Cheap Ideas For Dorm Room Decorating

Dorm rooms are small by nature and the limited space makes it difficult to get enough storage, to have a comfortable and inviting ambiance and to also manage to add small little touches that personalize the space. But it's usually these small things that have the biggest impact on the overall look. So explore the wonderful world of beautiful dorm room decorations and find your next DIY project.

Decorate with pictures and photos.

Decorate the walls with photos and create an interesting way to display them. For example, use bronze-colored jewelry cord and make a geometric photo holder with an irregular shape. Attach the pictures with little binder clips.{found on thecaldwellproject}.

Or, if you want to try something a bit more unconventional, try paint-dipped picture frames. You basically take a few framed pictures, tape off the upper half and the dipper the lower half in colored paint.

Or use twine, rope, string or yarn and tiny nails to display your favorite photos on the wall in front of your desk. Use clothespins to attach the photos.

Make an instagram wall display. First, make a grid using tape. Once that is done, attach the photos. You can use double-sided tape or strips of painter's tape which you roll and attach to the corners of each photo.

Other types of wall art.

Instead of pictures or photos you can use botanical prints to decorate the walls. Frame them and turn them into wall art. You can just simply use this idea as inspiration and change the theme entirely.{found on poppytalk}.

Another simple idea is to use clipboards to display your wall art. It's a neat trick which you can use for your calendars, to-do lists and all sorts of other things, including the display of photos and images.

Make typography wall art. You need some fabric, corn starch, water, painter's tape and a paint brush. Select a font you like, iron the fabric, cut the letters and flip the fabric over. Mix and glue, use tape to create a straight line on the wall to act as a guide and apply the corn starch mixture to the back of the first letter. Position the letter on the wall and press down firmly. Repeat for the other letters.{found on curbly}.

Hang a carpet on the wall. It could look really nice on the wall behind the bed, kind of like an oversized headboard. The carpet will also give the room a cozy and comfy look. It's a nice way to add texture to the décor and to give the bedroom a unique look.

Make giant confetti or basically just large, colorful polka dots and use them to decorate one of the walls in your dorm room. You can make them out of colored paper, felt or cardboard. You can mix and match them however you want and they look really chic and cute.{found on weebirdy}.

Decorate with plants and flowers.

Make a bunch of cardstock cones, secure the shape with tape, punch two holes, one on the left side and one on the right side and then feed string through the holes so you can hang the cone on the wall on anywhere you want. They're great for displaying small flowers.{found on ohsoverypretty}.

Make a beautiful air plant terrarium. You need a container which can be a glass globe, a mason jar or any other kind of glass container, some base material such as moss, gravel or glass pebbles and plants.{found on cieradesign}.

Decorate your flower pots to make them more attractive. You can use tape and acrylic paint. Use a different color for each pot and pick bright and bold colors so they stand out.{found on armelleblog}.

Make vases for your flowers out of glass bottles. You can use beer bottles or any other type of glass bottles if you think the shape, color and size are ok. Use a bottle cutter to make a clean cut and use sandpaper to smooth the edges.

Create a memo board.

A memo can be really useful in a dorm room. You can use it to keep track of your exams, things to do, etc. this is actually a type of geometric wall art that also doubles as a memo board. It's made using velcro mini fasteners, velcro tie roll, mini gold nails and a hammer.{found on brit}.

Or make a ribbon memo board. You need foam board, ribbons, tape, duct tape and sticky back velcro dots. Cut the board to size and figure out how you want the ribbons lined up. Wrap the ends around the back of the board and secure them with tape. Add the velcro dots on the corners and hang the memo board.{found on momtastic}.

Creative lighting.

Make a USB-powered lamp using a bottle which can be a glass bottle, a metal water bottle or even a 3D printed bottle. You'll also need something to decorate it with such as washi tape or acrylic paint and a USB LED touch lamp. Decorate the bottle and use it as a base, then add the shade.{found on brit}.

Decorate with string lights. They're not only great for Christmas. Use string lights to give your headboard or the wall behind it a really lovely look and they'll also serve as a nightlights. You won't even need a bedside table lamp anymore.

Make a small table lamp out of a miniature camera tripod, a USB computer light, a USB extension cord and a wire mesh pencil holder. You'll get to create a lamp that looks cute and has a bit of industrial flair.{found on rebeccamadeit}.

Make accessories for your desk.

