10 Creative Ways to Decorate Your Dorm Room on a Budget
Dorm rooms aren’t exactly known for their good looks. But that doesn’t mean they have to stay boring, even if you don’t have a lot to spend. You just need a little creative inspiration with dorm room decorations to transform your new home into a cozy and personalized space (within the rules set by your school, of course).
Dorm room decorations likely are the last thing on your list of student expenses (textbooks and food aren’t cheap!). However, it might be worth a little extra work to make your first home-away-from-home truly unique.
How to Get Dorm Room Decorations on a Budget
Using budget dorm room decorations doesn’t mean things have to look cheap. These creative solutions combine creativity and a little ingenuity. As an added bonus, lots of them are handy, functional solutions to maximize your small space.
1. Start with a Color Palette
An easy way to elevate your dorm design is to build a color palette that brings everything together. Choose three or four colors (including neutrals) and use them in everything from bedding and rugs to curtains and wall decor.
Using the right colors has extra benefits, too. Having a color palette can bring a level of sophistication to your space without having to add a ton of extra stuff.
If you need help choosing colors that go together, try playing with a free color palette generator.
2. Add a Pop of Personality with Wallpaper
Wallpaper is having a moment. With increased love for this trend, peel-and-stick wallpaper is easy to find and even affordable. This roll of wallpaper from Amazon is $8.
You don’t have to wallpaper the entire room, either. Pick one wall and let it be the focal point of your space. If you’re using wallpaper around your bed, only bring the wallpaper down to where it would disappear behind your bed. You can save the extra wallpaper and use it where you’ll actually see it.
A word of caution: some removable wallpapers are less “removable” than others. Always read the reviews and try out a piece on a small space of wall before committing to the entire project.
3. Display All Your College Memories
As a thriving college student, you’ll need somewhere to display important information, notes, concert tickets and photos of friends and family. That’s why we have the classic bulletin board.
Here’s how to DIY an adorable bulletin board on a budget. First, head over to Walmart and grab a $0.98 foam board and enough fabric to cover it (a yard should be more than enough). Trim your fabric to cover your board, plus a few inches. Fold the fabric over and hot glue it to the back. Hang your board with ribbons or adhesive strips. You can add extra ribbons or use fabric to make pockets for more storage.
For a heavier-duty solution, check out your local hardware store for foam board. Check out this easy tutorial from Bon Bon at Farmhouse40. It comes in large enough sheets that you’ll want to split it with some friends. Turn it into a fun friends’ night project.
4. Shed a Little Light on Your Dorm
The lighting in your dorm might be good enough for studying, but it’s not exactly relaxing.
Adding some ambiance with fairy lights can turn your dorm into an oasis from the stress of school. Unfortunately, lights aren’t always cheap, and if they are battery-powered then you are shelling out more money for batteries. Not ideal.
We like these plug-in fairy lights on Amazon for less than $7. Another great time to scoop up some lights on a deal is after the holidays.
Grab a pack of clothespins at the dollar store and clip photos to your lights for a fun way to display your favorite people.
5. Put Your Cereal Boxes to Work
Cereal is a staple college meal. Breakfast in a flash? Cereal. Study time fuel? Cereal. Late night snack? Cereal. Why not use those cereal boxes for more than your favorite go-to meal?
Using simple craft supplies like scrapbook paper and washi tape, Rachel from One Crazy House shares 15 ways to turn your cereal boxes into helpful organizers.
These work well for getting that paper clutter off your desk or whipping your drawers in shape. There are tons of ways you can get organized with a little creativity with cardboard.
6. Free Up Some Closet Space with Dollar Store Hacks
Drawers and closets are valuable real estate in a college dorm room. This is where a little creativity can come in handy.
One top per hanger is fine, but what if it could hold 8+ shirts? Grab a pack of shower curtain hangers at the dollar store, and your hanger becomes the perfect place to hang all of your shirts, bags, belts and hats in one place.
If you have lots of leggings and tights, this next one’s for you. Lana at Lana Red Studio came up with the perfect budget legging storage solution. All you need is a yardstick or ruler, clothespins and hot glue. Glue the clothespins to the ruler and you have a colorful way to display and store your leggings where they are only a clip away (plus, it’ll be really easy to tell when you need to do laundry).
7. DIY Unique Wall Art
If your walls are looking a little bare, create your own artwork instead of spending $50 on impersonal art from big box stores.
Go to a wooded area to pick some flowers to press and dry. All you have to do is put your flowers in the pages of a heavy book (I know you have a textbook laying around somewhere), and let them dry. The drying process can take a couple of weeks, so don’t use a textbook you need soon.
Once your flowers are dry, you can arrange them on a piece of paper and frame them in a dollar store frame. You’ll want to use a little glue to keep your arrangement in place. Patti from Hearth and Vine has a great tutorial.
Now you have a beautiful piece of art made by you!
8. Become a Plant Person
If you are officially ready to take the plunge and take care of something other than yourself, it’s time for a plant baby. Small plants like succulents and herbs are low-maintenance and easy to care for. They’ll bring life to your dorm and give you something to focus on besides school.
Some college campuses may even have greenhouses where students are selling plants for cheaper than retail stores.
9. Get Free Historical Pieces of Art from the National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art gives you access to thousands of pieces of artwork completely free. You can download them for personal or commercial use and print them on campus or at your local print shop.
Run over to a dollar store or thrift store to grab frames, or you can make them look like they are right on the canvas. Use this tutorial from Modge Podge. It’s easy, creative and gives your space a little extra flair of sophistication.
10. Upcycle Mason Jars for More Storage
On almost any trip to the thrift store, you’ll find mason jars of all shapes and sizes. You can easily paint them to match your color palette and use them to store pens or plants. Use smaller ones to store change. Use one on the bathroom counter to hold your toothbrush. The options are truly endless.
Check out these mason jars from Sam at Color Made Happy. You can paint your mason jars with acrylic paint, like Sam, or grab a can of spray paint in your favorite color.
Finding Dorm Room Decorations on a Budget is Easier Than You Think
In the end, you really can make your dorm feel personalized with a little creativity and some help from Google. Take inspiration from expensively curated rooms you see on social media. Then, DIY your own cheaper dupes.
College budgets aren’t for the weak, but if you’re looking for more ways to save money while going to school, we’ve got you covered. And when you’re ready to balance work and school, here is a great place to find online work that pays over $15 per hour.
