If you’re as excited for the Fall 2016 semester as I am, you’re probably already scouring Pinterest for really cute dorm decor ideas. I don’t blame ya; there are some seriously drool-worthy dorm rooms on Pinterest…if dorm rooms were food that you could drool over, I suppose. Bottom line: those decorations are perfect and we’re excited to make our dorm rooms even half as pretty. Not gonna lie, you might find yourself spending a lot of money to have the Pinterest room of your dreams, and sometimes you’ll buy decorations and in the end you’ll realize that you didn’t even use them (been there, done that!). So before you run to the nearest Target or Michael’s for string lights and chic wall art, here are some decorating tips that are practically life-savers!
1. Check your school’s list of prohibited items.
I’ll say that again to emphasize how important this is. CHECK YOUR SCHOOL’S LIST OF PROHIBITED ITEMS. Some of those super pretty decorations, like string lights, may be PROHIBITED at your school, and there would definitely be consequences if you’re caught with them in your room! I saw these really cute pineapple string lights (I may have a slight obsession with pineapple-themed things) but I can’t use them for decor because string lights are prohibited at my school. Knowing what things aren’t allowed can save you some major cash when shopping. If you aren’t super sure about this whole ‘prohibited items’ thing, check out my post on things that aren’t allowed in dorm rooms and what you can bring instead.
2. Don’t buy anything that needs to be hung via nails in the wall.
You aren’t allowed to damage the walls in any way, so steer clear of anything that requires you to hammer a nail into the dorm room wall. Sure, this might be your chance to use the mini toolkit you’ve been itching to use, but trust me, you’d rather not. Instead, bring painter’s tape (the blue tape) or command hooks for taping and hanging things. These are very easily removed and don’t leave any marks or dents on the walls. If you need to mount things like an art canvas, mounting tape is the way to go. Just don’t press it into the wall too hard because you may not be able to remove it completely when you need to.
3. Set a budget for yourself.
Avoid spending like $100 in dorm decor. I don’t think anybody needs that much decor, but maybe that’s just me. Having a budget for decor is super important because there are other (more important) things you need to buy for college, so you, quite literally, can’t afford to get super caught up in the too beautiful decorations. Think about what you want your room to look like and come up with a small list of decorations you might need, so that way you don’t go all decor-crazy in the store! Figure out approximately how much money you might need for that stuff and that’s your budget. It also helps if you take some time to really look for other ways you can get the item for cheaper.
4. Come up with a color palette for your room.
I know, that sounds way more intense than it actually is! Basically, what I mean is that you should pick two to three colors that will be your theme. I picked black, white, and light blue, so my bedding, storage boxes, and a few other things are in those colors. This makes it easier for you to match things and really make your room look put together.
5. Dabble in some DIY.
Many DIY projects are so easy to do and you can really personalize them to your liking. I love watching DIY dorm decor videos on YouTube and I always feel really inspired. The milk bottle flower holder in my main blog photo is actually a little something I made myself, and since I already had some of the materials I only spent about $2 for the glitter and a cheap bunch of flowers from the 99 cent store. I painted it that shade of blue because my room’s color scheme has been white, black, and blue since freshman year and I plan to keep it that way. Don’t be afraid to try some cute DIY’s for your room and don’t forget to really have fun with it!
6. Spice up bland walls with some wall art.
It’s no secret that dorm walls are pretty bleh, so you’ll have to work your magic to make them a little more enjoyable to look at. Last year, I printed out some quotes I thought were really funny or so me and I taped them to my wall, and I used sparkly decorative tape to create a border around them like a picture frame. It came out looking pretty great if I do say so myself.
In case you can’t see it clearly, it says, “Some people just need a high-five. In the face. With a chair.” That is LITERALLY my mood 100% of the time, which is why I thought it would be perfect for my wall. If Googling funny quotes doesn’t do it for you, there are lots of cool blogs and websites where you can download wall art completely free, and the art is SO pretty! I basically plan to decorate my wall in printable wall art with decorative tape borders. So here’s your first piece of wall art for your room: I created this FREE printable wall art (below) because I love giving you guys free, pretty things!
Just click right here to download your free wall art! I also have a second version of that printable in case you want something with a little more pizzazz. Click here to download that one.
Because I love decorative tape so much, I bought another roll for only about $2.99 to create the perfect fake picture frame for my wall art.
Yay for super chic, fake picture frames made out of tape! I know it looks a bit weird because of my camera angle, but I promise you it’s much cooler in person!
7. Get pretty pillows.
Using pillows or pillowcases with really pretty print, patters, or quotes on them is an easy way to jazz up your room while making a purchase that’s actually essential for dorm rooms. You don’t really need too many extra pillows, though, so try to avoid buying like three throw pillows (they may prove to be really annoying to have around). You can get two regular sized pillows and one decorative pillow, for example. Alternatively, you can just use two pillows that have really cute designs on the cases. I once saw these super cute pillowcases that are plain white with eyelashes printed on them. So cute and so appropriate for bed decor!
8. Make your room extra cozy with a rug.
Rugs can really bring a room together and make it look extra comfy. Sure, it can also make a room look smaller, but they’re still really cute. If you’re a rug-type of person or you just like having something warm and soft to put your feet on (or you don’t mind setting aside some time every week to clean said rug) then you should definitely invest in one for your room. There are so many really cute and really quirky ones that you can get. I personally am really feeling those white, fuzzy ones, but I know they’ll get dirty quickly and honestly, I don’t think I’ll have the time I think I will to keep it clean, so I’m trying not to fool myself. But you can try getting a colored rug that matches your room’s theme.
9. Add some more life to your room with tiny, potted plants.
I really hope to buy tiny succulents for my room this year because they’re really cute and just having plant life form in your presence can be relaxing and give your room an overall more relaxed vibe. Of course, you can get plants in whatever size you’re cool with (or whatever size your university allows) but if you want something that will take up minimal space, fun size is always great. Just be sure to check that plants are allowed in your dorm room first!
10. Put up some personal photos.
This is an easy, and heartwarming, way to decorate your room with things you already have. You may have seen those cute hung photos on string with clothespins on them — a super cute way to decorate your pictures. You can use photos of you and your family, friends, and other people and things that are important to you. You can also tape them to your wall in any fashion you want.
11. Show off with some monogrammed items.
Monogrammed items are really cute and often really simple. Something as small as a coffee mug with your initial on it can make your desk look so cute! Honestly, anything monogrammed adds a personal touch to any space, and there are so many different things to choose from!
12. Less is more.
This is one of the biggest pieces of advice EVER when it comes to dorm decorating. Adding too much stuff can definitely make your room look and feel extremely cluttered (and dorm rooms are small to begin with!) You don’t need string lights AND garlands; you also don’t really need monogrammed wall art AND 3D initials to stick to your wall. Also keep in mind that you’re going to have to bring everything back with you at the end of the year, so choose carefully!
13. Decorate ONLY your side of the room!
Pretty much don’t be that character in the movies who thinks that the entire room belongs to her because that’s extremely unfair to your roommate(s). If you think a rug would look cute by the door, but the door is on your roommate’s side you need to be considerate and respectful of what your roommate decides to do with her space. Likewise, if you have the window side and your roomie thinks that plants on the windowsill would be absolutely darling, she needs to respect your side as well to avoid conflict.
14. Do something that’s YOU.
At the end of the day, your room is representative of you, not the edgy, glam girl down the hall, not the boho princess on Instagram; YOU. Don’t try to turn your room into something you aren’t because you’ll just feel out of place in it. Also, remember to just have fun with everything!
What’s your favorite way to decorate your dorm room?
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