Dorm decor on a dime

When you walk into your dorm room for the first time, there is usually a mixed feeling of excitement and disappointment: you’re thrilled to be finally living away from your family, but realistically you’ve downgraded from a cozy home to a bland white box. Here are some cheap decorating tips to make your little piece of Rowan feel like home.

Posters are understandably popular in college dorm rooms. They are easily the most inexpensive way to personalize your space. However, too many posters taped up on white walls can make it feel like “Animal House” or other sloppy college flicks.

A low-cost way to make those posters pop and make your room look more sophisticated is to frame them with foam poster board. Measure equal width strips of poster board, two long and two short, and paint them any color you’d like. Simply tape them around your poster, giving them the illusion of a frame.

Using the leftover foam poster board, you can also make a message board by covering the front in a swatch of fabric or even the front of an old t-shirt and stapling it in back. Criss-cross ribbon across the front and tack at intersections (make sure it’s tight so it will hold mail and pieces of paper). If you or a friend likes to paint, pick up a couple canvases and create your own art. Personalize your space by making a name plate.

Another fun way to add color is to create a gigantic wall collage with your roommates from leftover magazines. Pick out things you all like and simple tape them in a non-conformed fashion, in the end it will be a great piece of artwork that represents all of you.

There are other ways to personalize your room, even without craft skills. Pick a color scheme for your room, bedding and accessories. Any bright color will instantly liven up your drab dorm. You can find cheap throw pillows and decorative pop art at places like Homegoods or even Bed Bath & Beyond on clearance.

Fill your desk with pictures of your family and friends; every time you see them they’ll make you smile.

If you share a bathroom, pick out a fun shower curtain instead of a plain one and if you want to get really crazy, buy a matching tooth brush holder to create unity. Even a cute clock in the bathroom is decorative and useful for keeping track of the time when you’re getting ready.

Finally, to make your dorm feel like home, you can easily find cheap curtains or even make them with large swatches of fabric from places like Joann Fabrics or Walmart. Fold over one edge, leaving enough space for the rod to slide through and secure with fabric tape or glue.

The most important thing is to make the space feel like your own and have fun with it.