As the holiday season starts to set in, celebrating is often the last thing on a college student’s mind. With finals week just around the corner, many don’t feel very festive at all.

However, getting ready for the break may be exactly what stressed students need, and what better way to remind you of the upcoming festivities than to decorate! It can be tricky getting in the spirit while not at home, especially in smaller spaces such as dorms and apartments, but there so many ways to make your living space a winter wonderland. Not to mention, seeing the decorations may remind you of the light at the end of the tunnel when finals week ends!

A great way to spice up your room is by hanging up holiday lights. These little bulbs pack some flash and flair into not only Christmas trees but walls and windows as well. They’re easy to set up – besides getting out those pesky tangles – and add some serious spirit to your home! Plus, they are super inexpensive and won’t die out immediately. Plug them in and enjoy the view! You can simply pick up a pack of these at your local craft or home improvement store, such as Michael’s or Home Depot. White lights can be used all year round, but rainbow or red and green lights can give your space an extra kick. Nothing reminds people of the holidays more than flashy lights! Just be sure that where you hang your lights falls in line with safety rules for your residence hall.

Another great decoration to have during the holidays is a Christmas tree! Now, it can be extremely difficult to fit a six-foot evergreen tree into a tiny dorm, but miniature versions are available. Whether you want to go for the fresh scent of a real tree, or have a snazzy fake one, both make great additions to your holiday décor!

Any real tree would be available at a local farmer’s market, and one can find a synthetic tree almost anywhere during the holiday season. Looking for something low budget? Try CVS! Local nurseries also often offer small bushes or trees in pots, which makes caring for a real plant easy. Dollar Tree also sells ornaments at an inexpensive price. Hanging up ornaments, store bought or homemade, will help create a tree that you and all your friends can cozy up under! For some additional fun, try decorating stockings to hang by the tree. Generic stockings can be bought at any local craft store or ordered online. Use paint, markers or other crafts to personalize your own!

Many people remember making paper snowflakes in elementary school, and although it may seem childish, they make for great decoration for the season. This craft is as easy as pie! All you need to do is fold a piece of white paper, cut some funky shapes out, open it up and amaze yourself with your snowflake. Hanging them along a string will give a frosty touch to your living space. The best part about this is that just like real snow, every snowflake is unique in its own way. This is a great craft to do with friends to dazzle yourselves with each other’s creations and get festive!

One very unique holiday decoration that has been popular recently is using wrapping paper to decorate your walls and doors! Wrapping paper is extremely inexpensive and can be found at any pharmacy, discount store or craft store during this time of year. All you need to do is get some tape, cut the paper to whatever size necessary and hang it up. You can also add a giant bow to make the door itself look like a present. This not only is a great way to decorate but a fun way to spark up conversation with your neighbors. You can experiment with different prints and patterns, and cleaning it up at the end of the season is also super easy!

As college students tend to be short on money, DIY decorations are the way to go! Check out Pinterest.com for more ideas. Decorating for Christmas can be easy and fun, especially with your best pals and roommates. You will be able to get that cozy Christmas feel all in the comfort of your own dorm or apartment and hopefully distract yourself from finals week, if only for a moment.