Halloween is finally here! Kicking off the holiday season, this favorite night can range from a celebration of autumn colors and harvest to a spooky, scary event... depending on how you celebrate.

Whether you've been frantically searching for that perfect Halloween costume or decided on your outfit a month ago, why not decorate your dorm room as the finishing touch?

The wonderful thing about decorating your dorm room or apartment for Halloween is that, for the most part, many of the more fall-themed decorations can stay up to herald the arrival of Thanksgiving. Also, autumn colors are gorgeous and soothing, and are definitely among the more budget-friendly decorations available. I don't know about you, but the piles of golden leaves around campus have inspired me to think of more than a few DIY projects!

Want to learn how you can decorate your dorm room or apartment for Halloween? Read on!

Classic Halloween Decor Ideas

If you prefer foliage and pumpkin-carving to horror flicks and dripping blood, there are plenty of easy decorations out there that can transform your space into a fall wonderland. Natural elements reign supreme here, especially squashes and gourds, and it's a perfect excuse to wear a flannel and knee-high boots while you decorate!

• Light a fall-inspired scented candle in your room to make everything smell like cinnamon, hot apple cider, or pumpkin pie. Not allowed to have candles in your room? A reed diffuser is a great substitute.
• Carve a pumpkin at a local autumn festival and set it on your windowsill. If you're worried about it rotting, preserve it with some Pumpkin Fresh spray (yes, this exists), or just keep it in your fridge when it's not on display.
• Collect some autumn leaves from around campus to make an autumn leaf wreath. Just get a styrofoam ring, and glue and/or pin the leaves on until it's covered.
• Feeling glamorous? Bedazzle, paint, and totally trick out a squash, gourd, or pumpkin with a theme in mind to add some sparkle to your room. How about a Chanel-inspired pumpkin? If you have a lot of roommates or live in a sorority house, have each person make their own pumpkin and display them together!
• Set out some fresh-smelling potpourri to add both color and scent.

Spooky Halloween Decor Ideas

Are you the one finishing off your costume with fake blood and lining up Friday the 13th marathons for Halloween night? This holiday was made for you! There are plenty of decorations on the market, but navigating the crowded shelves can be overwhelming. Try these cheap and easy tips for making your room worthy of hosting a haunted house!

• Fill jars with plastic bugs like cockroaches and spiders and set them around your room. For an added scare, spill a few on the ground when you have guests over, and wait for the shrieks!
• Use ketchup or fake blood to make a blood-covered cardboard grave or scary face for your dorm room door as a nice greeting for your friends.
• Set out some gruesome candy, like gummy brains and fingers.
• Cut out some spooky silhouettes out of black paper and attach them to your window. Try placing a fake candle behind them to illuminate their outlines.
• Feeling up to a challenge? String spider webbing all over your room for the ultimate in Halloween decor.

What do you think?

Are you decorating your room for Halloween this year? What tips did you like the best? How have you decorated for Halloween in the past? Let us know with a comment!