As the holiday season approaches (and, by virtue, exam time), you may find yourself staring at everyone’s cool decorations and wishing you had the money, time and creativity to decorate like them.
Decorating for the holidays doesn’t have to drain your bank account (although it may, depending on how much you have in your bank account to begin with) nor does it have to take hours.
“It can be as simple as putting some pretty wrapping paper or some lights over your door. It doesn’t have to be complex,” said second-year student Thalia Ackroyd. “You can do a lot with what you already have.”
Ackroyd and her roommate have split the cost of holiday decorations this season between themselves – $13 each – and have decided to turn their door into a fireplace using construction paper and scrap pieces of cardboard.
In case you’re lagging on creativity this holiday season, here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Snowflakes are easy to make and only require paper and scissors.
2. Glitter paintings are a cheap way to add a festive touch to any room. Simply print a stencil, paint around it, fill the cutout with glue and dump glitter on it. These paintings can be placed anywhere — on a bookshelf, window ledge or wall.
3. You can make a wall tree by taping garland or lights in a zigzag pattern on the wall. Similarly, you can make a tree out of colourful tape by placing the tape in horizontal strips on the wall or making triangles out of it and placing one on top of the next.
4. You can make your own tree decorations by buying a cheap jewelry kit and making colourful bracelets to hang from your tree (you can also repurpose these by giving them to your friends as gifts after the holidays).
5. Fill an empty glass vase with plastic bulbs and acorns for a quick, festive centre piece on your table. Painting acorns green and placing them in a small plant pot also makes for a cute centre piece or table decoration.
6. If you already have paintings on your walls, you can wrap them in wrapping paper and attach bows to them to make them look like presents.
7. If you’re looking to dress up your wall like a candy cane, you can buy red, white, and green streamers and hang them vertically from your wall.
8. With construction paper and tape, you can turn your fridge into a snowman. Cut out eyes, buttons, an orange-triangle nose and any colour of scarf you please.
If you’re going to decorate, some tips and tricks are necessary too, so you don’t waste precious time and resources.
1. If you’re looking for decorating ideas, consult Pinterest or an artistic friend and purchase cheap supplies at dollar stores and Walmart. If you go to Michael’s, make sure you check online for their weekly coupon specials.
2. Ackroyd recommends having a plan before you set out on a shopping adventure, so you don’t end up buying pretty things that you have no use for.
3. Third-year student Emily DesRoches recommends saving money by getting white Christmas lights from the wedding section of Michael’s, rather than the holiday section. She also suggests putting whatever you want on your Christmas tree (she currently has a skeleton on top of her’s).
4. When taping decorations to your wall, use painter’s tape so you don’t accidentally peel off the paint (and anger residence life or your landlord).
Decorating for the holidays doesn’t have to be a time-consuming hassle and making some cool decorations can cheer you and others up and relieve some exam-time stress.
“Just have fun with it and do whatever will make things more festive for you,” said DesRoches.
