Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

Eight ways to spruce up your dorm

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois State chapter.

Move in day is finally over! Now it’s time to add some excitement to that very plain dorm room. Here are some easy ways to spruce up your space to make it trendy in no time.

Curtains
Find some cheap, fun curtains to hang up in your room. These can add color to your room and dress it up! You can hang these over your closet or windows (or both). You can purchase a cheap shower rod at Ace (which is close to campus, behind the Pub II) to hang up your curtains infront of your closet.

Lighting
Target is always a great place to find some inexpensive lamps. You can use these on your desk or you can get a floor lamp to add more lighting and to add personality, instead of just turning on your fluorescent ceiling light.

Rid yourself of plastic crates
Yes, they are convenient! But, square storage ottomans can be just as effective in storing all your stuff and they look much better than those plastic bins.

Throw pillows
Search stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx or Home Goods for throw pillows that accent your comforter. These will make your room instantly look more homey.

Area rugs
These are a great way to make you and your roommate feel more at home. Area rugs can be super cheap and instantly add a welcoming feel to your room.

Decorative bulletin board
Take an average cork bulletin board and cover it in fabric. The board can still be used to put reminders, notes, and pictures and it also looks a lot better than the boring brown cork.

Pictures
Search thrift stores for some inexpensive picture frames of all different sizes. Place these in a collage around your room and fill them with photos of your new friends at school and old friends from home.

Wall Decals
Many stores are now selling stickers for your walls. They come in a variety of styles and are easily removable! Try putting these up around your room to avoid blank wall space.

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Megan Maginity

Illinois State

Megan is a sophomore Journalism major at Illinois State University, with a minor in Creative Writing. She balances her time between class, her sorority- Gamma Phi Beta, and writing for the college newspaper- The Daily Vidette. When she’s not busy, Meg likes to shop for the best sales, rollerblade, hang out with friends or watch reruns of Sex and The City. Becoming a campus correspondent/editor-in-chief was a great accomplishment for her because she is an aspiring writer, hoping to take on the world of mass media after graduation in 2013.