It’s crunch time at Wake Forest, as there are only a couple weeks left before the break. Many students are frantically finishing up projects and papers while also starting to study for final exams. In the midst of this chaos, you have to find time to take a break, and what better way to spend that break than decorating your dorm for the holiday season. There are many different holidays coming up and to get into the festive mood, take a moment to turn on some holiday music and hang up some string lights.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, throw on some Michael Bublé and drag out every minurature Santa figurine you own. To start, go to the store and buy a tiny two-foot tree. It can be pre-decorated or you can get a slightly bigger one that you and your roommate can decorate together. Set it up either on someone’s desk or in the corner of the room and put all the little presents you are planning to give or ones you have already received underneath it.

Next on the decorating agenda grab, all of those miniature Santa figurines and put them in every nook and cranny not already inhabited by books and all the laundry you haven’t done. When you invite your friends over to do a Secret Santa gift exchange, you could host a scavenger hunt to find them all. Whoever finds the most Santas wins a prize.

To top off the Christmas atmosphere, go to the Dollar Tree and buy stockings for your roommates to hang on the wall. This will be a cute place to take Christmas photos for Instagram and you can add candy or cute knick-knacks.

For those of who that celebrate Hanukkah, pull out your menorah and head to the store to get some electronic candles to fill it with. Since Hanukkah starts during finals week, go ahead and turn on a candle every day. If you have a windowsill in your room, use the space to set up the menorah so that everyone that passes by your dorm can enjoy it too. Make sure your room is blanketed with cobalt blue and white accents to keep the Hanukkah theme going.

To add to the ambiance, pull out all of your dreidels and chocolate gold coins to scatter around the room. Similar to the Santa Claus game, hide some around the room so when friends come over you can also have a scavenger hunt and whoever wins can get a prize.

Finally grab a few Stars of David and hang them on the wall. You can add some flare by making your own with popsicle sticks and adding cobalt blue designs. Hang your homemade stars in fun patterns over your bed. Also if you’re feeling extra festive, you can make or buy a Happy Hanukkah sign to hang on your door.

For those who do not celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, here are a few ways to get excited for break. Drag out every set of string lights and plush snowman you have out of your decoration box and get started. Grab all of those string lights you took out and hang them all over the walls and on your bed posts to add to the festive atmosphere. If you are extra creative and good with command strips, you could even hang them in fun patterns like a star on the wall to compliment the rest of your decorations.

Next take out those snowmen; there’s no need to feel left out, take them and also host a scavenger hunt around your dorm room for your friends. You can even find snowmen that dance and sing if you head to the store. Then, grab some chocolate from the P.O.D. and have it as a prize.

Finally, head over to your printer and get a few sheets of paper. Take this paper and fold it so that you can cut it into a snowflake. Make a few of these and hang them on the walls or on your door. If you don’t mind a mess, then grab some glitter glue and add some sparkle.