Decorating Your Dorm Room on a Budget

We've all see the beautifully decorated dorm rooms on tv shows and in the movies. Realistically, your room probably will never look like that. But that's okay, because you can still have an awesome looking room, and do it on a budget! Here's some tips and tricks, as well as some pictures as to how you can decorate your room!

Here's what my room looks like:

Pretty plain, I know! But you should have seen it before I put my own personal touch on it! This is actually only have of my room, because I have a double to myself :)

Here are my favourite aspects of my room, maybe you'll even get some ideas!

Quotes: 

Quotes are really important to me so I had to make sure that they were a part of my room too! What I usually do is write my favourite quotes on pieces of paper, cut them out, and then stick them all over my wall around my calendar (you'll see what it looks like later in the post) and then the second picture shown is a wall sticker! There are so many different ways to have quotes in your room, whether you write them, or paint them on a canvas/buy them, the can really make your room look cool.

Calendar/Scarf

As you can see, I have my calendar in the middle and my quotes up all around it! I think wall calendars are really awesome because not only are the functional, but that can look pretty as well!

Also you can see my school scarf up above the calendar... My room at home has scarfs hanging everywhere to decorate - there are so many pretty colours and patterns and you can put them everywhere!

Whiteboard

I honestly love my whiteboard, it's such a fun thing to have. I have mine on the outside of my door, and it's great for people to leave you messages if they need to talk to you! Also, I never know what will be drawn on it when I come back from class next. My whole floor loves it and gets really creative in their drawings. You can get whiteboards at the dollar store (thats where I got mine!) or bigger ones at stores like walmart. They come in all shapes in sizes to fit your wants and needs. 

Plants

This is my African Violet. While it's not blooming yet, once it gets closer to summer it'll be filled with pretty purple flowers! Plants are a great way to add some life to your room and they just make it seem nice and fresh. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have more than just this one. With so many different types of pants out there, you will find one that you like - who knows, maybe a nice cactus will brighten up your room!

Fish

Okay, while my fish might not be real - it sure looks like it! If you tap the tank it reacts like a real fish... It's pretty much the perfect pet for a university/college student because you can't kill it!
Anyway, whether your fish is real or not, it adds a little something different to your room!

Bed

My bed is probably my favourite part of my room. I love the bed set that I got and the different blankets. You can get fairly cheap sets anywhere, I got mine at homesense (It's like a canadian version of marshalls but for house stuff) but you can get them at places like walmart or target too! Even if the actual set is boring, you can always spice it up by mixing prints and colours. Your bed is probably where you're going to be spending a lot of your time, so you might as well like it!

So yeah, that's my room for you guys! But here are some other ideas for decorating your room:

Be Creative

It's YOUR room, and your the one that's going to have to live with it for the next year or whatever. Personalize it, and let the true you shine through. If you want it colourful, then do that! If you want a themed bedroom, go for it. Do what you want to do, it's your masterpiece.
If you want to put up cat mirrors, do it. 

Pictures

I'm probably one of the only university students that don't have pictures on their walls. But that's just me! I know a lot of people on my floor have their walls covered in them! You can make nice collages or just have them in cool picture frames - it's up to you.

Christmas Lights

I have Christmas lights hanging in my room at home, but sadly not in my dorm room. You can string them around your room and not only do they look pretty, but they're functional. You can go for colourful or get cool black and white ones, the choice is yours.

Posters

At the beginning of the school year, most schools have poster fairs. They have hundreds to choose from and have different types, so you're bound to find one you like. Whether you want a picture of that actor/actress that you think is just so hot, or pictures of your favourite band, it'll really personalize your room more. 

Rugs

If your room has that ugly-who-knows-how-old-this-is carpet then it's probably pretty nasty looking. Years of wear and tear, stains, and who knows what else has probably made your floor look pretty dingy. Don't fret! You can find neat looking rugs at almost every store, you can bring back the nice shag carpet stage, or go for a classy black and white. Go crazy... Well, not too crazy. 

Candles 

Some schools allow you to have candles and some don't - so make sure you check before you light 'er up! Not only do they make your room smells nice, but they can be cute decorations.

Storage

Having a place to put your stuff doesn't mean you room has to look ugly! There's tons of portable fabric drawer sets that you can buy to hold your prizes possessions  Also, you can get these cube-like chairs/stools, and when you take the top off, it's a storage area! 

Bunk Beds/Loft Beds

Some bed frames can lift up so you can stack the beds, you can give this a try if you and your roomie are pressed for space! You've have more floor space, which is always a plus.

Pillows/Blankets and Chairs

If you have enough room for a few chairs for when your friends stay over, lucky you! (some of us barely have room to walk, nevermind entertain in our rooms) Mix it up with with different colours and designs. If you don't have room for chairs, maybe invest in some snazzy looking pillows or blankets for if you and your friends get stuck sitting on the floor. (remember how icky that floor could be... maybe we should just stick with the rug idea)

DIY Decorations

It's always so satisfying to have someone praise you on something that you made yourself. There are hundreds of do it yourself decorations that you can make and use to spruce up your room! I'm compiling a list of good ones, so watch for a post revolving around this soon!

Well, there you have it! A crash course in interior decoration for the dorm room. Maybe some of these ideas have inspired you to change up your room! If you have any other suggestions, just send in a comment - I always love hearing new ways to make my room look great.