Starting at a four-year college at 22 was something I never imagined myself doing. That being said, I was not prepared to move into a dorm and definitely not prepared to decorate one either. Decorating a dorm was not a top priority when making lists of what to bring or buy, but I soon figured out how boring and lonely an undecorated dorm felt. This led to decorating my dorm a few weeks after moving in with a low budget and a vision.
DIY’s
The first budget-friendly decorating how-to is by crafting! While I personally am not very artistic, some of my favorite decorations in my room are the decorations handmade by my artistic roommate. Rather than buying signs or posters, painting a canvas with quotes or displays adds color and your personality to the walls. This also doubles as bonding time with your suitemate and friends! Not everything has to be perfectly crafted by a computer or printer. Even if there are a few mistakes here and there, they add more character to your room.
Using your resources
Another way I was able to decorate without breaking the bank was by finding inexpensive rugs to put down or cheap decorations that fit my theme. While my dorm was already carpeted, the rugs and decorations I was able to find made it feel cozier, match a color scheme, and appear less boring overall. The best time to do this was actually after moving in when everything went on clearance. While I was still spending money, there were lots of cheap options at many different stores to add character to where you are going to be spending most of your time. My favorite places to find these were Five Below, Target, Wal-Mart, TJ Maxx, and sometimes even Facebook Marketplace!
Get involved!
My last tip to decorate your room on a budget is to get involved on campus! There are so many events going on all the time that also give out a bunch of free stuff. Between stickers, magnets, plants, patches, and so much more, there will be a lot of things to represent your school with! I personally was able to decorate my room with a lot of stuff from my fraternity as well as my school’s merch.
Decorating your dorm is not a requirement to have a good experience on campus; however, it helped me feel more at home. Decorating on a budget takes a little more time and dedication, but it is not impossible to do!