How To Transform Your Dorm Room Into A Holiday Wonderland

In the wise words of the holiday season patron saint Mariah Carey, “It’s tiiiiime!” Even the Scrooges who demand to keep the string lights in storage until after Thanksgiving are dusting off their holiday bins to deck the halls with festive flair.

For the college student looking to bring the spirit of the season to their dorm or apartment, the road to holiday bliss is paved with colorful possibilities — but a few pieces of coal may be scattered along the way. Budget concerns, rental restrictions, and space constraints can put a damper on hanging your roommates’ stockings with care.

But like with any interior design project, a little planning, a clear mission, and a little bit of creativity can bring your winter wonderland to life. Below, two content creators share their best tips for executing the festive dorm aesthetic of your dreams.

Go In With A Vision

Before stacking up an online haul of trinkets and ornaments, having a game plan can save you a substantial holiday hassle. For Angie Arias, the limited space of her dorm forces her to think intentionally about anything she brings in to decorate it.

Arias has developed her following on TikTok as a “college influencer,” complete with a dorm room designed to the nines. The junior at SUNY Oneonta planned months in advance to bring her “princess room on a budget” to life, so it’s no surprise that foresight extended to her holiday design plans.

“My dorm aesthetic is very cottagecore — lots of beige, pink, and green — so I try to challenge myself to keep that aesthetic with my Christmas decor,” she tells Elite Daily. “Once I did that, my dorm just felt way more cohesive and cozy for the holidays.”

Katie Feeney, on the other hand, prefers a more traditional approach to her seasonal trimmings in her Penn State apartment. The influencer and her roommate opted for classic red, green, and white details in their festive room transformation, which promptly went up the second Halloween ended.

“My family usually decorates after Thanksgiving, but now that I’m in control of the decorations, once it hits Nov. 1, it is Christmas time,” the Penn State junior tells Elite Daily.

Hit The Dollar Section

As fun as it might seem to give your college space a festive flair, for many it’s challenging to justify paying for ornaments and trinkets galore. “I feel like a lot of people don’t decorate because they think that it’s not budget-friendly,” says Arias.

She notes that like with any decor, it’s all about making intentional purchases at stores that work within your budget. For her more pastel-themed holiday vision, for example, she prioritizes stores she would normally visit for stylish yet affordable home decor pieces.

“Target, TJ Maxx, and Five Below are my go-tos for seasonal decor — they have so many pieces at the right price,” Arias says.

For both Arias and Feeney, Target is the holy grail for holiday decor, as it’s the college crowd’s usual suspect for apartment essentials (and the few not-so-essentials you pick up along the way).

“I saw a lot on social media for Target’s holiday decor this year… admittedly I went a little crazy there, but I spent most of my time in the dollar section,” Feeney says. The infamous dollar section this year features everything from ceramic Christmas trees, mini menorahs, and a continuation of their viral “Featherly Friends” holiday birds — all for $15 or less.

When In Doubt, DIY

Even with the might of the dollar section in your holiday decor arsenal, you may find yourself still pining for decadent designs this December. When the vision doesn’t fit the budget, it’s time to do it yourself.

The DIY community has carved out a particularly colorful corner of the TikTok universe, and its videos are lined with money-saving hacks. When you can’t spare $80 on a set of pastel ornaments for tree trimmings, DIYTok saves the day with iridescent shake paint ornaments for under $10.

For the less creative decorators, DIYTok is also the perfect place to find renter-friendly hacks for more intricate holiday details. This season’s viral tip? If you score a holiday garland but can’t use nails in your walls, a tension rod for shower curtains will deck the halls without sacrificing your security deposit.

Build Your Collection Over Time

While no one will fault you for maxing out your dorm with string lights, if your holiday paradise is only a few items this year, remember: The North Pole wasn’t built in a day. As college progresses, the seasonal trinkets you collect will evolve with where you live and whom you live with each year.

For Feeney’s apartment, not only does she have the added bonus of four roommates’ worth of decor to help shape their winter wonderland, but they also had a luxury few college students choose to secure: a lease renewal.

“My roommates and I stayed in the same apartment as last year, which was super convenient for holiday decor overall,” says Feeney. “We have this spiral staircase in our apartment that we strung with lights last year, and we still have to pull out our Christmas tree, but it’s nice to have a vision based on what we already own.”

Meanwhile, since Arias has limited storage in her dorm, she got creative with where to stash her seasonal decor. “I have a small storage container under my bed that works perfectly for all my holiday decor — from Easter to Halloween to Christmas — and my bed skirt keeps everything out of sight,” she says.

With a dorm’s size restraints in mind, Arias suggests starting small and growing your collection year over year as you get a better sense of what you have space to display and later store. “Set a budget — go with $20 at first and start off with small pieces,” she says. “Then, keep evolving as you go.”