When you first get to Binghamton, you arrive at your dorm with all the excitement of moving into a new house. How will you decorate? Where will your bed be? And then you put up posters and your beautiful new tapestry, only to have it taken down by the Thanksgiving fire inspection. Now that you’ve accepted the lack of medusa lamps in your room, it begs the question, how will you decorate for the holidays? In this time of festivity and cheer, there is no reason to let the bureaucracy keep you from good tidings. Here are a few tips to help you build your winter wonderland.

1. Wrap your dorm door in wrapping paper — This will let everybody know you are in the holiday spirit and may even get you some visitors coming by to admire your creativity. Plus any time someone knocks on your door, you can say “surprise, I’m your present!” and isn’t that a good enough reason to do anything?

2. Make a wreath — Glue together crayons in a circle formation on a piece of oaktag, and you have yourself a wreath! This can also work with things other than crayons — anything from a craft store really. If you have no shame, maybe cut out pictures of One Direction and make it a very boy band holiday.

3. Create a lamp — Clean out an old empty wine bottle and then put a strand of Christmas lights inside. Put it on your nightstand, on your dresser, or give it as a different yet adorable gift to your roommate. Actually, if you are going for a gift, you might just want to give them wine.

4. Paper snowflakes — You can find instructions online to easily cut snowflakes out of paper. These can be hung everywhere. Literally everywhere. Don’t limit yourself to your own dorm room. Decorate the lounge, the RA office, and anywhere that you think could use some Christmas cheer.

5. Hang up the stockings — Stockings can easily be found in Five Below, and can be written on with paint and glitter glue. Write out the names of you, your roommate, and your roommate’s boyfriend who basically lives with you but really needs to leave.

6. Hang a garland — These can also be found in craft stores, as well as Walmart and Target. Put them everywhere for an outdoor, winter feel.

7. Get traditional — Place some electric menorahs in your windows if you celebrate Hanukkah. And often, with the permission of the RD, you can put a Christmas tree in a lounge of your building. You can get clear plastic ornaments and everyone in your dorm can have one with their name. Plus you can put the names of all the Harry Potter characters on them and pretend you go to Hogwarts, and who doesn’t want that?