red and black flannel print for my room. Investing in a fall scented candle and a candle warmer is another great way to bring fall into your dorm. I recommend looking at Bath and Body Works and Target for candles. Bath and Body Works often has deals on their 3-wick candles, but a cheaper option would be to get their single wick candles. They smell just as good and are usually under $15. To tie the room together, seasonal pillows are great, but I know they can tend to be pricey. I recommend shopping around TJMaxx or Walmart to find the best deals on seasonal pillows.
If you want to change your décor again for winter and Christmas, one thing I definitely recommend buying is a strand or two of Christmas lights. I prefer the white lights with the white cord since they can be used throughout the year, but if you love the multi-colored lights then go for those. Another thing you and your roommate can invest in is a mini Christmas tree. I bought one last year for around $25 from Target and it included lights. Add a few ornaments and a star to top it off. The great thing about red flannels–and blankets in general–is that they work great for both fall and winter. Go ahead and switch out your fall pillows for some Christmas-y ones and you’re good to go. A lot of stores, like Target and Walmart, will also sell really cute stockings for pretty cheap if you and your roommate want to dress up the walls even more.
And now your room is ready for you to curl up with a warm cup of hot chocolate and watch the snow fall out your window–that is, if the weather decides to cooperate by the end of the semester.
I hope this gives you a few ideas if you’re wanting to add some seasonal decorations, and definitely tweet the Stampede if you try them out! Happy autumn y’all!