It’s that time of year again—the air is getting crisp, leaves are starting to change colors, and pumpkin spice lattes have returned to Starbucks. We’re sure you’ve already pulled out your oversized sweaters and beautiful booties, so why shouldn’t your dorm be fall-ready as well? These five tips can help transform your room to create the perfect autumn mood.
Two Words: Baby Pumpkins
These cost next to nothing at a local grocery store, plus it takes five lifetimes for them to actually start rotting (this has been proven by #science). This means you can grab a few, group them together on your desk, and instantly have a more festive room for the entirety of the too-short season. Can’t get to a grocery store? Artificial bb pumpkins can easily be ordered online and look just as festive.
Switch Up Your Bedding
You don’t have to get crazy and buy an entire bedroom set at Pier One, but grabbing the right bedding does make a big statement for your whole room. Simply using a brown quilt against a white bedspread or getting some yellow, red, or orange decorative pillows will make guests feel like they’ve just entered a pumpkin patch—in a good way, of course.
Washi Tape
No, not wasabi. Washi. In case you haven’t heard of it, it’s one of the most coveted crafting tools and there’s a good reason. The designer tape made from natural fibers is simple to use, easy to remove, and can make any design pop. This fall, use festive tape with fall leaves to create a frame around photos in your room. The best part is that wasabi—I mean washi tape is temporary, so you can change out the tape based on the season. Anyone else craving sushi?
Art Boards
If you have a dry erase board outside your door, this is the perfect opportunity to spread autumn cheer to your floor mates without them ever even seeing the inside of your room. Because let’s face it, no one needs to see the cluttered mess of your dirty dorm room. Get orange, red, brown, and black markers to create weekly fall designs or put up quotes from the best fall movies. I mean, who can resist a classic “When Harry Met Sally” line?
String Lights
And I ain’t talkin’ about the overpriced, hipster lights you can buy from Urban Outfitters. I mean string lights from a craft store or a seasonal store with orange glass that give your room a soft autumn glow when you turn them on. Just be sure to double check the fire codes at your school before hanging them up—no one wants to be that girl that set the building on fire.
by Amber Cannale