Dorm Room Decorating on a Budget

So, you’re headed off to college, and you have your first real dorm to buy for and decorate. However, you don’t want to go overboard on your budget because you have those expensive textbooks to purchase. What do you do? Follow these tips!

Focus on natural light

Dorm rooms can be dreary, especially if you keep your furniture in the same position it was when you saw it for the first time. Move that furniture around so you can focus on bringing in the natural light. Natural light can drastically change the feel of a room.

For example, keep your bed by your window and move your dresser next to where your head will go on the wall. This way, you can use the top of your dresser as a shelf and also keep the room bright and cheerful at the same time.

Take a different approach to pictures

Printing out a bunch of pictures to put on your walls can be quite expensive. To bypass this, consider printing your photos on an instagram canvas to hang. This option is a cool way to put your favorite memories on display in a unique way.

Put washi tape all over

Washi tape is not only cheap, it is colorful and sweet. Add some easily removable pizazz to your room by decorating with washi tape. Line your shelving and your cabinets, put your name and your roommate’s name on the door, and even create designs on your desk and walls.

Repurpose your scarves into curtains

Chances are your dorm room won’t come with any curtain or drapes, only blinds. These blinds aren’t the best at keeping the light away from your face, so place a few colorful scarves on the windowpane to change up things.

Add some nature

Bring in some plants to add some nature to the room. You can go crazy decorating the pots, and set them up on a line on your windowpane or scatter them all over. Succulents work best, and herbs are great if you are a budding cook. Also consider some fragrant blooms to make your space smell wonderful.

Layer some throw rugs

You can’t paint the walls, but you sure can add some color to the floors. Mix and match different colored and textured throw rugs all over to bring a lived-in feeling to your dorm room. Plus, because the room isn’t that big, you won’t have to buy expensive area rugs — simply toss a few on the ground, make sure their corners are overlapping, and you’re good to go.

Put tops on your storage boxes

When you put tops on your storage containers, no matter how big or how small, you’ll be able to create a look of cohesiveness and order in no time. You don’t necessarily want your books, accessories, clothes, and other necessary college life items to clutter your room, so stack them away in storage containers that are not transparent. This way you can decorate the boxes as you like, to add to your overall theme.

Use a sheet to create a tapestry wall

Scour some thrift shops to see whether you can find a sheet with a pattern you like. If so, take it, trim it to fit the wall, and you’ll instantly have a cool tapestry to put behind your headboard. However, only do this if your dorm allows you to hang items on your wall.

These tips can help you create a room that will fit the bill in helping you create an home away from home — on a budget. So go have fun decorating!