Five simple and inexpensive ways to decorate for fall

<p>Fall is a great excuse to decorate rooms with leaf garlands, fall scents and miniature pumpkins. Another way to update a room for the season is to make a DIU paper pumpkin.<em>&nbsp;E</em><em>mily Sabens // DN</em></p>

Fall is a great excuse to decorate rooms with leaf garlands, fall scents and miniature pumpkins. Another way to update a room for the season is to make a DIU paper pumpkin. Emily Sabens // DN

With the air getting colder and the leaves changing color, the autumn season is beginning to hit us full force. To make your dorm room feel warm and cozy this fall, try out one of these easy and low-cost ideas.

String leaf garlands around your room

One easy and cheap way to decorate your dorm for the season is to buy simple autumn leaf garlands at a local craft store. These garlands can give you the feeling of being outdoors, sitting underneath the colored leaves, even if you are inside your room doing homework. You can hang them above your doorway, around your mirror, or if you have a loft bed, you can string them around the bed frame. 

You can find fall-themed leaf garlands at retailers such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby in store or online.

Incorporate some classic fall scents

There are a variety of classic activities people enjoy during the fall: visiting an apple orchard and sipping homemade cider, jumping into a tall pile of raked leaves, toasting marshmallows by a chilly evening bonfire and, of course, eating a whopping, delicious slice of pumpkin pie. 

Once the autumn season arrives, many stores begin to carry candles and air fresheners that feature these classic fall scents. 

Most dorms do not allow candles; however, you can choose to buy a plug-in air freshener that will give your room the sweet fall scent you desire. Try checking out Bath and Body Works in the Muncie Mall or online for a variety of signature fall scents.

Add some miniature pumpkins to your decor

In a dorm room, everything is shrunk down from normal size: small closets, mini fridges and just a lack of space in general. Although pumpkins are a staple in fall decor, it may be difficult to lug a full-size pumpkin into your room. Instead, try purchasing some miniature pumpkins this year. They may be smaller in size, but they still add the same aspect of the autumn atmosphere full-sized pumpkins would, and are usually less expensive.

Try placing mini pumpkins in a cute basket or ornate bowl. You can even purchase some miniature gourds or small ears of colorful Indian corn to place along your petite pumpkins. 

You can find any of these items at Meijer or Walmart, as well as almost any other grocery stores you visit during the fall months.

Update your bedding

The fall season in Indiana brings in cooler temperatures — why not grab a new throw blanket to keep you toasty as well as add a twist of autumn to your room? If one of your favorite parts of fall is bringing out your stylish sweaters to keep you warm from the cold, many stores offer throws made from the same warm fabric. 

Try checking out Target for a variety of these types of blankets in some traditional fall colors. 

Another easy way to give your room a new spin is to buy some fall-themed decor pillows to display on your bed. Try checking out Kohl’s or Target in store or online for a large but inexpensive variety.

Get crafty

If you love DIY projects, then try out this fun do-it-yourself pumpkin craft that is made from an old book.

What you’ll need:

  • A book (one that you do not mind cutting up)
  • Orange spray paint
  • Sponge brush
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun
  • A branch to use as the stem of the pumpkin
  • Plastic bag or protective material 
  1. Start by creating a stencil for your pumpkin — take a sheet of paper and fold it in half, then draw a semicircle along the crease to represent the shape of half of your “pumpkin.”
  2. Next, open your book to about the halfway mark. Lay your stencil along the crease of the book, then begin to cut around the stencil using your scissors. Your scissors will probably allow you to only cut 11 to 12 pages at a time. Continue this process until the entire book has been cut out.
  3. Stand your pumpkin up and line up the two spines of the book. Take the branch that you plan to use as the stem and hot glue it between the two spines. Then, fill in any spots along the spines with hot glue to make sure everything stays together.
  4. You may notice that your “pumpkin” may have some gaps between the pages; you can fix this by slightly crumpling the pages of your pumpkin, making it appear fuller, or by gluing some of the pages together in order to make them stay in place.
  5. Lastly, lightly spritz the edges of your pages with the orange spray paint. Wait for paint to completely dry on a plastic bag or protective material before using it to decorate.

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