Personalize your dorm room desk with a few accessories you can make yourself using mismatched containers of varying sizes. Use spray paint to change their look and add a few embellishments you can make out of embroidery thread, fabric scraps, leather, twine and all sorts of other things.{found on hgtv}.

Decorate the walls and floor with washi tape.

Chances are you won't be allowed to repaint the walls in your dorm room. Still, this doesn't mean you can't change the look of your walls or even the floor. Use washi tape to make temporary wallpaper. You can create all sorts of interesting geometric designs using bold colors.{found on brit}.

Make a pom-pom rug.

Add a bit of color, texture and cuteness to your dorm room with a pom-pom rug. It's relatively easy to make. You need colored yarn and a lot of patience. Make the pom-poms, one by one and make sure to leave a longer piece of thread on each one so you can tie them together to create the rug.

Make a jewelry holder.

Use an old grater to display your jewelry. It's great for earnings but it can also hold a bracelet or two. You can paint the grater to give it a vintage or simply more interesting look.

Or make a jewelry holder out of wood and decorative paper or a gift bag. You can attach small boxes to a larger wooden frame so you can keep everything organized. Use some old sewing spools and door knobs for your necklaces and bracelets.

Make a branch jewelry holder. The whole project is extremely simple. Find a branch you like, with a shape you like, clean it and spray paint it. You can use gold spray paint or you can paint it white or any other color you like. Then attach the branch to the wall with a screw.

Make comfy seats for you and your guests.

Don't have enough chairs in your tiny dorm room? No worries, you can make some really nice seats using crates, fabric and foam mattresses. You'll also need some plywood. Grab the plywood, cut the foam to size and then cut the fabric to size. Use a glue gun to attach the fabric to the plywood and you've made the cushion for your seat. Now place it top of the crate.{found on tupelohoneycaro}.

Wouldn't a hammock chair look great in your dorm room? It would be so cozy and comfy you'd never want to sit in any other type of chair ever again. You can make a hammock chair yourself using an oak dowel, braided polypropylene, canvas plus the stainless steel spring snap link and quick link.{found on abeautifulmess}.

Decorate the door.

Dorm room doors are not known for being stylish but you can change that with some washi tape. You can use washi tape in any color you want and you can even get the type that features all sorts of different patterns. Use the tape to decorate the door.{found on crabandfish}.

Make your own kind of nightstand.

Make a trolley nightstand for your dorm room and give it wheels so you can easily move it around. You can find cute and practical trolleys at Ikea but also in other stores. They're usually useful in the kitchen but they work nice here as well, since now you'll have three levels for storing your things by the bed.{found on freelancersfashion}.

Or you can use concrete blocks to build a nightstand. It will be like playing with construction cubes. The blocks will even offer you some great storage spaces for a tiny planter, a book, a glass of water, your phone, etc.

Make or decorate a curtain.

If you have a space you'll like to hid and that doesn't have door, the solution can be to make a curtain. Make a macrame curtain using rope and a wooden rod. It's a simple project once you understand how things work and once you decide what type of knots and what pattern you want to use.{found on apartmenttherapy}.

You can also get a ready made curtain and decorate it. You'll need fabric glue, pom-pom trim, ribbon and scissors. Add the pom-pom trim, then a thin ribbon trim, a wide ribbon trim and continue adding glue and ribbon till you're happy with the design.{found on hgtv}.

Decorate the mirror frame.

Assuming you have a mirror in your dorm room, we'll show you how you can customize it and make it look glamorous. Come up with a simple design such as a two-toned geometric pattern. Use tape to delimitate the areas and then get some gold paint and use it on the portions that need to be painted.{found on prettyprovidence}.

Decorate your cushions.

Take a good look at your cushions? Do they look like they could use a makeover? If yes, then try this idea. Wash, dry and iron the cushion cover. Take some gold paint and a champagne cork and make polka dots on the cushion cover. Leave to dry.{found on rockmystyle}.

Add shoe storage.

In a tiny dorm room, you have to save as much space as possible so an over the door shoe storage system seems like a wonderful option. Get one of these handy organizers and simply let it hang on the door. You'll get to reduce the clutter in the room and keep your shoes organized.Available for $35.

Another great solution to store and organize your pumps is to hang molding on a wall or in a closet. You'll be able to create a simple display that shows off your shoes and keeps them all organized at the same time.{found on lowes}.

