College dorm rooms are notorious for being less than inviting. At first glance, it might feel like there’s no way a small dorm room could ever feel like home. However, with a little tlc and creativity you can make your dorm room feel like a cozy oasis in no time.
Fixing up your dorm room doesn’t have to be expensive. Since most college students are on a budget, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite DIY Dorm Decor ideas that will help you maximize your space and make your dorm your home away from home.
Desk Organizer
Have some old cereal boxes and toilet paper/paper towel rolls lying around? Believe it or not, these items can actually be recycled and made into a functional desk organizer. For more info on how to craft the perfect DIY Desk Organizer on a budget, check out this step-by-step guide from Mod Podge Rocks blog.
Washi Tape
Washi Tape is a cheap, versatile crafting supply that’s great to have on hand. Washi Tape is a masking tape made out of Japanese paper and can be purchased in a wide variety of designs and colors. It is great for any college student on a budget looking to brighten up their space. For inspiration on what to do with Washi Tape, check out this list of 15 Fun Things To Do with Washi Tape.
Photo Display
One of the easiest ways to make your dorm feel more like home is filling a wall with some of your favorite pictures.
Supplies Needed
- Prints of your favorite pictures
- A roll of string or twine
- Hole punch
- A long wood dowel or piece of wood trim
- Removable wall hooks (or non-damaging wall adhesive)
Directions
- Start by punching holes at the top of every photo you want to use.
- Cut several pieces of your string or twine (how ever many you want to fit on the piece of wood)
- String the twine through each picture, leaving a few inches between each photo. This will create a long string of photos that will hang vertically from the piece of wood.
- Once you have put together all of your photo strings, wrap each piece of string or twine around the piece of wood so that all picture strings are hanging vertically.
- Mount the picture display to the wall
Hanging Storage
Limited space is a pretty common thing in most dorm rooms. To make the most out of your space, it’s important to get creative with your storage solutions. If you’re looking to maximize the living space in your room here are 15 DIY Hanging Organizers for Every Room. This list includes several great ideas like DIY shelves made from popsicle sticks and hanging crates as shelving. Even if you aren’t up for a big DIY project, there are several solutions that don’t require a lot of work.
Felt Flowers
Looking to add a fun pop of color to your room? Felt Flower bouquets are an inexpensive and easy way to brighten up the room. For this project, all you need is some felt, a hot glue gun, and some sort of stem (skewers, floral wire, twigs, etc.) For step-by-step instructions on how to assemble your own bouquet of felt flowers, head over to HGTV’s website.
Paint Chip Calendar
Perhaps one of the easiest pieces of DIY Dorm Decor that you can create for your room is a paint chip calendar. This project will add a pop of color to your room while also serving as a functional calendar.
Supplies Needed
- 1 large picture frame (12”x16”)
- Tape
- Ruler
- Paint Chips
- Dry Erase Marker
Directions
- Open the picture frame and remove the paper or picture that’s inside. The blank side of the picture will be used as the background for the paint chips.
- Measure and cut a paint chip into a smaller square, roughly 3 ¼ inches on each side.
- Cut 35 more paint chips into smaller squares using the one you already cut as a template. All paint chips should be around the same size and you should have 35 paint chip squares to use.
- Lay out and tape the squares to the board, there should be 5 squares for each day. You can arrange the squares in whatever combination of colors you want.
- Take your leftover pieces of scrap paint chips and cut out 7 rectangles to label the days of the week at the top of your calendar.
- Make sure all pieces are securely attached and put back in the frame.
- Use the dry erase marker to update the days of the week every month.
With a few easy DIY projects and some extra love, your dorm will feel like home in no time. If you’re heading to college soon, subscribe to our weekly blog for more tips and tricks to help you get through the year! Be sure to connect with us @ecampusdotcom on Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook for more resources, tips, and some great giveaways! And when it’s time for textbooks, eCampus.com has you covered for all your course material needs at savings up to 90%!