Moving into a new dorm room and unpacking is very stressful, and finding decorations to go with the room adds on to the pressure to making an aesthetically pleasing space. It is also difficult to find a theme or a medium for a dorm room. A lot of the time spending money on decorations can be a waste of money. Luckily there are five simple, easy, quick and cute ways to spice up the boring walls without spending a lot of money on new items!
1. Water Colors on Large Paper.
If you’re looking to cover a mass majority of your wall without buying a tapestry, purchasing water color paper and water colors can make for an easy wallpaper that you can just tape up on the wall. It is also fun to experiment with the different textures of watercolors to make unique designs within the paint. For example: Try dripping rubbing alcohol with a q-tip on the wet paint to get the acid wash effect. Once four or six of these papers are painted it will be enough to look like you have wallpaper instead of a plain white wall!
2. Washi Tape.
One classic way of displaying pictures in a dorm is with clothes pins and string. An alternative and funkier way of putting up pictures, without going through the trouble of picture frames cluttering your desk, is using Washi Tape. Not only does it make a great frame that doesn’t destroy walls, but it can be used to put patterns and shapes up as well!
3. Drift Wood Hanger.
If you’re going for a more natural theme in the dorm, go with the driftwood look! This is a really easy way to design a jewelry hanger or just a regular decoration. Finding a thick stick and sanding it down is the main part to the decoration. After you sand the stick, look for old fabric and yarn, (maybe even feathers, or braided string to hang too), and tie it on the piece of wood. If you’re making a jewelry hanger, make sure to have nails on the driftwood to hang necklaces and bracelets. Once you’re done, connect the string that is tied at both ends of the wood in a know, so it can be hung up above your bed!
4. Glue and Canvas.
This one is for the clean, crisp and simple people. If you’re going for the all-white and pure style try putting white glue out of the bottle onto a canvas. Use the glue tube as you would use any regular paintbrush, pencil or drawing utensil. If you want to add some of your own touches, use paint in between the glue lines or over it for colorful effect. Let it dry and then hang up!
5. Chalk Board Banner.
Instead of hanging up lights, try draping a chalk board on one of the walls in your room. This project takes a little more time, but it is worth all the effort in the long run! For this decoration you will need burlap, chalk board paint, scissors, a paint brush, and string. Cut shapes out of the burlap that you like (squares, triangles, circles etc.), then puncture holes in the fabric so the string can be fed through. Add the chalkboard paint on the burlap. Let it dry, then draw on it with chalk!