Many of us students count every cent we have, scrounging up enough change for that snack or soda in the vending machine. We even check every coat pocket and purse lying around for some extra cash sometimes, because, well, we’re poor! As a college student, you want your room to be hip, unique, and true to you in every way possible. So I thought I’d give you a little dorm room inspiration at little to no cost. Below are 25 DIY dorm room decor ideas to help make your room look spectacular without breaking the bank!
Wood letter picture collages are great for showing off pictures around the room. Pick a letter, probably the first letter of your name, cover it with fun pictures, and finish it off with mod-podge to set it all in place. Then hang it wherever you please!
With only a few materials, you can make and customize your own pin-board to match your dorm! All you’ll need to make this this trendy dorm decoration is cardboard, scissors, glue, fabric, and string. Simply cut the fabric to the shape of the cardboard, glue it down, and hang it on the wall with some string!
For this, you’ll only need some cardboard, a marker, yarn, and scissors or an exact-o-knife. Write out a word of your choice on the cardboard, cut it out, wrap with your favorite colored yarn, and hang! It’s so easy and looks great as a dorm decoration!
Next time you go to the store pick up a few little squared mirrors, a piece of wood, and some super glue to easily make yourself some mirrored wall art. Simply glue the mini square mirrors onto the wood and place up against any wall for a little touch of glam!
Not enough space in your dorm to store all your stuff? These DIY hanging shelves have you covered, and they’re super easy to create! Drill a hole in each corner of a small rectangular piece of wood, feed a piece of string through each one and tie a knot at each end; connect all 4 pieces of string at the top and tie onto a small hoop, and hang!
Feel like your room needs a little light? Create your own light up headboard using a box of clear mini lights, command hooks, and some sheer drapes. Line the command hooks up in a straight line above your bed, string the lights vertically, and cover with some sheer curtains! So easy and can really make your dorm much more homey!
These are so easy and great for holding any school of office supplies you need. Next time you’re at your local dollar store, pick up a couple of mason jars! Paint them whatever colors you’d like, let them dry, and you’re done!
Don’t know how to fill the space of a blank wall without spending to much? Create a flower wall by placing some command hooks wherever you’d like, tying a string onto each one, and gluing flowers vertically down the entire length of each string. This is so cute and affordable, anyone can do it!
This dorm decoration can really liven up any dorm room with just a few materials! Pick out your favorite frame, line it with some garden fence or mesh material, intertwine some white Christmas lights, and glue on an assortment of flowers. This light up flower frame will look like it came straight from store and it is sure to get you many dorm room compliments!
If you want to go a little bit beyond hanging plain Christmas lights around the room; you can poke holes in ping pong balls to fit the lights inside, and string it wherever you’d like!
Rather than hanging your typical calendar, change it up and make your own! Place 3 hooks inside of a box, painted the color of your choice. Sort out 3 sets of blank tags to decorate: one set of 12 for each month; one set of 4, for the first number of the date; and one set of 10, for each second number of the date! Just hang the tags on the hooks and you have your own customized calendar!
This one is probably the easiest DIY dorm decor there is. You can pick up a couple of cork sheets and a paint pen at your local craft store, and that’s about all you’ll need for this one. Cut the cork material into circles and decorate them with a paint pen, however you’d like!
Don’t want to spend the money on a fancy laundry basket? All you’ll need to mae one yourself is an embroidery hoop, a pillow case, and some string! Simply attach the open end of the pillow case around the embroidery hoop, and hang with some heavy duty string. So easy and customizable!
Don’t have the best memory? Create your own trendy message board that’ll go perfectly with your new dorm room. All you’ll need is a picture frame, some spray paint (if you want to change the color of the frame, a piece of decorative construction paper, and a dry-erase marker! Start by painting the frame whichever color you’d like, then place the construction paper in the frame, finally securing the paper in with the glass. You can then write all your messages right on the glass with a dry-erase marker.
Need something to brighten up the room a bit, but don’t want to spend too much? Recycle your glass bottles to easily make yourself a couple of super cute vases! Start by painting your recycled bottle with mod-podge, then simply wrap the bottle with a variety of different colored string, until the entire bottle is covered. Once dry, place some flowers in the bottles, which will be sure to really liven up your dorm room!
This one is great as both a decoration and for a little storage. Keep all your pens and pencils in this homemade burlap container. Next time you crack open a can of soup for dinner, save the empty can for your next craft day. Start by wrapping the can in some burlap ribbon, gluing it down when the edges meet. Next, to add a little more, pick out your favorite ribbon to tie around the top, and either glue or pin it down! Once it’s dry, it functions as a super cute pencil holder, that will be sure to look great on your desk!
Rather than buying your average soap dispenser, why not make your own? Pick up a mason jar at your local dollar store, poke a hole in the top, and insert a soap pump… and that’s it! Your homemade mason jar soap dispenser will be sure to give your dorm room that homey and vintage-like feel.
This one is great if you’re looking to brighten up the room by filling some of your wall space without breaking the bank. All you’ll need is some colored tissue paper, yarn, scissors, and hot glue! Follow the folding and cutting instructions in the photo below, twist and glue the tops of the tissue paper, attach to a long piece of yarn, and when completed, hang the yarn across the wall! By using a variety of different colored and patterned tissue paper, you can really customize this and add your own style to your room!
To help you stay organized, put a dry-erase calendar on the wall to highlight all of your activities and assignments in different colors. Use bright colors to make certain days and events stand out, which is an effective and cute reminder to do things on time.
Whenever any of your school’s t-shirts go on sale, or if you grow out of your own, you can make some great dorm decor out of them! You can sew, or tie, pieces of the shirts together, stuffing them with feathers or cotton, turning them into great, one-of-a-kind, throw pillows that you and your roommate can enjoy!
If you have any old shirts lying around your house that you might want to keep as a memory, turn them into a great t-shirt blanket. Cut and sew all the shirts together and make a blanket that you will never forget.
If you’re the kind of person who drinks bottled water or soda, instead of throwing the bottles away, make them useful! Cut the top of the bottle off, rip the label off, and decorate it however you’d like. You can then place it on your desk as an office supplies holder. Great place to store all of your pencils and pens!
If you already bought a typical, boring trashcan and you want to spruce it up a bit, you can do so without breaking the bank. Paint your trashcan with chalkboard paint, let the paint dry, then write on it and decorate however you’d like. You can also erase anything, and change it from time to time.
Instead of spending all your money on a decked out mirror from the store, why not make your own? Save your money and buy a plain, cheap mirror from somewhere like Target, Wal-Mart, or even a yard-sale if you can find one. You can then decorate the mirror however you’d like by hot-gluing things like flowers, lights, and ribbon onto the frame!
If you and your roommates can’t decide whose turn it is to vacuum the room, or take out the trash, this one might help. Get some cardboard from an old package, create a little spinner, decorate it however you’d like, and put it on the wall. Every week, you and your roommates can spin, or rotate, to determine what chores you each have to do!
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