Five Top Tips to Bring Christmas Cheer to a Student Home
Christmas can be a difficult time for overseas students who are studying in the UK whilst their families and loved ones are at home. For those unable to travel back to be with them over the festive period, both in the UK and overseas, there are certain ways that today’s students can ensure that they still feel truly Christmassy this year.
The leading provider of luxurious student accommodation in the UK, Collegiate AC, allows their student residents who would like to, the opportunity to stay in their property over Christmas. To help them make the very most of this joyous time of year, CEO of Collegiate AC, Heriberto Cuanalo, gives his five top tips on how to bring Christmas cheer to a student home:
1) Deck the Halls!
With crafting and vintage styles increasingly popular, this year is set to see a resurgence of the traditional Christmas decoration. One of the most traditional and easiest to create decoration that is making an elegant comeback is the paper chain. Full of charm and cheap as chips to create, yet able to be customised to your very own style, paper chains can be strung up throughout a student apartment to create an instant Christmassy feel. Use coloured or metallic paper, left-over wrapping paper, sprinkle with glitter or even glue on sequins, paper chains will make sure your home is merry and bright this wintertime.
Alternatively, gather some of nature’s natural treasures. Pine cones, ferns, holly and ivy make beautiful Christmas decorations when dabbed with glitter or tied with red ribbon to create a bespoke decoration that brings a natural festive charm to any student property.
2) Christmas Jumpers!
Once thought of as tacky and untasteful (think Bridget Jones’ Mark Darcy!), the Christmas jumper has taken on a life of its own in recent years and is now an annual style icon. Where this trend is concerned, the cheesier the better so think snowmen, 3D santas, reindeer and sparkle – some even light up or play a festive tune – all of which are guaranteed to make you feel in the Christmas spirit.
Ensure that your housemates also don their own this year by taking part in the official ‘Christmas Jumper Day’ on 18th December and raise money for charity Save the Children or hold your very own Christmas jumper competition with a prize for the most outrageous!
3) Have a Movie Marathon!
‘Elf’, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, ‘Love Actually’, The Snowman’, ‘The Holiday’, ‘Home Alone’… there are so many fantastic Christmas films so why not line them up and plan a movie marathon? The weather outside may be frightful but watching a whole host of classic movies will warm up a frosty day, whether on your TV or in a Collegiate AC on-site cinema room. Grab your friends, some festive treats, stay in the warm and add a sprinkling of fairy lights and you’re ready for a Christmas Movie Marathon like no other!
4) Secret Santa!
With many people complaining that Christmas is becoming over-commercialised, remembering that the festive period should be about giving is guaranteed to provide a heartwarming glow. Why not organise for those within your student property to take part in a Secret Santa? Setting a low budget not only means that presents won’t break the bank but also that you and your fellow housemates will have to get creative with the gift buying, adding far more fun to proceedings!
Place all your names in a Santa hat and pick one out at random, keep the name of who you’ve chosen secret, buy a gift for within your agreed budget and then, once bought, place all the gifts in a sack for people to find the one with their name on. The element of surprise will add to the festive fun and is sure to generate much discussion and laughter.
5) Host a Carol Concert!
Whether traditional carols (think ‘Silent Night’, ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’, ‘Away in a Manger’, and ‘Deck the Halls’) or modern Christmas tunes (such as ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’, ‘Santa Baby’, ‘Last Christmas’, and ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’), everyone loves singing at Christmas! Get all your housemates together, invite the neighbours, and organise your very own Carol Concert.
Buy a Christmas karaoke CD or print song sheets, or just Google the lyrics, what’s important is that you simply have fun, belt out the songs and share the Christmas cheer. Merry Christmas everyone!
For more information on luxury student accommodation, visit www.collegiate-ac.com or contact Collegiate AC on 01235 250 140.