Make a canopy for your bed.

Sure, canopy beds are really wonderful but there's no way you can fit one in your dorm room and still have enough room to move around. The next best thing is to make a canopy for the bed you already have.{found on apartmenttherapy}.

Make a hanging hamper.

Instead of throwing all your dirty clothes in an ugly garbage bag, make a chic hanging hamper. Use an embroidery hoop, some fabric and twine or ribbon. The type of fabric you choose should reflect your style and preferences and it can also complement the room's décor.{found on makingniceinthemidwest}.

Make a charging dock.

The supplies you'll need are a wooden box, a thick piece of cork, xacto knife, a square dowel rod, paint and wood glue. Make the ledge for the cork to rest on, place the cork inside the box, drill a hole in the back of the box, make the cord holes for the top of the box and stain or paint the box to give it the look you want.

Maximize the storage in your medicine cabinet.

Make the most of every little bit of storage space you have. For example, you can add some extra storage on the inside of the medicine cabinet door for things like your toothbrush, you nail polish, etc.

Beautify your open shelves.

Use washi tape on the edges of your open shelves or bookshelves. They'll look a lot more beautiful and a simple and really inexpensive project. Plus, you can redecorate these portions every time you feel like it by simply replacing the tape.{found on auntpeaches}.

Make a hanging rope shelf.

Add storage where there's none. For example, make a hanging shelf using thick rope, clamps, paint and 2 rectangular pieces of plywood. Prep the wood, clamp the two pieces of plywood together and drill both pieces at one time. Paint the edges of the wood and then cut four pieces of rope to size. Assemble the shelf and hang it from the ceiling.

Make custom bookends.

It should be safe to assume to have at least a few books in your collection. Keep them all on a shelf and make some custom bookends to keep them straight. You need half a log, a paint brush, multicolored paints, a sanding block, a saw and some varnish.

Opt for multipurpose furniture.

It's important to have multipurpose in a dorm room so you can combine as many functions into a limited space as you can. For example, this is a cabinet you can use as a bookcase or storage unit but also as a bench. Is has castors so it can easily be moved around and you can make it yourself on a weekend.{found on abeautifulmess}.

A DIY headboard.

Use reclaimed wood from pallets or previous projects to make a headboard. Actually, you can probably just take a wooden pallet and use it as is. You can sand it down, stain it or paint it but, if you want to preserve the worn look, just leave it like that.

Ombre coasters.

To make these cute little coasters you need the following supplies: clay saucers, paint in any color you like, white paint and clear chalkboard coating. Start by using the dark color on one of the saucers. Then gradually add white paint so that at the end you have a set of ombre coasters. Apply 2 coats of the chalkboard coating to the center of each saucer and you'll be able to write and draw on them.{found on organizeyourstuffnow}.

Make a drinking cup.

Make a simple but elegant drinking jar out of a mason jar. All you need is a wide-mouth jar which you outfit with a lid. Drill a hole at the center of the lid for the straw to go through. You can also have a rubber grommet inserted into it to cushion the straw.{found on gnowfglins}.

Label and organize your cords.

It's hard enough to keep a dorm room clean and organized even without all the cords and cables. A simple idea is to use toilet paper rolls to organize the cables in a drawer or wherever you like tp keep them all. This way they don't get tangled and it's also easy to find the one you need.

Or label your cords with tags. Mark each one so you know which one you should unplug and avoid mistakes. Use different colors for the tags and label them using a black marker pen.

String art.

String art is quite popular these days. Basically the whole idea is to decide on a design you want to create such as a typographical design, a geometric shape, etc. then take tiny nails and, using a stencil, attach them to a board or something similar. Then start wrapping colored string or yarn to get the desired look. You can combine several colors or opt for a monochromatic look.{found on manmadediy}.

Make a key holder.

How many timed have you waster precious time searching for your keys. Make sure that doesn't happen again by crafting one of these key holders. Just use an old photo frame, paint it if you want and attach small hooks. Mount it on a wall by the door and that's about it.{found on purplecarrotkc}.

Give your folding chairs a makeover.

Folding chairs are a must have in dorm room and small spaces in general. But they're not exactly very attractive so you can give your a makeover. You need drop cloth, spray paint, fabric and a staple gun. First remove the existing cushion, then paint the chair. Lay on the new fabric on the cushion and attach it with staples. Assemble the chair and you're done.{found on designformankind}.