How to decorate your uni house for Christmas in true Sheffield student style

As Christmas rolls around the corner, the thought of a cute evening with your flatmates whilst decking the halls sounds like the best idea since they introduced pigs in blanket flavoured crisps. But let’s face it, while the vision of getting your flat together sounds like a perfect way to combined festivity with quality time bonding with your flat, the reality of decorating your space properly can often lead to an unwanted surprise when you check your bank account.

When it comes to student spendings too, we all need some spare savings for our weekly Wednesday VKs and Tesco Meal Deals. So, with December around the corner, you might need to start getting creative when it comes to decorating your university homes this year in order to stay savvy with spending.

Here’s a list of some tips and tricks to create your uni Christmas wonderland without maxing out your overdraft.

Christmas ‘traffic cone’ tree

Forget the classic pine tree, this year, we’re going full “student chic” with a traffic cone tree. Before you start complaining it’s ugly, let’s talk benefits. For one, I’m sure you’ve had that same orange traffic cone in your kitchen since you thought it was a sick idea to nick it in freshers, now’s the time to give it some purpose. Not only is it an eco-friendly reuse of the local council’s finest, but it also allows for creativity in masking the roadwork vibe it’s supposed to give. Wrap it in fairy lights, add a few mismatched decorations, and boom, it could be considered modern art. It’s also easy to store away for next year too. So, no extra stress in next year’s exam season – you’re already a year ahead.

 VK baubles

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How many times has a £5 round gotten the better of you and you’ve ended up in an early taxi home, bringing one of the bottles back to bed with you. If this is the case, why not match the student stereotype and use them as baubles for your Christmas tree. Why is this the best idea ever? One, VKs come in a range of colours, allowing you to create a colourful piece of art that you can post on your socials. They also can fit fairy lights inside, to make your tree glow, your neighbours across the street will be jealous too. Plus, as they’re plastic, they’ll never smash, so when you come stumbling home at 3am from Mollys, you’ll never have to worry about getting a noise complaint to shattering glass. Cheers to that.

Laziest housemate as Elf on the Shelf

You know that one housemate who always leaves dirty dishes in the sink or eats your snacks? Well, it’s time for them to face the consequences of, their lack of, actions. Take their face and stick it on an elf doll; you can buy one for a couple quid at any supermarket. You can recreate the Elf on the Shelf vibe and even make them do ridiculous tasks around the house, such as taking the bins out. You never know, it might even inspire them to actually do it next time. Just make sure they’re cool with it, or you could be facing a very awkward Christmas dinner.

Hanging fairy lights

Yes, even the fuck boy LEDS from TikTok shop. Let’s be real, those strip lights you used to have in your bedroom for “mood lighting” last semester were never used for their original purpose. Before the power of Christmas, they were just the backdrop to your TikToks and the only way to make pre-drinks feel like Monday night at Tank. But this festive season, drape them across your walls, slap them on your windows, and maybe even try them outside (but, like, don’t). No one will judge you for your questionable decorating choices, and you can flash them red and green to match crimbos colour scheme while you dance to a Michael Bublé album.

DIY snowflakes

Who needs store bought snowflakes when you’ve got scissors and some old bits of paper lying around? Get crafty and cut out your own DIY snowflakes, extra points for glitter, you can even use a bit of that leftover eyeshadow from Saturday nights get ready session. Hang them from the ceiling around your flat and watch your housemates forget about the time you left mouldy milk in the fridge. You’ll turn your flat into a winter wonderland while sticking to your student budget. An early white Christmas will make rotting on your living room sofa after a night out on West Street feel way more festive and bring smiles to your housemates faces.

Charity shop finds

You could drop £20 on a new wreath, or you could walk into a charity shop and snag a vintage tinsel garland for £2.90. Trust me, no one will know the difference, and you’ll be saving the planet one secondhand find at a time. Plus, your collection of vintage baubles from 1985 will be the perfect conversation starter when you’re hosting pres. It’ll impress your new friends, and they might even end up paying for your taxi home after your night out on West Street. And in Sheffield, there are endless charity shop locations you can scavenge for some unique finds, like Broomhill, Ecclesall road and Hillsborough. You might even come across some presents for your housemates whilst your looking, killing two birds with one stone for your house Secret Santa this year, to beat last years six pack of toilet roll.

Festive fragrance on a budget

Want your uni house to smell like a Christmas wonderland, but don’t want to drop £10 on a candle that’ll burn out in two days? Get your mates to go halves on some ingredients to make your house replicate Santa’s grotto this season. An old folk tale tip is to throw some cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange slices in a pot of water, and let it simmer. It’ll make your house smell like Christmas, and, honestly, it’s cheaper than a coffee at the student union cafe. Plus, it’ll distract your housemates from the fact that you’ve got 17 plates piled up in the sink. And if this seems like too much hassle, just spray some festive flavoured Lynx around instead. A win is a win.