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Photo Credit: Heather Harris[/caption]
Midterms, hectic schedules, dipping temperatures and contagious illnesses can make it difficult to get into the Halloween spirit. Gone are the days of wearing our costumes to school and holding hands as we trick or treat down the block. And for many students, family traditions and festivities are lost once college begins. Yet, a little time and effort can give any dorm the Halloween makeover it deserves.
The month of October marks the beginning of fall, thus granting permission for pumpkins to be everywhere. These inexpensive decorations can be purchased at our local Target for less than five dollars. They also make for a wonderful reason to get artsy! Carving, painting and coloring pumpkins adds to their flare and ultimately creates memories with friends. The pumpkin that I decorated is adorning my window sill and giving our whole room a wonderful autumn vibe.
I visited my local dollar store on a hunt for cheap decorations. The first item I found was sparkly purple garland complete with smiling pumpkins. For a total of three dollars, I purchased enough to cover the doorways in my suite. Holiday lights are not allowed under Seton Hall University fire safety guidelines so a garland is a safe alternative.
For our walls, I found cut-outs. These simple paper pieces came in the shapes of pumpkins and “Halloween” lettering and were especially convenient because of their versatility in size. They are the focal points of our decorations and look so festive! For our door, I found a plastic witch door cover that garners a lot of attention from our visitors as it’s large enough to encompass our entire door. When on a budget, it is important to take advantage of large items because they give you the most bang for your buck!
Finally, to finish our spooky suite, I picked up a small glittering black cat who lives in the corner of our hallway. The cat is a fixture of our Halloween layout and only cost two dollars.
So, for a total of eight dollars spent at my local dollar store, I was able to create an Halloween ambiance within my home away from home. Any student can recreate this look and get into the Halloween spirit!
Heather Harris can be reached at heather.harris@student.shu.edu
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