Decorating a college dorm room is hard. You want your room to look good without having to break your bank account. You’re only given a tiny amount of space to make it look and feel like home. Here are some tips and tricks to decorate your dorm room and a look into some stores that have affordable and cute stuff to fill your dorm room!
1. Pick a color theme.
When decorating a dorm room, you want everything to match and compliment each other. In order to do this, it is essential you pick a color theme. When decorating, keep that color theme in mind and stay consistent. My personal favorite color theme is light blue, white, and grey. When I first decorated my dorm room, I chose bedding items and decor that all fell within this range of colors. If you want it to look brighter, stick with a lighter color such as baby blue or pale pink.
2. Take advantage of throw pillows.
If you have to binge on one item and one item only, buy pillows. If you’re anything like me and love to be buried in a bunch of pillows at night, I would aim for five or six pillows. Pick a variety of decorative pillows that all compliment each other and go along with the color theme. Having five or six pillows might sound like a lot, but trust me, the more pillows, the better. Some places that include affordable yet trendy pillows are Wayfair, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond.
3. Add a throw blanket.
In order to make your bed look even better, add a throw blanket that matches your bedding and pillows. It makes the room look cuter and comfier! Target has a wide variety of decorative blankets for a low price. If you pick a grey or white comforter, adding a throw blanket with some color can make the room pop more! Adding a throw blanket is a simple solution that has a big impact on how your room looks.
4. Hang up a tapestry.
If you have a lot of wall space and are looking for a way to make your room stand out, I recommend getting a tapestry. There are so many types of tapestries available to you, from tapestries with bougie flower hipster designs to photos of Kris Jenner throwing a peace sign! In my opinion, the best places for tapestries are Society6 and Redbubble. Other places such as Urban Outfitters and Amazon also sell tapestries for a good price.
5. Get some string lights.
Get some string lights to hang down or around your bed. They tie the entire room together and create a very relaxing vibe. They also make the room look much brighter (no thank you, dim dorm lights). Two places that sell lights for a low price are Amazon and Target. Amazon even has lights with several different settings for the lights such as dimming, flashing and everything in between!
6. Rely on posters.
Posters are the perfect solution to that empty wall space that you are looking to fill. Society6 and Redbubble sell affordable posters and often have 40% off deals or free shipping. If a poster seems too pricey at one point, check back at another time because they almost always have a deal going on!
7. Use some peel & stick wallpaper.
I’ve seen these at Target and always wanted to try them out. This stick-on wallpaper looks identical to the real thing. Most of them are under $35.00 and are the perfect solution for a boring dorm room. Sticky wallpaper is also easy to apply and affordable. They stick right on the wall and they don’t leave behind any marks. You won’t get charged by your school for any damage to the dorm!
8. Add more decor.
If you want your room to be more relaxing, add essential oils or a fake candle. For aesthetic purposes, rely on bowls or pieces of pottery to add more color to your room! You can also decorate with plants. Target has a variety of affordable decor options—cue the “yay!” for us broke college students.
By using a few of these ideas, you can make your dorm room a place you never want to leave—apologies to all of our 8 am professors. You don’t have to go off budget to decorate your room! Follow these tips to make your dorm room look perfect without feeling guilty for the next few months.
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Just by using a few of these ideas, you can make your dorm room a place you never want to leave (*apologizes to all 8 A.M. professors*). Decorating doesn’t have to exceed your budget. With these tips, you will find the best way to make your dorm room look perfect without feeling guilty for the next few months.
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, check out our Pinterest board, and read our latest Tweets!