As a college student living on campus, it may seem rather burdensome to have to drag your entire life’s worth to fit into a small, enclosed room. With so much to bring, from laundry detergent to clothes hangers to everything in between, it is entirely too easy to blow off bringing any decorations with you from home. Once on campus, it becomes too costly to purchase your own trinkets from local stores without parents or for fear of abusing a new credit card. However, if you are in dire need of any ideas for lightweight, manageable items that will not cost a fortune, look no further! The following decorations are crucial to personalizing your dorm on a budget, while still making your space entirely your own.
Arts & Crafts Galore
[image by Olovedog]
From personalizing the frame on a mirror to finding stickers to place all over your desk and drawer, it is easy to customize your space. Even small projects like styling a box to use as a trash bin (Look for a tutorial on how to do this HERE!) helps you save money from actually buying a bin and allows you to create something you can be proud of. If you want a reminder of your old friends you parted ways with after summer, create a picture collage of all your favorite moments with them and stick it up on your wall or a bedside table. Creating your own decorations or upgrading a less trendier one is much less expensive than purchasing an already glitzed mirror at the store for much more than you would like to settle for. Use arts and crafts as a bonding tool with your roommate and offer to create something together for your room. Whatever you produce does not have to look expensive or lavish; it will look homemade and special, thus more unique.
Decorative Posters
[Image by Idea Go & Scottchan]
Just as you would at home as a teenager, bring along a few posters to spice up the bland walls of your bedroom! Some Zac Efron, David Beckham, Demi Lovato, and other celebrities’ blown-up pictures are sure to both fill up the empty walls and inspire you to dream as big as they did. Blogger Rana Cash of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests, “Rather than taping photos to your wall or cluttering your limited space with picture frames, take your favorite picture and have it blown up to larger than poster size.” Or, if you feel celebrity posters are a thing of the past and pictures are too cliché, opt for posters with motivational sayings or life mottos to encourage you on during difficult times in college. Do you have artistic tendencies? Feel free to Google some sayings and create your own homemade designs on a piece of posterboard to bring along. Be sure to watch how you stick your posters on the walls, however. Colleges do not take too kindly to tape that rips off their paint.
Throw Pillows
[Image by ponsulak]
Because dorms are usually adorned with shabby, pale-colored walls, there is a serious need to spruce up the color in your room. Instead of sticking to the default, lumpy pillow you are given at the start of the semester, why not bring a few of your own decorative pillows to ignite your area in various hues? There is absolutely no shame in dragging along a couple of your Pillow Pets or going all out with a life-size, cheetah-print pillow that will take up an entire side of your bed (Perfect for cuddling with!). “They nicely accent your room and provide comfort,” Cash says. These vibrant colors are guaranteed to help add some life to your room, especially if you opted for the standard white or tan bed sheets. Not to mention the heightened relaxation you will need during mid-term, power naps.
A Little Piece of Home
[Image by Lea Csontos]
As a final note, how can you possibly move into a strange, unknown environment without bringing a little piece of familiarity with you? A memento, perhaps, that is not the usual “family picture” or pricey relatives’ heirloom (Which, if brought, should be kept in a very safe place… your treasure may become someone else’s, too!). No, that little piece of home should have a memorable story behind its significance, whether it is a souvenir snow globe from a special trip to Greece with your father, or a t-shirt your friends signed for you as a “going away” present. These tokens are ideal for whenever you feel the homesick blues and need a little reminder of your roots. Proudly display your keepsake on the dresser by your bed so it remains close to you at all times.
[Feature Image by Michelle Meiklejohn]
rtbbmagazine
rtbbmagazine