Walking into my new dorm in James Hall on the first day of winter quarter, the beige walls and scuffed linoleum issued a challenge to me: How could I make this room look livable without spending all the money I earned over break? I hung up old posters of Andy Warhol quotes and Lady Gaga, but found empty spaces. Knowing that posters wear down throughout their use, and I didn’t want to spend vast amounts of money on temporary pieces, I decided to get artsy.
Decorating a dorm with homemade artwork is a great way to make your space look unique. Whether you have artistic ability or not, it is possible to create something special.
Stores like Joann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby, which are both located in the Columbus area but also have an online store, are a good place to look for inspiration. Their wide range of craft supplies will get the creative juices flowing. A good thing to invest in would be small canvases and paint. You don’t have to be Van Gogh to create a beautiful piece of art. Splatter paint is simple. Pick a few colors of paint, dip the brush in and flick it at the canvas. College Bookstore on the corner of Court and Union Streets is a great place to start when purchasing paints or canvases — it has a basement dedicated solely to inexpensive art supplies for sale.
If you’re feeling especially painterly, take some small canvas and create a picture from them. For example, a few of them can make a tree. Place four or more canvases together on the floor and start painting your tree. Once you hang them up, put spaces between the pictures to create a larger work of art.
Curtains are great too. For an even more personal twist, buy some basic white curtains and paint them. To get a little trippy, tye dye them. Cheap kits can be found out Wal Mart. Tye Dye is easy to do and takes very little time.
Another simple way to spruce up your space is to buy a stack of picture frames. They can cost as little as a dollar at the Family Dollar at the end of Court. Fill the frames with pictures of friends and family or tear up that pile of old magazines, framing the best pictures. Fashion spreads add instant glamour and the frames create structure.
Erin Graffis, a sophomore who lives in Sargent Hall, has decorated her room with everything from a decorative border of mushrooms that she designed and drew herself, to a mobile made of Styrofoam. She is the perfect example of decorating with your resources. Her drawings, for example, are done solely in Sharpie and gel pen.
Erin makes her art not only because it is fun, but also because “sometimes you just have to take your repressed creative energy and turn it into something beautiful.” Home made art can be time consuming, but worth the energy.
Erin spent a lot of time making her Styrofoam cup mobile, but the effort paid off. “It has a great deal of significance and memories attached to it,” she said. “It took a lot of work, which is why it’s my favorite.”
If you can’t find your muse, wall decals can help. Wall decals are inexpensive alternatives to posters. Simply stick them to wall and call it a day. They last longer than posters and are more sophisticated. Check out Target or shop locally at Cross Court. Both offer a wide variety of decals that go with any décor.
And if you think you can handle the responsibility, invest in a few plants. The greenery lightens up your space. Plants are a low maintenance way to breathe a little life into a drab dorm. Whatever you decide, there are plenty of ways to release the Martha Stewart within. So buy some paint and get this arsty party started!