10 Ways to Decorate Your Dorm Room on a Budget

                                                   

Now is the time many students start preparing to get ready to go to college and move into their dorm rooms.  When I attended college my dorm room was a dull ugly brown color.  The mattresses looked like they were 20 years old. The walls were bare. The floor was dingy looking and the windows were in need of painting. The room seemed cold and drab. Door rooms only provide basic necessities such as a bed, dresser, chair and desk. 

Your dorm room is your chance to be unique and show your creativity and independence.  You can create themes or change your design every 3 months if you have the money to do so. Decorating your dorm room can be fun and exciting. Don’t let the room and small space get you down.  It can take a lot of time to spruce up a dorm room to make it comfortable for you to study and sleep.  However, with some creativity and time you can decorate your dorm room into a stylish wonderful place where everyone will want to come and hang out and without spending a lot of money. Check with your dorm RA about specific rules on decorating.

1. Bedding. Buy a bed-in-a-bag set. Try buying colorful sets to brighten your room. You can also look for dorm packages that offer a comforter, sheets, towels and pillowcases. Make sure you buy the proper size for your bed. Use mattress covers to protect bedding from bed bugs and dust mites.
2. Storage. Buy convertible or storage containers or bins that can be hidden under your bed or on shelves. Footlockers can also be used for storage and as a min-table to place books and magazines. Throw a decorative cover on it to make it look appealing.
3. Walls. Use posters, pictures, postcards or fabric to decorate dorm walls. Use removable hooks to hang items on the wall to prevent damaging the walls.
4. Furniture and accessories.  Purchase compact furniture such as tables or chairs or furniture that is multifunctional from stores like Ikea.  Buy colorful or patterned throw rugs to cover the floors.
5. Lighting. Buy a desk lamp or headboard light to use when working at your desk or studying in bed to give your room more lighting. If the room lighting is too dim, you may also consider switching the light bulbs in the room to brighter lighting.  At the end of the school year remember to switch out the light bulbs.
6. Paint. If you are allowed to paint the walls use bright colors or patterns to transform the room. Check with your roommate before painting. You may have to paint the room back to its original color before the school year is over.
7. Discount. Buy items for your door room from discount or thrift stores, flea markets or yard sales to save money.
8. Windows. Purchase colorful drapes that can be hung with adhesive hooks from 3M and can be pulled off when you are ready to leave for the school year to prevent damage to the walls.
9. TV. Consider watching TV on your laptop instead of buying a TV to save space.
10. Organize your space. Orga­nize your space by using a hanging shoe rack that can also be used to store scarfs, belts, socks and other items. You can also use bins, shoe trees and stack storage boxes. Get ideas from DIY television shows, YouTube videos or articles on the internet.