It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and what better way to end your first term of the academic year in style than with a festive bonanza at your student home. Whether it’s cooking your very own Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and pigs in blankets you could dream of, to turning your living space into a grotto with festive décor, celebrate the end of term in style!
The UK’s leading student accommodation platform, UniHomes, has pulled together some top tips on bringing the festive cheer to your student home on a budget and sustainably as possible, along with recommendations of Christmas events taking place in some of the biggest student cities across the UK.
- Sparkle up your home with sustainable décor
No Christmas would be complete without decorating your living room with an array of tinsel, fairy lights and a Christmas tree! But with the festive season producing a lot of non-biodegradable waste, selecting eco-friendly décor can have a positive impact. Be kind to the planet and visit your local charity shop who will have a range of pre-loved decorations at a low cost – you’ll have your home feeling festive in no time whilst lessening your impact on the planet. If you’re feeling crafty this Christmas, why not try making your own decorations? No student home is complete without some interesting looking paper snowflakes adorning the windows!
- Serve up the ultimate Christmas dinner
Christmas dinners in student homes are infamous for their kitchen mishaps and questionable results, but it is a staple part of being a student. When shopping for a Christmas dinner to feed 4-6 people, visit a budget-friendly supermarket such as ALDI or Lidl to purchase your turkey, vegetables, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, stuffing, pigs in blankets and dessert. Plus, you’ll be left with lots of leftovers to use up for additional lunches and dinners. You can even challenge yourself to the latest TikTok trend and try and get everything for under £20!
- Choose your booze
Would we be truly British if we didn’t use Christmas as an excuse to get out the drinks? Everyone has their favourite holiday tipple, whether its Buck’s Fizz, a good old pint, or festive-inspired cocktails. Why not host a cocktail making evening, challenging each flatmate to create a festive-inspired tipple or play a game of prosecco pong to really get the part started! For those who don’t drink, why not make a delicious and warming festive hot chocolate.
- Secret Santa
Saving both time and money, Secret Santa is another staple part of student life! Decide on a budget among yourselves to purchase a gift that your housemate will love. The more personal, the better – try to purchase a gift that relates to an inside joke and will make them laugh! The best Secret Santa gifts are definitely the ones you will look back and chuckle about. Think fun and festive when choosing your gifts, and maybe even try get a gift you can all get involved in. Alternatively, why not visit your local thrift store or charity shop to make a conscious purchase by gifting a pre-loved item – you’ll be supporting a charity whilst helping the planet too!
- Games galore
With dinner and gifts out of the way, you might want to play some classic Christmas games like charades, a Christmas quiz, or cards. Head to your local charity shop to pick up a few festive games, without spending a fortune – you can spend monopoly money instead! In traditional student fashion, these could also be turned into drinking games! Christmas karaoke is always a top choice – why not pull up YouTube on your TV and duet your friends to some festive classics? There is nothing more fun than singing your heart out to the classics of Band Aid or Elton John at Christmas time.
Unable to host your own party? There are a wide range of festive events taking place in some of the most popular student cities across the UK that you can attend! Why not head to Chow Down in Leeds who are hosting their very own Winter Village filled with music, food and more! There are a wide range of Christmas markets taking place with free entry in student cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh and Nottingham. London also has a range of festive activities taking place across the city, whether its seeing the Christmas lights on Oxford Street, to visiting Boxpark with a range of festive events to choose from!
To find out more about UniHomes and secure your perfect student home, please visit: https://www.unihomes.co.uk/
